Toronto Mayor Rob Ford suggests that the costs of the city's pressing transit needs may lie with the higher levels of government because "they have many more dollars than we do."
In an interview Wednesday with Matt Galloway on CBC's Metro Morning, a low-key Ford said that as of today he doesn't support taxes or tolls to pay for new TTC infrastructure.
Ford said he hasn't seen a city report made public on Monday that analyzes dedicated revenue sources such as sales taxes and road tolls. Ford said he believed the report was going to be released "either next month or the month after."
Until he sees the report, he said he would not support tolls, user fees, or a return of the vehicle registration tax.
"I don't support any of them right now," he said. "I'm not a tax and spend kind of politician."
Instead, he said the three levels of government are needed to deal with billions in transit expansion costs over the coming years in the Greater Toronto Area.
"Not just the City of Toronto," Ford said.
"We have to sit down with the province and the feds. Obviously they have many more dollars than we do. And I think we'll have to come up with a solution for this transit issue. I cannot sit here today and tell you we're going to implement this tax or that tax. I don't have that information in front of me."
Ford's interview comes after a rough couple of months for the mayor in which he has had to deal with criticism over a widely circulated photo of him driving while reading, a conflict-of-interest trial that could potentially cost him his job, and an admonition from council ally Denzil Minnan-Wong to "smarten up."
Asked by Galloway if he would do anything in recent months differently, Ford said he believes he is doing a good job as mayor and is being targeted by council's "left wing."
"Let's call a spade a spade here," Ford said. "The NDP of council wanted to continue spending and the Liberals and Conservatives don't."
He said he's getting the city turned around financially and pointed to the $168-million sale of Enwave as a success.
"If people disagree with my approach I'd be more than happy to talk to them," he said. "I'd like to know what I'm doing wrong, but according to a lot of people I'm doing a good job."