John Tory's New Year's resolutions: keep taxes low, build transit

Toronto Mayor John Tory used Twitter to voice his New Year's resolutions this morning, vowing to keep taxes low in 2016, buildtransit and "unlock Toronto's potential."

The mayor conveyed his hopes for 2016 in five tweets sent just after 10 a.m.

Tory also looks ahead to the New Year, saying Toronto can show itself to the world at the NBA All-Star Game in February and the World Cup of Hockey in September and October.

Tory is facing a number of challenges in 2016. The conservative mayor will try to bringin an operating budget that preserves city services while keeping property tax increases to a minimum.

Preliminary budget discussions revealed the city will need a residential property tax increase of 2.17 per cent to cover a shortfall of about $58 million. That's more than the 1.3 per cent increase Tory was pushing for.

The mayorwill also be pressed to bring calm to the taxi industry. New bylaws are expected this year that will cover the increasingly popularride-hailing appUber. Traditional cabbies say Uber isruining their livelihood while operating illegally.