The Hoy memo

Posted on December 13, 2007 by Philip Preville

Shirley Hoy, City Manager, circulated the below memo as a response to Toronto Life's cover story about the challenges facing Toronto's municipal government.

Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2007 18:12:56 -0500
Subject: Important message to staff from Shirley Hoy, City Manager
To: The Toronto Public Service

From: Shirley Hoy, City Manager

In our very busy professional lives it’s sometimes difficult to take the time to reflect on all it is we do each and every day. And when we do take that time, we’re often taken aback by what we see, hear and read about our workplace. After all, we are an open and transparent government -- the public’s right to know trumps all else, as it should.

Toronto Life magazine’s current issue has a cover story, however, that tells an unflattering tale about City Hall. Some of you may have already read it. Some of you may have only heard about it. Regardless, the story is incomplete.

I won’t provide you with a history lesson here, but a little context about where we’ve been, how we got to where we are today, and where we’re going is required.

Ten years ago, the City of Toronto was amalgamated into the single largest city in the country, in effect, making us the sixth largest government in Canada. The expectations of amalgamation by residents, the provincial government, and staff themselves, were enormous.

Yet we succeeded.

The chaos of amalgamation cannot be overstated. Quite simply the challenges posed by melding seven distinct administrations into one, without time to adequately prepare, were overwhelming.

We had to deal with the exceptional pressures posed by downloading, including the capital costs of the TTC. We had to implement a promised freeze on taxes, deal with the impending Y2K crisis, and manage the introduction of the new Current Value Assessment system.

Yet, service and program delivery continued without interruption. The amalgamation process was seamless to the public. Thanks to you.

We have hit some bumps in the road, to be sure. A labour disruption in 2002 brought home to many, just how important public services are to residents and businesses. The Bellamy Inquiry (MFP computer leasing) helped shed light on some of our failings. Lessons learned from the Inquiry have helped shape important policies and decisions for this government.

Public debates over the future of Union Station and the Island airport exemplify just how passionate the people of Toronto are. It is the people that we serve everyday and I know how grateful they are for your dedication to issues big and small.

I needn’t remind anyone that in 2003 this city was faced with SARS, followed by the blackout in August. Governments are expected to deal with crises like these. We did. And we did so professionally, always with the people of Toronto in mind.

Over the years, many reports and studies have been tabled examining how the Toronto Public Service should be organized, how it should support Council, and how it should be accountable for a multi-billion dollar budget. Many of these recommendations have been implemented.

The former Auditor General for Canada, Denis Desautels, wrote a report that pointed the way to greater accountability and transparency with the establishment of a comprehensive auditing regime that included both the Auditor General and Internal Audit functions. We have done that.

As well, the PATH to Excellence initiative established clear lines of authority for staff, introduced key management controls and protocols, and further enhanced accountability, fairness and transparency in the City’s business and purchasing processes.

And while there’s always room for improvement, it bears repeating that the Auditor General’s recommendations, to date, illustrate that the City can make the changes required to be both effective and efficient. Eighty per cent of the Auditor General’s 800 recommendations from 1999 on have been implemented. Recent audits in specific areas of Children’s Services and Solid Waste Management have concluded that those areas are well-managed and effective.

In an organization as large as the City, there will be problems of waste and fraud from time-to-time. Mature, professional governments both recognize and address problems when they arise. The fraud and waste hotline, for example, corroborates the fact that the vast majority of you operate within the highest standards of ethics and integrity. When that doesn’t happen, swift and appropriate action is taken. Calls to the hotline and substantiated complaints dropped more than 10% in 2006 over the previous year. In fact, substantiated claims represent less than one percent of the entire public service. The City administration supports the fraud hotline and communicates its availability widely.

We introduced a new administrative structure to achieve greater flexibility, accountability, oversight and collaboration amongst City divisions. There’s greater emphasis on customer service improvements today. The 3-1-1 project is well underway, on-line registration and fee payment options are available to residents and businesses.

Indeed, to meet the challenges that all large organizations face today, new talent is regularly introduced to the City’s management and frontline ranks. Formal succession planning is underway across the City to ensure a strong public service in the future.

By far, however, our greatest challenge remains a financial one.

Year after year, you hear the story about the City’s budget shortfall. This government, under Mayor David Miller, has led the charge in achieving a new deal for cities.

We succeeded in getting the GST rebate and a share of the gas tax. The province has promised to begin uploading social programs again, starting in 2008.

The City of Toronto Act helped solidify what we all know: this is a mature order of government, unique from other cities in Ontario. We have new powers of taxation that have been debated very publicly.

But cities need revenues that grow with the economy. Toronto has put that issue on the table to the point, now, where the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and even the premier of Ontario are calling on the federal government to share the equivalent of one cent of the GST with Canadian municipalities -- the economic engines of Canada.

Toronto is a leader in many respects. I am enormously proud of you ‘ the women and men of the Toronto Public Service. The real test for quality public services is the work that is done to ensure an excellent quality of life for residents.

And because of you we have clean drinking water. Garbage and recycling gets picked up. Roads are repaired. Swimming pools are clean and safe. Parents have reliable child care. Police, fire and EMS are professional, reliable and committed to residents and businesses. The TTC is relied upon by more than one million people everyday. The single largest social housing stock in the country is right here in Toronto. Our culture and arts community has never been more vibrant. Our waterfront is finally beginning to take shape and reflect what Torontonians want and need. People are engaged in helping shape the future of our parks -- their parks. And we have a bold, daring and aggressive plan to tackle climate change -- the single greatest threat to our planet.

Toronto has been 10 years in the making. We are a young organization. We will continue to grow and improve. That is what we do as committed public servants: meet the demands of the public we serve. Without a doubt, each of you does it with dignity, professionalism and respect for the public you serve, and for that I thank you.

Shirley Hoy
City Manager

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