FIFA, housing and parking fines top Toronto council's busy agenda

Toronto's expensive World Cup hosting duties, the price of a parking ticket and a plan to convert some city parking lots to housing are all up for significant debates as council kicks off a three day meeting today.

This will be the first time city councillors have met since passing the 2024 budget which contained the largest property tax hike in decades. The city's constrained finances will also cast a shadow over the debate this week.

Here's what to watch for during the session:

City councillors are set to dig into a staff update on Toronto's hosting duties for six matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. 

A staff report shows that the expense to taxpayers has jumped to $380 million, up from $300 million a year ago. Rising security costs, inflation and the fact that Toronto will now host one more game than anticipated have all contributed to the rising price tag.

Mayor Olivia Chow has pushed for more oversight of the hosting agreement. Her powerful executive committee recently denied a request from city staff for delegated authority to negotiate many remaining services without the usual council approvals.

"Will I want to see $380 million being spent on it? No," Chow said of the hosting duties. "Would I have signed the deal had… none of the provincial and the federal government contributions been locked down? No."

City manager Paul Johnson said the city has a plan to cover that cost escalation with some of the funding coming from other levels of government. 

"We will find other ways to bridge so we shouldn't be heading back to the property taxpayers in Toronto for any of that gap," he told CBC Radio's Metro Morning.

Coun. Josh Matlow said Tuesday that he's not sure the city can do much to alter the signed agreement with FIFA , and he expects some of that frustration to spill over into the meeting.

"I think there'll be more hyperbole and speeches than debate, the deal was done," he said. "So, I don't see many options for city council."

But Matlow says the city can plan to generate revenue from the games. He says he hopes council will back his motion asking city staff to begin that work to help offset the cost to taxpayers.

"Everyone in the private sector, including, I expect, kids, are going to be opening up lemonade stands and being entrepreneurial, trying to find ways to bring in revenue," he said. "When we've got games in Toronto… the city should be doing no less."

City councillors will consider converting up to 130 parking lots on prime land to build new homes.