On the same day Toronto city councillors passed the 2013 budget, Mike Del Grande resigned yesterday afternoon as the city’s budget chief. The news went public at about 10 o’clock last night.  The city councillor for Scarborough Agincourt has been doing the job for two years, but had been threatening to resign if council added any spending to his $9.4 billion operating budget.  In fact, council voted to add another $12-million in funding for the fire service, childcare and student nutrition.  It appears the last straw for Del Grande was a motion filed by Councillor Joe Mihevc calling for greater transparency in the budget process.  Del Grande says he felt vilified. He told CP24,  “It’s hard for anybody to do the job, but the vilification and the hatred part and the nastiness I felt during the process doesn’t make it worthwhile to take that kind of abuse.”

Del Grande says there have been more meetings, more briefing notes, and more information released during the budget process.  He says to “charge the process is not transparent enough goes beyond the pale.”  Mayor Ford’s office released a statement late last night, thanking Del grande on behalf of every Toronto taxpayer.

Del Grande will continue to serve on council, and will redirect his energies toward the Toronto Police Services Board.