There’s rising frustration at city hall over London's stubbornly high unemployment rate.
Coun. Stephen Orser is demanding concrete steps to create jobs.
“We just don't want a lot more meetings at city hall were it’s a lot of talk and not a lot of action,” says Orser.
After last month's dismal unemployment rate of 9.1 per cent, the Investment and Economic Prosperity Committee summoned several city boards and commission to city hall to explain what they are doing to create jobs.
But in the end no action plan emerged.
There was lots of job creation and investment last year in London.
“Through those activities last year it led to 1600 jobs and $160 million in new investment for the city,” says Peter White, president of the London Economic Development Corporation.
But the number on everyone's mind remains 9.1 percent. The committee summoned the city's boards and commissions with a hand in job creation to explain what they are doing and what they need to do more.
But instead the discussion often became mired in corporate buzz words. In the end, the four hour discussion ended in a call for even more discussion and analysis.
“We are spending the money,” says Coun. Joe Swan. “How do we know we are getting value for the taxpayer and actually creating jobs? I think if you could undertake that kind of review.”
The decision frustrated Orser. He believes the committee tasked with job creation is just spinning its wheels.
“I've been on this committee for a long time and all I'm seeing is more referrals, more staff time, I'm not seeing shovels in the ground,” says Orser.
But Swan says he wants action too and Monday’s meeting was the start of that. He says London must get it right.
“We've got over 62 project ideas,” says Swan. “We need to prioritize them and put them into a practical action plan.”
Don't expect a lot of concrete action on the part of the committee this year - it has only a couple million of the estimated $60 million dollars it will need to get its projects off the ground.
A permanent source of funding won't be in place until next March.