Ontario Premier Doug Ford listens to Toronto Mayor John Tory during a joint press conference at Queen’s Park in Toronto, Monday, June 27, 2022. Cole Burston/CP
Toronto Mayor John Tory welcomed the prospect of gaining more power as the province considers a system with strong mayors, while critics warned the city has recent evidence of the risk of empowering its top politician.
Premier Doug Ford said Wednesday that the policy change is planned for Toronto and Ottawa and could eventually be expanded to other major cities.
While the details of the new powers are still being worked out, Mr Ford said mayors would have veto power over certain matters being considered by the council. This can then be overridden by a two-thirds majority of the council members.
Under the current system, Toronto’s mayor has only one vote on council, but has significant authority to manage issues and rely on councilors for support. Mr Tory has managed to push his agenda through two terms without losing any significant votes in the council.
Mr. Ford said he had not been approached by any mayors seeking these powers, but he believed it was the right thing to do as long as mayors did not abuse it. “If they don’t show respect, they won’t be in office in four years,” he said.
The province is expected to introduce the legislation during the summer session of the Legislature beginning Aug. 8.
Asked about the prospect of more power, Mr Tory said he had previously favored a system with strong mayors. The mayor’s powers have been talked about for years, he noted: “I’ve said I’ve been favored.”
The possibility of Ontario moving some cities to a system with strong mayors was first reported by the Toronto Star.
Mr. Ford, who was previously a Toronto city councilor and whose brother Rob finished a scandal-plagued term as mayor, has long complained about what he says is the slow pace of political progress at City Hall. More than a decade ago, he called for a system with a strong mayor, pointing to the example of Chicago, where Mr. Ford said former Mayor Richard Daley “got things done.”
“I just think that the mayor of Toronto or Ottawa or any mayor, they’re responsible for everything, but they have the same voice as a councilor and whether it’s a good decision or a tough decision they make, they have to be held accountable.” , Mr. Ford told reporters outside the Ontario Legislature on Wednesday morning.
The provincial government says expanded mayoral powers could help address housing shortages in big cities and speed up construction approvals.
“This concept empowers council leaders so they can deliver these priority projects,” said Minister for Communities and Housing Steve Clarke.
Eric Lombardi, founder of the housing advocacy group More Neighbors Toronto, said empowering a mayor can help that person direct political attention and funding to issues like affordable housing or shelters. But he said there was no evidence Mr Tory had done so.
“Just because John Tory gets more powers from the province doesn’t mean he has the vision to use them any better than he used the powers he has in a weak mayoral system,” Mr. Lombardi said.
“Could these reforms, depending on how they’re constructed… help housing?” Of course it can. But this does not make up for the fact that the mayor has formulated zero vision on this issue.
Urban policy consultant Brian Kelsey, who served as vice-president of policy at the Toronto Region Board of Trade, said the current system at Toronto City Hall is effective at delaying reforms, regardless of who holds the City Hall. He pointed out that a new mayor can’t direct staff to even begin work on signature pledges from a winning campaign without first getting the council’s support.
And he noted that the proposed provincial change would come amid a global trend toward stronger mayoral systems.
“It’s one thing to say you don’t want this model for Toronto or Ottawa,” Mr. Kelsey said. “It’s quite another to pretend that it’s by definition wrong or unusual to consider this model, given how many other democratic cities around the world already operate very effectively and very democratically with more power at City Hall.”
But critics have drawn parallels between the province’s move and four years ago, when Mr. Ford nearly halved Toronto’s city council in the midst of a municipal election campaign. Mr Ford’s move to consolidate the mayoralty comes with local elections just three months away and Mr Tory running again.
City Councilor Josh Matlow noted that this change would reduce councilors’ responsibility. And he cited Rob Ford as a reason not to increase the mayor’s powers.
“When we had a mayor who smoked crack while in office and was under active police investigation, the council had the ability to keep him under control and provide functional local government,” he said.
“The same people who would like John Tory to have more powers now may feel very differently if a mayor with different priorities or different values is elected in years to come. So think about the big picture.”
Our Morning Update and Evening Update newsletters are written by Globe editors, giving you a quick summary of the day’s top headlines. Sign up today.
Add Comment