David Miller Announces He Won’t Run Again

David Miller has made his decision: he won’t pursue another term as mayor of Toronto.

He made the announcement at a press conference on Friday.

Miller said he was proud of his record and what he contributed to the city, but wanted to spend more time with his family.

“After my election as mayor, the pressures on me as a father and husband became immense,” he acknowledged.

He said his two children were born after his first election as councillor in 1994, and should he win again, his daughter would be in university before he left office.

Miller said every major platform he ran on had been achieved, or was well underway. He cited examples of his accomplishments like a comprehensive transit strategy and broke down when he spoke of investments for youth in need.

“This has always been particularly important to me as the only child of a single mother. We are creating the kind of hope and opportunity that young people facing barriers need to succeed.”

Miller was elected in 2003 and 2006, and has always said he planned to serve for three sessions, but in recent months, his popularity has taken a nosedive.

Both this summer’s strike by civic workers (39 days without garbage pick-up or daycare) and a discrepancy in just how much the city owes in sick bank liability have affected his support.

During the job action, Miller said the amount was about $250 million.

It was later revealed to be closer to $450 million, a discrepancy revealed by an outside auditor.

On Thursday, the mayor defended the $200 million shortfall.

“As you know, the figure that was used during the strike was [one number]. That is the figure for the CUPE pension liability,” Miller said.

“Sick bank liabilities relating to police and fire fighters were not relevant to the strike and were not used at the time.”

City councillors have requested that an independent auditor find out why the information was never shared.

An Ipsos-Reid poll conducted shortly after the strike ended showed that Miller’s popularity plummeted to an all-time low of just 29 per cent.  Twenty-five percent still declared him a great leader, while a more monumental 79 per cent agreed it’s time for a new mayor.

But despite the numbers, some think he had a chance in 2010.

“He would have been a competitive candidate. I don’t care what the polls say,” said Councillor Adam Vaughan. “But you’ve gotta sit there and you’ve gotta think about the impact on your family and your kids. It’s easy to forget that politicians are people sometimes.”

Former provincial Conservative leader John Tory and deputy premier George Smitherman are both said to be considering bids for the city’s top job. Tory ran for mayor back in 2003, but lost to Miller.

The next election will be held in November 2010.

File photo.

Throughout his time in office, David Miller’s dedication to public service has been unwavering. I want to thank him for the work we have been able to do together on behalf of Torontonians.

Under his leadership, Toronto has made progress on public transit. He rejuvenated parks and public spaces and helped secure the New Deal for Cities with senior governments.

The decision to enter public service is difficult, and so is the decision to leave it. I want to thank Jill and their two children for the immense support they have provided to David over the past two terms.

I wish David and his family all the best in the next chapter of their lives, and look forward to our continued work together through the end of this term.