Joe passes all of the Toronto Star’s “Smell Tests”

MayorJoe.ca:

The Toronto Star‘s “Smell Test” series has focused on the various claims made by the mayoral candidates during the campaign period, judging them on a scale of fragrant to foul. So far, Joe’s claims have been tested and passed a total of 5 times, receiving one fragrant rating, two fresh ratings, and two unscented ratings. Here are some of Joe’s highlights so far from the Smell Test:

Exhibition Place's Profits:

The Smell Test looks at Joe’s claim that under his leadership, Exhibition Place has earned the city $9 million in profit, finding the verdict “fragrant”:

Background: During a live Q&A with the Star, a reader asked Pantalone how he planned on raising money “as a city-builder to invest in a greater city.”

Pantalone, chair of Exhibition Place’s board of governors, responded: “By growing the wealth and the tax base of our city. Growth creates more tax revenue. By investing in Exhibition Place — AllStream Centre, BMO Field, Liberty Grand — we have turned $9 million in profit for the City of Toronto and its taxpayers. I will do that citywide.”

Throughout the campaign, Pantalone and his supporters have repeatedly highlighted the deputy mayor’s longtime efforts in turning Exhibition Place around from a languishing resource to a profitable enterprise.

The 78-hectare parkland boasts some of the city’s best waterfront real estate, stretching from Strachan Ave. to past Dufferin St. It also houses several popular attractions, from BMO Field to the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.

Smell test: Including this year’s projected profit of about $1.2 million, Exhibition Place has netted the city about $9 million since 2007, the year BMO Field opened. Could more inspired ideas have raised more? Who knows.

Are Candidates Transit Claims Off the Rails?

The Smell Test’s first article looked at each of the candidates’ transit plans. Ford came out smelling foul, Rossi and Thomson came out smelling sour, Smitherman came out unscented, and Joe was the only one to receive a “fresh” ranking. Here are the details on Joe’s ranking:

The claim: No new claims here. Joe Pantalone pledges to keep Transit City (in its non-truncated version) alive.

Background: First introduced by Mayor David Miller in 2007, Transit City would build seven new, European-style light-rail transit lines and refurbish the Scarborough Rapid Transit.

The regional transit agency Metrolinx has committed $8.1 billion over 10 years for four Transit City LRT projects: Eglinton, Finch West, Sheppard and Scarborough (the current SRT would be converted into an LRT line and extended).

After the province’s March announcement that it was postponing $4 billion in previously committed funding — which Pantalone called “shockingly horrible” — the lengths of some of these routes have been shortened.

Pantalone wants the original version and has publicly pledged that he “won’t let the province short-turn Transit City.”

The smell test: The province and Mayor David Miller have already battled over the postponement of funding, which resulted in Toronto being told to accept the changes. It’s hard to imagine Pantalone would have much more success in changing the province’s mind.

A kilometre of new subway costs about $300 million, whereas a km of light rail costs between $60 million and $100 million, not quite “five times less than subways,” as Pantalone claims.

How Much Was the Toronto Property Tax Hike in 2010?

Ford claims that residents were hit with a 5% property tax hike in 2010, while Joe says that it’s only 2.9%. Joe’s right and gets a “fresh” rating, Ford’s wrong and gets a “foul” rating. Here are the details:

The smell test: When the city announced it had reached a balanced budget in February, a 4 per cent residential tax hike was expected as part of the funding strategy.

Less than a month later, Mayor David Miller announced a surprise $100 million budget windfall and the city pared the residential property tax to 2.9 per cent.

The last time residents were dinged with a 5 per cent tax hike was in 2001 under Mel Lastman, which came after he had frozen property taxes for three years. Under Miller’s reign, annual residential tax hikes hovered between 3 and 4 per cent.

Verdict: Ford’s claim is foul. Pantalone’s claim is fragrant.