Thinking of running for city council? This might be your year

Thestar.com
July 27, 2022

Think you deserve a seat on city council? Now may be the best time to run in over a decade.

With the Wednesday announcement that Coun. Mike Layton (Ward 11, University-Rosedale) is stepping away from politics, becoming the seventh councillor to choose not to seek re-election so far, this year’s municipal election may end with more fresh faces on council than any since amalgamation.

But before you throw your hat in the ring, consider why over a quarter of council to date has decided not to run again. Some former councillors have cited a need to recover from the emotional toll the job takes, others a desire to spend more time with their families after years of working around the clock for the city.

The Star prepared a breakdown of why each of these seven councillors are giving up their seats without a fight, in advance of the Aug. 19 candidate registration deadline.

Joe Cressy (Ward 10, Spadina--Fort York)

Cressy was first elected in 2014 , he and took over as chair of the city’s board of health in 2019.

As health board chair throughout the pandemic, Cressy was at the helm of organizing Toronto’s vaccination campaigns, among other duties. During the third wave, he said he was working up to 20-hour days. The stress he was under caused anxiety and panic attacks, for which he was hospitalized three times during the pandemic.

Cressy announced his decision to leave political life due to “the workload and the personal toll” in October 2021. He is now a senior executive at George Brown College, a “dream job,” he told the Star.

Kristyn Wong-Tam (Ward 13, Toronto Centre)

Wong-Tam has had a seat on council since 2010 and has served as council’s first openly lesbian and non-binary member and a stalwart advocate for equity, human rights and the arts.

In April, Wong-Tam announced an exit from city hall to run in the provincial election. Wong-Tam won, and is now an NDP MPP, representing Toronto Centre.

Michael Ford (Ward 1, Etobicoke North)

Michael Ford, nephew of Ontario Premier Doug Ford and former Toronto mayor Rob Ford, was first elected in 2016, replacing the latter after his death. Before joining council, he was a Toronto District School Board trustee. Ford left to serve at Queen’s Park, and is now MPP of York South--Weston for the PC Party. He was also named Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism.

Ana Bailao (Ward 9, Davenport)

After 12 years on city council, Bailao announced she would not seek re-election this year, citing a need for change and a new work-life balance. Bailao was known for her housing advocacy and leadership during the ongoing housing crisis.

“I did all my writing and my meditation and was like, ‘Yeah, this is what feels right, what my heart is telling me,’” Bailao told the Star in May.

John Filion (Ward 18, Willowdale)

Filion, 72, a veteran councillor of 40 years, decided to retire this year. He said the last four years had been the worst of his career because of the pandemic. “It’s been extremely demanding of my time but also not satisfying -- you just can’t connect with people as much, whether it’s the community or your office staff,” he told the Star last month.

During his tenure, Filion was chair of the health board where he worked to ensure food safety regulation compliance. He also put forward the emergency motion that stripped former mayor Rob Ford of some of his powers in the wake of the crack-smoking scandal.

Denzil Minnan-Wong (Ward 16, Don Valley East)

Minnan-Wong was first elected in 1994 and served as deputy mayor since 2014. He told the Star he’d given 28 years to the city, and “didn’t believe I had another four years left in me.” He said working from home during COVID made him realize how much he’d missed out on family life.

Minnan-Wong said his three proudest accomplishments in office were creating the position of City Auditor General, contracting out garbage collection west of Yonge Street and saving the Gardiner Expressway.

Mike Layton (Ward 11, University-Rosedale)

Layton, a councillor for 12 years and son of former federal NDP leader Jack Layton, told the Star Tuesday that, after months of consideration, he would step away from politics in order to spend more time with his family. He said he’d missed “far too many bedtimes, far too many dinners.”

Layton was a local leader in the fight against climate change and said he wants to continue that work outside of elected office, though he isn’t sure yet where he will land.