Katie Franzios reports on the executive committee meeting.

The city's executive committee has a full plate for today's meeting. Something that's a topic of heated discussion: declaring the TTC as an essential service.

Both the union and the TTC don't think public transit should be declared an essential service.  TTC chair Adam Giambrone says it would be too expensive and it wouldn't put an end to strikes.

CFRB's Katie Franzios has more.

Another thing coming up today is a gaming tax plan.

It's being proposed as an alternative to the mayor's vehicle and land transfer taxes. A new city report discusses potential new taxes on the purchase of lottery tickets, entry to Woodbine race track and slot-machine winnings.

Councillor Cesar Palacio has campaigned for this for awhile. He says because the mayor pushed through the vehicle and land transfer taxes LAST year, and this gaming tax suggestion is brought forward as an alternative to that, it may be harder to push through than usual.