Ontario鈥檚 new premier plans to significantly reduce the number of Toronto city councillors just months before the fall municipal election, a move he says will boost government efficiency and cut waste.
Doug Ford says his government will introduce legislation to cut the number of seats from 47 to 25, aligning city wards with federal ridings.
The deadline for candidates to register for the municipal election was Friday afternoon but the government said it will extend that to September.
Ford says having fewer city councillors 鈥渨ill dramatically improve the decision-making process at Toronto City Hall鈥� and save taxpayers $25 million.
Asked why he didn鈥檛 campaign on the plan or hold public consultations on it, Ford said he heard from thousands of people while canvassing this spring that they want a smaller government.
鈥淭here isn鈥檛 too many people that I know that wouldn鈥檛 want to trade in a bunch of politicians for $25 million,鈥� Ford said. 鈥淧eople don鈥檛 care about politicians, they care about getting things done.鈥�
Ford鈥檚 move was pre-emptively panned by Toronto Mayor John Tory, who said in a news conference earlier Friday morning that the process around the plan is 鈥渁bsolutely not right.鈥� The mayor said he鈥檒l propose a referendum on the issue.
鈥淭his is a gigantic decision about the future of Toronto,鈥� Tory said. 鈥淲hat we don鈥檛 need and what I just can鈥檛 support is change being rammed down our throats without a single second of public consultation.鈥�
Some councillors echoed Tory鈥檚 opposition to the provincial plan and said they hoped the mayor would push back.
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Calling Ford鈥檚 plan 鈥渁n affront to our democracy,鈥� Coun. Kristyn Wong-Tam urged the mayor to challenge it in the courts.
鈥淚 think the mayor needs to defend our city and our democracy and that鈥檚 what I鈥檓 looking for from him,鈥� she said.
Coun. John Campbell said slashing council nearly in half would reduce oversight of municipal boards and commissions.
鈥淚f you reduce councillors to 25, all of a sudden you lose that connection with the electorate and in the end the public is the loser, and they鈥檙e going to feel it right away,鈥� he said.
Others expressed support for a smaller municipal government, arguing it would cut costs and help council reach decisions faster.
鈥淭he only thing we do upstairs in that chamber is everybody gets up and just wants to talk. When you have 25 people there鈥檚 more cohesion, you鈥檒l move faster on things. That鈥檚 why I鈥檓 supportive of this,鈥� Coun. Jim Karygiannis said.
Ford also said he will cancel planned elections for regional chair positions in more than two Greater Toronto Area communities, including Peel Region and York Region.
Former Ontario Progressive Conservative leader Patrick Brown, whose resignation this winter paved the way for Ford to take over the party, is running for the Peel seat, while former Liberal cabinet minister Steven Del Duca is a candidate in York.
鈥� with files from Alanna Rizza.
Shawn Jeffords, The Canadian Press
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