What a city councillor costs Toronto taxpayers?

Reports from Ontario Premier Doug Ford that cutting 22 councillors will save $25.5-million over four years is conservative.

I would peg it at more than $40-million.

Here are the true costs of each councillor at Toronto City Hall:

Constituency budget (to hire staff): $238,093
Office budget (for mailings, travel, entertainment, etc.): $33,420
Councillor salaries plus benefits: $142,347
Councillor general expense budget in 2017: $743,541
Councillor travel expenses in 2017: $170,000
That does not include the following:

Ward boundary review to create 47 wards: $819,000
Cost to prepare to fight at OMB: $100,000
Cost for three extra councillors: $1-million per year
The hours and hours spent at council debating an item when the outcome is often pre-ordained. This week’s gun violence debate, for example, lasted the entire day at council until 8 p.m. (easily eight hours)

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