Mayor Rob Ford isn’t missing a chance to tout the 2013 budget.
Ford’s office sent an e-mail to supporters Saturday night highlighting the “good news” in the budget that goes to city council for approval this week.
Here’s the e-mail:

Dear Friends:

I am pleased to be able to tell you the City of Toronto is finally turning the corner financially. After two years of hard work to bring our fiscal house into order, we are finally at a turning point to a sustainable city budget.

The 2013 Budget recommended by Executive Committee this week features better services, lower debt, affordable taxes – and sustainable spending.
Keeping Toronto safe is my top priority, so our 2013 budget recommendation ensures includes:
Hiring 35 more fire prevention officers and firefighters, on top of the 40 new firefighters who will graduate on February 1.
Hiring 50 new full-time and 11 part-time paramedics.
Funding for the ongoing construction of 4 new Fire Stations (1 in Scarborough, 2 in North York and 1 in Etobicoke) and 2 new EMS facilities.
Purchase of a new radio communication systems shared by Police, Fire and EMS.
Funding for new fire fighter bunker suits and breathing apparatus and new defibrillators that help save people’s lives.
And, folks, we’re getting this all done affordably and sustainably.

By achieving a sustainable budget that does not use last year’s one-time savings to fund next years spending commitments, we have created a strong, stable fiscal foundation on which to build our future.

This phenomenal achievement is the result of two years of coordinated effort by Budget Chief Councillor Mike Del Grande, all members of the Budget Committee, Executive Committee, City Council as well as the City Manager, his staff and all City employees working together to succeed.

Together, we reduced hundreds of millions of dollars in cost from our base budgets without affecting the services you rely on. We worked with union leadership to save $150 million in a four-year collective agreement that also give us the flexibility we need to improve customer service, while managing costs. We contracted out garbage collection west of Yonge Street, saving $88 million dollars over eight years and improving customer service in the process.

I am proud to say we are accomplishing the work you elected us to do. There is still more work to be done, but we are seeing the results and turning the corner. I remain as committed as always to getting the rest of the job done in the next two years.

To read my speech to the Executive Committee, click [here]

Remember to tune into “The City” this Sunday at 1:00 pm on Newstalk 1010. I will be joined by a number of great guests to discuss the 2013 Budget and what is happening in Toronto.

Yours truly,

Mayor Rob Ford