A Majority of City Councillors Oppose Bill 39
Tuesday, December 6, 2022
A majority of Toronto City Councillors from every corner of the city have signed on to a letter addressed to Premier Doug Ford and the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing opposing the undemocratic Bill 39, which allows Mayor Tory to win votes on City Council with the support of only 1/3 of Councillors.
Bill 39 is scheduled for third reading Wednesday December 7 and is likely to pass at Queen’s Park on Thursday December 8. Toronto City Council did not have a chance to discuss this Bill and Toronto residents were not consulted in these sweeping governance changes.
Today’s letter from Councillors sends a very powerful and clear message in opposition to Bill 39 to the Premier and Members of Provincial Parliament before the Bill passes at Queen’s Park.
From statements and letters from past mayors, to editorials from major newspapers, and especially the thousands who have taken action - today’s letter demonstrates that the public pressure mounting against Bill 39 is working. And as the Toronto Star’s Editorial said today, John Tory should renounce the strong mayor powers.
Over 7,000 people from across the city have signed Progress Toronto’s petition opposing Bill 39. You can add your name here: progresstoronto.ca/our-city
Allowing the Mayor to rule with only 1/3 of the support of city council is undemocratic. It takes away local councillors’ voting power, taking power away from people, and cutting them further out of decision-making.
Civic participation has declined under Mayor Tory’s term as mayor and this will only deepen its decline. People need more and better representation, not less. And it is not lost on us that this move to take power away from local councillors is following the historic election of new and diverse progressive voices to city hall.
You can see an image of the letter below and scroll down for the text.
Letter to Province from a Majority of City Councillors
Dear Premier Ford and Minister Clark:
We are writing today to register our concern regarding Bill 39, Better Municipal Governance Act, 2022, before the close of third reading.
Bill 39 provides the following: “That if the head of council is of the opinion that a by-law could potentially advance a prescribed provincial priority, the head of council may propose the by-law and require city council to consider and vote on the proposed by-law at a meeting. The by-law is passed if more than one third of the members of city council vote in favour of the by-law.”
On July 19, 2022, Toronto City Council passed a motion that read as follows: “City Council request the Province of Ontario to consult with the City of Toronto on governance prior to granting additional authorities to the City commensurate with Strong Mayor governance models,” and, that “City Council affirms its position that any changes to Toronto’s local elections or its governance structure should be decisions made by Toronto’s City Council.” The minutes of this meeting are appended to this letter.
Bill 39 is moving quickly through the Ontario Legislature and is expected to pass this week, but Toronto City Council has not had an opportunity to debate or consult with residents on this fundamental change in our governance.
We are writing to you today because we are concerned that we have not had the chance for input on the governance of our city, or to weigh in on the impacts on the checks and balances of power that would result from the loss of majority rule at Toronto City Council.
We are committed to the relationship with the Province of Ontario as outlined in Part I of the City of Toronto Act, 2006: one that is based on “mutual respect, consultation, and cooperation.” With this, we ask that you reconsider Bill 39. Toronto City Council should be governed by majority rule, and any changes to Toronto’s governance should be decisions made by City Council and local residents.
Sincerely,
Amber Morley
City Councillor
Ward 3 - Etobicoke-Lakeshore
Gord Perks
City Councillor
Ward 4 - Parkdale-High Park
Anthony Perruzza
City Councillor
Ward 7 - Humber River-Black Creek
Mike Colle
City Councillor
Ward 8 - Eglinton-Lawrence
Alejandra Bravo
City Councillor
Ward 9 - Davenport
Ausma Malik
City Councillor
Ward 10 - Spadina-Fort York
Dianne Saxe
City Councillor
Ward 11 - University-Rosedale
Josh Matlow
City Councillor
Ward 12 - Toronto-St. Paul’s
Chris Moise
City Councillor
Ward 13 - Toronto Centre
Paula Fletcher
City Councillor
Ward 14 - Toronto-Danforth
Jaye Robinson
City Councillor
Ward 15 - Don Valley West
Shelley Carroll
City Councillor
Ward 17 - Don Valley North
Lily Cheng
City Councillor
Ward 18 - Willowdale
Michael Thompson
City Councillor
Ward 21 - Scarborough Centre
Jamaal Myers
City Councillor
Ward 23 - Scarborough North