Mayor Tory’s city council colleagues make opposition to his new ‘strong mayor’ powers official

Thestar.com
Dec. 16, 2022

One day after Toronto Mayor John Tory said “nobody” talks to him about his new minority-rule powers, his city council colleagues gave him an earful.

In a series of motions Thursday, as Tory sat silently, a majority of councillors urged the Premier Ford government to remove key portions of Bill 39, and urged Tory not to use the powers if, as expected, Ford ignores the will of city council.

Councillor Amber Morley’s motion urging the provincial repeal of Tory’s unprecedented power to pass certain bylaws with the support of just eight of 25 councillors was adopted in a 17-8 vote.

Voting against the motion were Tory and councillors Gary Crawford, Vince Crisanti, Nick Mantas, Jennifer McKelvie, Frances Nunziata, James Pasternak and Michael Thompson.

Tory also opposed a motion urging him and future mayors not to override the majority will of council, which passed 14-11, and another motion affirming council’s commitment to democracy and majority rule that passed 20-5.

The mayor did vote in favour of a request to Ford to review the legislation six months before the next civic election. Tory avoided having the thorny issue moved to his executive committee, where members of the public could have made deputations, when that proposal failed 9-15.

Council essentially made official the opposition to Bill 39 expressed by a majority of councillors earlier this month in a letter to Ford, echoing opposition from all five living ex-mayors of Toronto.

Tory has said he would override a council majority only to push key housing and transit initiatives, after getting input from city staff and failing to forge consensus. He has cited opposition to increased housing density, including from some suburban councillors who normally support him, as the reason he asked Ford privately for the minority-power rule before the Oct. 24 civic election.

An exasperated Tory said Wednesday that, when he meets people across the city, nobody bends his ear over the new powers.

Councillors had a lot to say Thursday.

“People whose system of governance changed haven’t been heard,” said Coun. Alejandra Bravo, as Tory listened impassively. “They weren’t heard in the (civic) election, they’re not being heard now ….

“What we’re being asked to do is to be complicit in undermining the very principal of democracy.”

City solicitor, Wendy Walberg, told councillors she knows of no other democracy in the world with a similar minority-rule provision.

The lawyer also said the city won’t understand the impact of Ford tying the powers to “provincial priorities” until regulations for the new law are published.

“We know that Bill 39 is not about housing; it’s an attack on democracy,” said Coun. Ausma Malik, who noted that city council, by majority votes Wednesday, legalized rooming houses citywide and advanced other housing reforms.

Before the Ontario legislature passed Bill 39 last week, Ford staunchly defended the new powers, saying they aren’t “trampling democracy,” because, in the civic election, “Mayor Tory got more votes than all the councillors combined.”

The Ford government has strengthened Tory’s powers twice. The first bill in September granted the mayor a veto over council decisions, the power to appoint some senior civil servants, and greater control over city budgeting.

The measures are in line with “strong mayor” powers enjoyed by many U.S. cities, including Chicago, but with the unusual tie to provincial priorities.

In November, Ford announced that the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa will also be able to pass bylaws with just over one-third council support.

Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe has said he doesn’t need the new powers and won’t use them.