What can Council do on its own

1. CITY HALL
TASK FORCE
Meeting #1 - November 16, 2016
School of Public Policy and Governance
University of Toronto

2. Meeting #1
November 16, 2016
Meeting #2
January 27, 2017
Meeting #3
March 31, 2017
Problems Solutions Preliminary
Recommendations
Summary
Report
April 2017

3. 10:00-10:05 Official Welcome
Barry Goodwin, Interim Director, SPPG
10:05-10:15 Opening Remarks
Gabriel Eidelman and Brian Kelcey
10:15-10:55 Introductions
10:55-11:05 Setup: What Can Council Do on its Own?
Gabriel Eidelman
11:05-11:20 Setup: Issues for Debate
Brian Kelcey
11:20-12:50 Open Discussion: Problems and Priorities
Facilitated by John Parker
12:50-1:00 Closing Remarks
Gabriel Eidelman

4. What Can Council Do on its Own?

5. What Can Council Do on its Own?
A lot.

6. Sec. 2:
“The City must be able to do the following things in order to
provide good government…
3. Determine the appropriate structure for
governing the City.
4. Ensure that the City is accountable to the public and
that the process for making decisions is
transparent.”
City of Toronto Act (2006)

7. Part II: General Powers of the City
- structure of city council and local boards
- delegation of authority
Part IV: The City and Its Governance
- role of the mayor
- composition of city council
- authority to change ward boundaries
Part VI: Practices and Procedures
- establishment of procedural by-laws

8. “The City may pass by-laws respecting the following matters:
1. Governance structure of the City and its local boards.
2. Accountability and transparency of the City and its
operations and of its local boards and their operations.”
Sec. 8 (2)

9. “authorize the City to delegate its [legislative] powers and
duties…”
Sec. 20(1)
“Nothing… prevents the City from delegating its
administrative powers.”
Sec. 22(2)

10. “authorize the City to divide or redivide the City into wards
or to dissolve the existing wards.”
Sec. 128
“[Members of council] shall be elected by general vote
or wards or by any combination of general vote and wards.”
Sec. 135(3)

11. TORONTO MUNICIPAL CODE
Chapter 27 - Council Procedures

12. Article IV: Public Participation
- deputation process
Article VI: Roles and Conduct
- responsibilities of mayor and councillors
Article VII-XII
- council meetings
Article XVIII
- delegation to council committees and
community councils

13. Amending the municipal code requires
a two-thirds vote at City Council.

14. Municipal restructuring
e.g., de-amalgamation, two-tier government, annexation
City of Toronto Act 2006, s. 149
New fiscal powers
e.g., income/sales taxes
City of Toronto Act 2006, s. 267-268
Political parties
Municipal Elections Act 1996, s. 88.6 and 88.8
Term limits
Municipal Elections Act 1996, s. 6(3)
Off the table: