Once the debate on an item is complete, All adopted items are confirmed by by- For more information Councillors vote on the item and any law, and City staff are responsible for To see the meeting schedules, agenda, list related motions. An item can be: implementing the by-laws. To learn more of members, reports, and decisions for any Decision-Making about Council’s procedures and the rules • Adopted – Council has adopted the Council Committee, special committees that govern their debates, see the Council recommendations before it without any or task forces, or City Council, visit the Procedures By-Law at .ca/legdocs/ changes, called amendments. Toronto City Council website at

municode/1184_027.pdf. Your guide to… • Amended – Council made some toronto.ca/council or call the City Clerk’s changes to the recommendations before All Council meetings, including the Office at 416-392-8016. Where the City Gets adopting them. debates, questions of staff, and voting, are its Powers open to the public. Only in special cases, 311 Toronto • Deferred – Council has postponed such as when Council needs to consider The Canadian constitution 311 is the public information and referral consideration of the item to a future confidential information as permitted by sets the responsibilities of service for the City of Toronto, available meeting. law, does City Council temporarily meet the federal and provincial 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Staff will • R eferred – Council has referred the item in closed session. For more information on help you with information about services governments. It does not to a committee or staff for further study or open and closed meetings visit toronto.ca/ and programs and how to contact your City recognize municipalities action, instead of Council discussing it. committees/open-closed-meetings/. Councillor. Service is available on line at as a separate order of • Received – Council has received the toronto.ca/311. government, meaning cities recommendations for information only • Phone within Toronto city limits: 311 like Toronto do not get and will take no further action. • Phone outside city limits: 416-392-CITY their powers directly from (2489) the constitution. Instead, the province of is DECISION-MAKING PROCESS • TTY customers: 416-338-0TTY (0889) responsible for deciding the • Email: [email protected] Mayor/Council Referral Referral rules that govern the City of • Fax: 416-338-0685 Priorities Consideration by Toronto. a Committee of New/Emerging Policy City Council Consideration Implementation Program & Development by City Council of adopted items Service Needs Consideration by This brochure is just one in a series on Community Council Ongoing the City of Toronto. You can find the rest Program & of the series online and downloadable on Service Needs the City’s website at toronto.ca/civic-engagement/learning-material Public Input toronto.ca T H E C I T Y O F T O R O N T O L E A R N I N G S E R I E S D E C I S I O N - M A K I N G A N D T H E C I T Y O F T O R O N T O

There are many provincial regulations, • Public Service – City staff provide When Council is deciding on a program, city council’s agenda, statues and Acts which define this objective, professional advice to Council, a new proposal, or an emerging issue, relationship. The most significant is and implement Council’s decisions they usually review reports from City and Motions & Voting the , 2006 which according to City policy and standards agency staff which are requested at Council At the beginning of a City Council establishes the City and its governance and principles of effective public service. meetings. Reports are written by staff meeting, the members review the agenda. If a Councillor wants to discuss an item – meaning, how decisions are made and • The Mayor and Council – the legislative with expertise in the subject, for example on the agenda then that item is “held”, what powers the City has to do things like body for the City, Council has a duty to city planning, civil engineering, or public meaning it will be discussed by Council pass by-laws and manage its finances. find consensus while balancing city-wide health. The reports can present different and Councillors can ask questions about There are other Acts that define the powers and local considerations. The Mayor options for how the City can proceed, it. After the review of the agenda, City of all municipalities in Ontario, including fulfills a city-wide mandate, leading discuss any past decisions on the same Council adopts a motion to adopt the Toronto. These include the Municipal Council in strategic and fiscal planning matter, and make recommendations to help recommendations in all the agenda items Elections Act, the Municipal Conflict of and representing the City to other Councillors make their decisions. which are not held for debate. Interest Act, the Municipal Freedom of governments. The Mayor and Councillors In addition to reading these reports from Information and Protection of Personal each have one vote at Council – no one staff, when Councillors are deciding how City Council agendas are mostly made Privacy Act, and the Planning Act. can overrule the other members. to vote on an issue before City Council up of recommendations from Council’s there are many things they might take into Committees, new business submitted governance: a Balanced Model Decision-Making & city council consideration, such as: directly to Council by City Officials (e.g. agenda items that were not submitted in The City of Toronto’s governance model Toronto City Council is the main • Impact on the local community, their time to be added to the original agenda), relies on a balance between: governing and legislative body of the City ward, or Toronto as a whole and Member Motions – new items of Toronto. It is made up of the Mayor • Local democracy – a diverse, active, • Short-term and long-term implications suggested for discussion by an individual and 44 Councillors who make decisions engaged public identifies issues, gives • Costs or savings associated with the Councillor. input and feedback, partners with the on behalf of the people who live in their decision When items are debated each Councillor City on local matters, and plays an ward. Issues are identified by the public, is given an opportunity to ask questions important role in shaping the city. The through research, as follow-up to existing • Any input from the public, other of staff with expertise on that item, and public is encouraged to get involved, programs, services or policies or as part of Councillors, or representatives from a is allowed five minutes to speak on that speak to or submit comments to a the everyday work of running a city and community or professional organization item. Councillors can also propose their Committee of City Council, attend achieving Council’s priorities. • What other cities have done about similar ideas or suggestions on an item Council is meetings, and vote in municipal issues discussing by making a “motion.” elections. • The Mayor and Council’s priorities If a motion will affect the meeting’s • The chances of success procedures then it must be adopted by a • If the decision will become a new majority of members present. standard for the future