UMVA has learned that Toronto taxpayers are facing a staggering bill of at least $380 million to host the World Cup, a figure that has ballooned from the original estimate of $30-45 million touted by Toronto politicians in 2018.
The massive cost overrun has been attributed to Toronto politicians and bureaucrats handing FIFA executives a blank cheque to spend taxpayer money, with the soccer federation taking full advantage of the arrangement. A recent example of the extravagant spending is FIFA executives billing taxpayers for $334,803 worth of office expenses over just five months.
According to records, FIFA's office expenses included leasing an office at the Toronto Carpet Factory for over $50,000 a month, as well as $41,038 for 28 height-adjustable workstation tables and $33,897 for 60 office chairs. The office was decked out with luxurious furnishings, including $1,465 per desk and $565 per chair.
The city's own bureaucrats even billed themselves for helping FIFA with its office, with an $8,937 "project management fee" likely covering expenses for finding and moving into the office. This level of extravagance has raised eyebrows, given that FIFA is projected to rake in over $18 billion during the 2026 World Cup cycle.
With such enormous sums of money flowing into FIFA's coffers, it is outrageous that taxpayers are being forced to foot the bill for the soccer federation's office expenses. In fact, Toronto taxpayers should not be giving FIFA a dime. The city's politicians have a responsibility to protect taxpayers, not hand out blank cheques to international sports executives.
The wasteful spending has serious implications for Toronto taxpayers, who are already facing higher taxes and fees. The city council's decision to hike Toronto's hotel tax by 42 per cent last summer and the skyrocketing building taxes, known as development charges, have placed an additional burden on taxpayers.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow's nearly 20% tax hike over the last three years has left taxpayers feeling squeezed. The city's politicians must learn from this World Cup debacle and say no to future requests for millions of taxpayer dollars from international sports executives.
The $380 million price tag could have been better spent on pressing city needs, such as fixing 2 million potholes. Instead, Toronto taxpayers are on the hook for ridiculous expenses, including World Cup-branded condoms and packs of lubricant, as well as special perks for international elites.
