Toronto City Council 2022–2026 Explained

2022–2026 Toronto City Council
Body:	Toronto City Council
Election:	2022 Toronto municipal election
Term Start:	November 15, 2022
Before:	2018–2022
Chamber1:	City Council
Chamber1 Image:	Toronto city hall August 2017 01.jpg
Membership1:	26
Chamber1 Leader1 Type:	Mayor (head of council)
Chamber1 Leader1:	John Tory (2014–2023) Olivia Chow (since 2023)
Chamber1 Leader2 Type:	Statutory Deputy Mayor
Chamber1 Leader2:	Jennifer McKelvie (2022–2023) Ausma Malik (since 2023)
Chamber1 Leader3 Type:	Speaker
Chamber1 Leader3:	Frances Nunziata
Chamber1 Leader4 Type:	Deputy Speaker
Chamber1 Leader4:	Stephen Holyday
Website:	www.toronto.ca/council
Meeting Place:	Toronto City Hall
Chamber1 Image Caption:	Toronto City Hall is the seat of government

The 2022–2026 Toronto City Council term is the present term of Toronto City Council. It initially consisted of members elected in the 2022 municipal election (including the 2022 mayoral election) held on October 24. Following the election, voters returned city councillors in the city's 25 wards as well as the mayor of Toronto, who is elected city-wide. The city uses a first-past-the-post system to elect all positions.

The council term began on November 15, 2022. Membership changes occurred with by-elections in 2023 (city-wide mayoral by-election held on June 26 and by-election for Ward 20 Scarborough Southwest councillor held on November 30) and 2024 (by-election for councillor in Ward 15 Don Valley West held on November 4).

Municipal elections in Ontario are held every four years on the fourth Monday in October. The next election will be October 26, 2026.

Changes to machinery of government

Prior to the election, the province of Ontario passed the Strong Mayors Act, which granted the office of mayor additional powers including the development of the budget, creating council committees, appointing the chairs and vice chairs of those committees, the power to reorganize departments, appointing department heads, and appointing the city manager. The mayor was also granted the power to veto council decisions which do not align with priorities set by the province.^{[1] [2]} On November 16, 2022, the province proposed further changes the powers of the mayor, introducing a bill which would allow by-laws to be passed with only one-third of council voting in favour if the mayor declared it to be in line with provincial priorities.^[3]

Timeline

2022

• November 16, 2022: Mayor John Tory appoints Jennifer McKelvie (Ward 25 Scarborough—Rouge Park) as statutory deputy mayor.^{[4] [5]}
• November 23, 2022: Ceremonial first session of council is held. Councillors are presented with their declarations of office and the mayor with his chain of office. Frances Nunziata (Ward 5 York South—Weston) and Stephen Holyday (Ward 2 Etobicoke Centre) are elected as speaker and deputy speaker, respectively. The striking committee is formed to make recommendations to council on committee assignments.^[6]

2023

• February 10, 2023: John Tory announces his intention to resign as mayor of Toronto after a Toronto Star investigation reveals he had an extramarital affair with a member of his staff.^[7]
• February 17, 2023: Tory officially resigns as mayor. As statutory deputy mayor, Jennifer McKelvie automatically assumes limited mayoral powers to act as the city's chief executive until a by-election is held.^[8]
• June 26, 2023: Olivia Chow is elected in the mayoral by-election to serve the remainder of the council term.^[9]
• July 12, 2023: Chow takes office as mayor of Toronto.^[10]

2024

• May 16, 2024: Ward 15 Don Valley West councillor Jaye Robinson dies.
• June 26, 2024: The council seat for Ward 15 Don Valley West is formally declared vacant and a by-election is called.^[11]
• November 4, 2024: Former Toronto District School Board trustee Rachel Chernos Lin is elected in the Ward 15 by-election.^[12]

Major mayoral decisions

2022

• November 23, 2022 (1-2022): establish council committees and community councils.^[13]
• November 24, 2022 (2-2022): appoint the chairs and vice chairs of committees.^[14]
• December 2, 2022 (8-2022): appointment of Paul Johnson as city manager and chief administrative officer.^[15]
• February 17, 2023 (6-2023): delegated the power to appoint the city manager and deputies to council, and the power to hire senior division management to the city manager.^{[16] [17] [18]}

Major council decisions

2022

• November 24, 2022: council votes unanimously to oppose the provincial government's new development bill, seeking to preserve the city’s rental replacement policy, parkland provisions and community and development charges.^[19]

Composition

Members of Toronto City Council, 2022–2026 term!Ward !Incumbent!Notes

Mayor		Resigned on February 17, 2023.^[20] ^[21] ^[22]
1 Etobicoke North	Vincent Crisanti
2 Etobicoke Centre	Stephen Holyday
3 Etobicoke—Lakeshore	Amber Morley	Deputy Mayor for Etobicoke and York
4 Parkdale—High Park	Gord Perks
5 York South—Weston	Frances Nunziata	Speaker
6 York Centre	James Pasternak
7 Humber River—Black Creek	Anthony Perruzza
8 Eglinton—Lawrence		Deputy Mayor for North York
9 Davenport	Alejandra Bravo
10 Spadina—Fort York	Ausma Malik	Statutory Deputy Mayor since August 10, 2023Deputy Mayor for Toronto and East York
11 University—Rosedale	Dianne Saxe
12 Toronto—St. Paul's	Josh Matlow
13 Toronto Centre	Chris Moise
14 Toronto—Danforth	Paula Fletcher	Deputy Speaker
15 Don Valley West		Died in office on May 16, 2024.^[23]
		Elected in a by-election on November 4, 2024.
16 Don Valley East	Jon Burnside
17 Don Valley North	Shelley Carroll
18 Willowdale	Lily Cheng
19 Beaches—East York	Brad Bradford
20 Scarborough Southwest		Resigned on July 26, 2023.^[24]
		Took office on November 30, 2023.
21 Scarborough Centre	Michael Thompson
22 Scarborough—Agincourt	Nick Mantas
23 Scarborough North	Jamaal Myers
24 Scarborough—Guildwood	Paul Ainslie
25 Scarborough—Rouge Park	Jennifer McKelvie	Statutory Deputy Mayor until August 10, 2023; assumed certain mayoral powers after Mayor Tory's resignation on February 17, 2023, until the by-election.Deputy Mayor for Scarborough.

Standing committees

Executive Committee
Chair Olivia Chow Mayor	Vice-chair Ausma Malik Deputy Mayor
Members Paul Ainslie Alejandra Bravo Shelley Carroll Mike Colle Paula Fletcher Josh Matlow Amber Morley Jennifer McKelvie Gord Perks
Committee website

Economic and Community Development Committee
Chair Alejandra Bravo	Vice-chair Shelley Carroll
Members Paula Fletcher Ausma Malik Chris Moise Jaye Robinson
Committee website

General Government Committee
Chair Paul Ainslie	Vice-chair Stephen Holyday
Members Jon Burnside Lily Cheng Vincent Crisanti Nick Mantas
Committee website

Infrastructure and Environment Committee
Chair Jennifer McKelvie	Vice-chair Mike Colle
Members Amber Morley James Pasternak Anthony Peruzza Dianne Saxe
Committee website

Planning and Housing Committee
Chair Gord Perks	Vice-chair Brad Bradford
Members Josh Matlow Jamaal Myers Frances Nunziata Michael Thompson
Committee website

Special committees

Audit Committee
Chair Stephen Holyday	Vice-chair Jamaal Myers
Members Mike Colle Ausma Malik Frances Nunziata
Committee website

Budget Committee
Chair Shelley Carroll	Vice-chair Gord Perks
Members Lily Cheng Chris Moise Amber Morley Jennifer McKelvie
Committee website

Civic Appointments Committee
Chair Vacant	Vice-chair Frances Nunziata
Members Jon Burnside Amber Morley Jamaal Myers
Committee website

Striking Committee
Chair Ausma Malik	Vice-chair Alejandro Bravo
Members Brad Bradford Vacant James Pasternak
Committee website

Community councils

Etobicoke and York
Chair Stephen Holyday	Vice-chair Frances Nunziata
Members Vincent Crisanti Amber Morley Anthony Perruzza
Committee website

North York
Chair James Pasternak	Vice-chair Mike Colle
Members Jon Burnside Shelley Carrol Lily Cheng Jaye Robinson
Committee website

Scarborough
Chair Paul Ainslie	Vice-chair Nick Mantas
Members Parthi Kandavel Jennifer McKelvie Jamaal Myers Michael Thompson
Committee website

Toronto and East York
Chair Gord Perks	Vice-chair Brad Bradford
Members Alejandra Bravo Paula Fletcher Ausma Malik Josh Matlow Chris Moise Dianne Saxe
Committee website

References

1. Web site: 2022-11-23 . Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act Officially Proclaimed Into Law . 2022-11-27 . STOREYS . en.
2. Web site: 2022-11-23 . Bill 3, Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act, 2022 proclaimed into law . 2022-11-27 . City of Toronto . en-CA.
3. Web site: Ontario gives more ‘strong mayor’ powers to Toronto, Ottawa Globalnews.ca . 2022-11-27 . Global News . en-US.
4. News: Jennifer McKelvie appointed as Toronto’s deputy mayor . 2022-11-27 . Global News . en-US.
5. News: November 16, 2022 . Tory appoints Coun. Jennifer McKelvie as Toronto deputy mayor . 2022-11-27 . CityNews.
6. Web site: 2022-11-23 . City of Toronto ushers in the 2022–2026 Council term . 2022-11-27 . City of Toronto . en-CA.
7. News: 2023-02-10 . Mayor John Tory steps down from office after admitting he had relationship with former staffer . 2023-02-11 . Toronto Star. en.
8. Web site: 2023-02-15 . City of Toronto mayoral transition process . 2023-06-29. City of Toronto . en-CA.
9. Web site: City of Toronto - City of Toronto Elections Result . 2023-06-26 . electionresults.toronto.ca . en-CA.
10. Web site: Statement from Toronto City Clerk. Elvidge. John. June 27, 2023 . City of Toronto. June 27, 2023. …the Mayor-elect will take office on Wednesday, July 12….
11. News: 16 candidates to run in Don Valley West byelection. CBC News. September 19, 2024. November 27, 2024. The byelection was called to replace Coun. Jaye Robinson, who died on May 16 at the age of 61. Robinson represented the ward from 2010 until her death. City council officially declared the seat vacant on June 26..
12. News: Former Toronto school trustee Chernos Lin wins Don Valley West byelection. Bryann. Aguilar. Joshua. Freeman. CP24. November 4, 2024. November 27, 2024.
13. Web site: Mayoral Decision 1–2022 . City of Toronto.
14. Web site: Mayoral Decision 9-2023 . City of Toronto.
15. Web site: Mayoral Decision 8-2022 . City of Toronto.
16. Web site: Mayoral Decision 6-2023 . City of Toronto.
17. News: 2023-02-17 . ‘Breaks my heart to leave’: Embattled John Tory marks end of tenure as Toronto mayor . en-CA . The Globe and Mail . 2023-02-22.
18. Web site: 2023-02-17 . 'I leave knowing our city's best days lie ahead': Tory reflects on time as mayor in final statement . 2023-02-22 . CTV Toronto . en.
19. Web site: Toronto City Council shows unanimity in opposing Ford government housing bill . 2022-11-27 . Toronto Sun . en-CA.
20. Web site: 2023-02-15 . Mayor John Tory to step down on Friday after submitting resignation letter . 2023-02-16 . CP24 . en.
21. News: Draaisma . Muriel . February 10, 2023 . Toronto Mayor John Tory to step down after admitting relationship with staffer . . February 10, 2023.
22. News: February 10, 2023 . Toronto Mayor John Tory is resigning. So what happens now? . . February 10, 2023.
23. News: Toronto city councillor Jaye Robinson dies at age 61. CityNews Toronto. Marchesan. John. May 17, 2024. November 27, 2024.
24. Web site: Progressive Conservative candidate Crawford to resign Toronto Council seat night before Scarborough-Guildwood byelection. 25 July 2023. Mike. Adler. toronto.com. 23 August 2023.