Tory announces details of plan to modernize Toronto

Toronto Mayor John Tory has announced details of his plan that he hopes will improve service for residents while saving money.

The new measures include: hiring a chief transformation officer, establishing a customer service strategy that involves making more services available online, changing the way that city office space is used, and a review of the city's current real estate holdings.

"Modernization is an opportunity to do things better for people and at the same time to save money," he told reporters at Metro Hall.

"I have done this before in business. I know how to do it."

Tory said the city has to look at new ways to do things in part because of financial pressures.

"This plan will make us more efficient. It will improve service," he said.
"When we improve our services and modernize the city and give our city staff the right tools to do the job, then they in turn provide better service and save money for the people of Toronto."
Tory said the city expects to save $8 million, starting in 2021, by moving services from traditional channels, such as telephone and in person, online. He said the city will launch a new website and create two new service hubs next year as part of this strategy.
He said the city hopes to save between $4 million and $6 million annually by changing the way it uses office space, and by not renewing leases that expire by 2020.
And Tory said the city estimates it could save between $30 million and $60 million in the operating budgets of all real estate and facilities management operations, excluding Toronto Community Housing and Parks, Forestry and Recreation, by moving to what he called a centralized operating model.