posted February 20, 2009

This chart shows the difficulty we encounter in trying to obtain and interpret information.

Sources: population: City of Toronto; PFR staffing: CELOS; Approved positions: Parks Forestry and Recreation; see spreadsheet

posted March 23, 2009

Notes for the above chart: For the PFR approved positions, in a communication to CELOS, PFR stated that numbers had been restated prior to 2002, owing to change in method from "FTE" (Full Time Equivalent) to "Approved Positions", and some transfers had occurred from outside the department. We are investigating how to interpret this information. See PFR Budgeted Operating Gross Expenditures and Number of Approved Positions 1997 to 2005, 2006-2007 page 1, page 2, page 3, page 4

posted February 26, 2009

We are experimenting with presentation groupings of City programs that we hope will make the information a little easier to grasp. At over 50,602 approved full time equivalent staff positions, the city is pretty big and complex. These are staff numbers from the 2008 budget. There are 49 programs listed in the 2008 budget, which are presented in the horizontal charts below.

Major categories: General Services, Special Services, and Central Services

We define General Services as city services that are widely deployed, offered routinely to all, and comprise some of the basic practical services that keep the city going. Includes things like transit, parks, libraries, garbage pickup, water, and sewage.

Special Services are more in the nature of supportive interventions, and are directed to specific individuals or groups. Includes things like emergency services, public health, homes for the aged, and bylaw enforcement.

Central services are the centralized services which are mostly there to support the other city services. Includes Corporate services like general planning, accounting, etc.; support for the city's buildings and vehicles; and groups like City Council and the Councillor's offices. Also the impending 311 service.

See the source spreadsheet for these graphs.