Toronto Mayor John Tory speaks during a news conference at City Hall in Toronto on Friday, Feb. 10, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS Arlyn McAdorey
TORONTO – Uncertainty hung over Toronto on Monday as the city looked to recover from Mayor John Tory’s announcement that he planned to resign following an affair with a former staffer ““ a revelation that came days before major deliberations over the municipal budget.
Tory, 68, stunned observers on Friday when he admitted to an “inappropriate relationship” with someone who used to work on his team but has since left.
As of Monday morning, however, Tory had still not submitted a letter of resignation, a city spokesperson confirmed.
One political observer said Tory’s revelation, combined with the fact that the budget is set to be presented Wednesday under new “strong mayor” powers, means the path forward for the city isn’t immediately clear.
“I think we’re in totally unchartered territory,” said Myer Siemiatycki, professor emeritus of politics at Toronto Metropolitan University.
A pressing question looming over city council is whether or not Tory stays on to push through his budget, which he was responsible for preparing under the newly-granted strong mayor powers, Siemiatycki said.
If he stays, Tory could wield the powers, including a veto, to help push through the budget with only one-third of support from council.
If he goes before the budget is presented, councillors could jump on the opportunity to overturn some of his controversial proposals, including hikes to the police budget and cuts to transit service, Siemiatycki said.
“Fasten your seatbelts. It will be an unpredictable ride coming up for Toronto, especially this week because of the budget debate,” he said.
When Tory formalizes his resignation as mayor, it’s likely Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie will take on the interim role until the city holds a byelection.
The Ontario government has indicated strong mayor powers do not transfer over to the interim or acting mayor. Those powers include the mayor’s ability to veto changes council makes to the budget, which can only be reversed by a two-thirds council majority.
“In the absence of a strong mayor, we need a strong and decisive council right now,” Coun. Shelley Carroll said at city hall on Monday.
“We need to work together, we need to be able to send that message that this is a stable city, and we are all going to work for the good of the city.”
Coun. Anthony Perruzza said he wanted the mayor to stay on until Wednesday, calling it “the simplest way forward.”
“If the mayor chooses then not to be there for Wednesday’s budget, it would be my hope that the council would continue to treat it as the mayor’s budget,” he said.
Tory was re-elected to a third term in the mayor’s office in October, after a campaign that saw him tout his years of experience in the role.
He was first elected mayor in 2014, partially on a promise to restore respectability to the office following the scandal-plagued tenure of his predecessor, Rob Ford.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 13, 2023.
