The Roles Shared roles: when powers or The City of Act, 2006 requires that For more information some of Council’s powers cannot be delegated, of the Mayor • , 2006, Part IV: The City duties are delegated to others for example:

and its Governance – e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/

The City of Toronto Act, 2006 gives City • The power to appoint or remove from office statutes/english/elaws_statutes_06c11_e.htm and City Council Council the ability to delegate powers and an officer of the City whose appointment is duties to a person or body subject to certain required by the City of Toronto Act. • Governing Toronto – toronto.ca/governingtoronto/ Your guide to… restrictions. For example, City Council may • The power to impose a tax, set a tax rate or delegate certain powers to: establish a tax ratio. • Council procedures see the Municipal Code, City Council Chapter 27 – toronto.ca/legdocs/municode/ • One or more members of City Council or a • The power to adopt an official plan or an Toronto City Council has

Council committee amendment to an official plan under the direct responsibility for the • A body with at least two members, half Planning Act. 311 Toronto City’s services. Council also of whom are members of City Council, • The power to pass a zoning by law under 311 is the public information and referral indirectly oversees other major individuals appointed by Council, or a service for the City of Toronto, available 24 the Planning Act. services delivered through its combination of these hours a day, 7 days a week. Staff will help you • The power to adopt or amend the budget of with information about services and programs agencies and corporations, • An individual who is an officer, employee the City. or agent of the City. and how to contact your City Councillor. such as the is available on line at toronto.ca/311. For example, City Council has delegated Service, the Toronto Transit final decision-making authority on local • Phone within Toronto city limits: 311 Commission (TTC), and the transportation regulations such as speed • Phone outside city limits: 416-392-CITY . bumps and traffic lights to the Community (2489)

Councils, and it also delegates powers to the Toronto’s City Council is • TTY customers: 416-338-0TTY (0889) City Manager and other senior officials for the made up of the Mayor and 44 day to day running of the City. • Email: [email protected] Councillors. The Mayor is the • Fax: 416-338-0685 “Delegate” is to temporarily give powers only member of Council who and duties to someone else; to allow or is elected by voters from across trust someone else to do a task or make a the city. Each Councillor is decision. elected by voters in one of 44 “Body” is a group of people created for a This brochure is just one in a series on the City wards (a geographic area of particular task or purpose. of Toronto. You can find the rest of the series the city). The term of office for

online and downloadable on the City’s website the Mayor and Council is four at toronto.ca/civic-engagement/learning-material years. 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 T H E R O L E S O F T H E M A Y O R A N D C I T Y C O U N C I L

The role of Council as set out in the City of • preside over (chairs) meetings of council so • signing all bylaws, together with the City If the Mayor or head of Council is absent, Toronto Act, 2006 is: that its business can be carried out efficiently Clerk, passed at meetings at which the Mayor refuses to act or vacates their elected office, • to represent the public and to consider the and effectively has presided. City Council may appoint another Member of

well-being and interests of the City • provide leadership to council The Mayor is a member of all committees and Council to act in their place. In such cases, the

• to develop and evaluate the policies and is entitled to one vote. The Mayor also chairs the: acting head of Council has all the powers and • represent the City at official functions, and programs of the City • Executive Committee duties of the Mayor. • carry out any other duties under the City of

• to determine which services the City Toronto Act, 2006 or any other Act. • Striking Committee –The Mayor recommends provides to Council the membership of the Striking City Councillors The role of the Mayor as chief executive officer Councillors, also known as Members of • to ensure that administrative policies, Committee and may designate the Deputy is to: Council, play both a legislative role and a practices and procedures and controllership Mayor as chair of the Striking Committee • uphold and promote the purposes of the City constituency role. In their legislative role policies, practices and procedures are in • Civic Appointments Committee – The Mayor they are responsible for considering and place to implement the decisions of Council • promote public involvement in the City’s may designate any member of Council to establishing policies and by laws to implement activities chair the Civic Appointments Committee • to ensure the accountability and Council’s decisions. In their constituency role • act as the representative of the City both transparency of the operations of the The Mayor is a member of the Toronto Police Councillors are responsible for consulting with within and outside the City, and promote the City, including the activities of the senior Services Board and the Exhibition Place Board the constituents of their ward and for ensuring City locally, nationally and internationally management of the City of Toronto of Governors, although City Council, with the that all sides of an issue are considered in the

• to maintain the financial integrity of the City • participate in and foster activities that consent of the Mayor, may appoint another decision-making process. enhance the economic, social and member to take the Mayor’s place. Councillors work on city-wide, ward-based • to carry out the duties of Council under environmental wellbeing of the City Council can designate another Member of and local neighbourhood issues. To carry out this or any other Act. and its residents. Council to preside at Council meetings, subject this diverse role effectively Councillors play The Mayor The duties and powers of the Mayor include: to the consent of the Mayor. Council has several roles within the City’s governance • calling special meetings of Council decided to do this by establishing the positions system. A typical Councillor’s workload The role of the Mayor as the head of council is to: of “Speaker” and “Deputy Speaker”. The • expelling any person for improper conduct at includes: • act as chief executive officer Speaker and Deputy Speaker serve for the term a meeting • chair or member of a standing committee

• provide information and make of Council. Council has delegated to the Mayor • acting as a commissioner for taking affidavits • chair or member of a community council recommendations to Council with the power to appoint and remove the Deputy (as may any member of Council) • chair or member of additional committees respect to Council’s role in ensuring that Mayor and Standing Committee chairs. and boards such as sub-committees, administrative policies, practices and • appointing guards with the powers of peace The Deputy Mayor assists the Mayor, is Vice advisory committees, task forces, boards procedures and controllership policies, officers for public works and municipal Chair of Executive Committee and can act as of management, and program operating practices and procedures are in place buildings Mayor when the Mayor is absent from the City boards. In addition to these formal to implement the decisions of Council or absent because of illness, or when the office • declaring that an emergency exists in the appointments most Councillors serve in a and in ensuring the accountability and of the Mayor is vacant. The Deputy Mayor municipality, implementing an emergency volunteer capacity with other community transparency of the operations of the has, and may exercise, all the rights, power plan and declaring when an emergency has organizations. City, including the activities of the senior ended and authority of the Mayor, save and except management of the City the by-right-of-office powers of the Mayor as a member of a community council.