Online Game Lets You Balance Toronto's Books

Simulation allows citizens to experience the tough budgetary decisions facing Toronto's municipal leaders.

1 minute read

March 28, 2004, 9:00 AM PST

By Geoffrey Singer @GeoffreySinger


The City of Toronto continues to experience annual budgetary shortfalls, largely due to senior government downloading and a constrained ability to generate revenue. The gap this year currently sits at $321 million CDN. The Toronto Star has produced an online game that allows the general public to attempt to balance the books. The three steps in the game consist of choices that will increase services and cost the city money, choices that save money by either scaling back initiatives or drawing on reserve funds, and choices for alternative methods to deal with the expected shortfall.

Thanks to Geoffrey Singer

Saturday, March 27, 2004 in The Toronto Star

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