Mayor Tory heads into 2023 with ‘strong mayor’ powers, discusses highs and lows of 2022
Posted December 22, 2022 4:53 pm.
Mayor John Tory went from managing the COVID pandemic to a re-election campaign then into the hot seat again over the “strong mayor powers” he’s been given by the province. Tory sat down with CityNews to look back at some of the highs and lows of 2022.
In an unsurprising outcome, incumbent Mayor John Tory was re-elected in October this year, becoming the first post-amalgamation mayor of Toronto to win the city’s top job a third time.
He was elected with over 340,000 votes and 62 per cent of the ballots cast. However, less than 40 per cent of eligible voters cast a ballot in an election many deemed not competitive.
In a one-on-one interview with CityNews, Tory said he felt strongly that he was the best person to handle the strain the COVID-19 pandemic put on the city and the challenges that came with it.
“We’re seeing, the strain on city, finances, all of those kinds of things … I felt that I was the best person to see that through,” said Tory. “You have to believe this of yourself, it’s not that I’m modest or arrogant, the best person to see that through is an experienced mayor. And that I could help the city get recovered, address the issues of housing and move forward with those things”
How Tory plans to use ‘Strong Mayor’ powers
Ontario armed Toronto and Ottawa with strong mayor powers through Bill 39, but Tory has said he plans to use them in a “limited and responsible way.” City councillors have expressed concerns over the ability of Tory to make decisions with only a third of the vote.
Fifteen councillors signed a letter expressing their concerns prior to the bill being passed, saying business at Toronto City Hall could be done without them and does not allow them to weigh in on “the impacts on the checks and balances of power that would result from the loss of majority rule.”
Tory reiterated he would only make use of the new authorities in a “very, very limited way,” particularly when it comes to city-wide transit and housing issues, and only after a full staff report and council process.
“I think the vast majority of council, they sought the same mandate that I did, to build more housing, faster, more affordable, and supportive houses. To get the transit built. To keep the finances in good order. To support public realm in parks,” said Tory. “I would think that most would say let’s get on with that work. Let’s collaborate as much as we can and let’s not have endless debates.”
“I think we [build housing] frankly by doing the things we’ve done, by deferring taxes, deferring development charges, getting contributions for giving land … and getting things done fast.”
The other provincial bill stirring up issues is Premier Ford’s new housing bill which will see parts of the Greenbelt developed and also eliminates and freezes some developer fees, forcing some municipalities to raise property taxes in order to pay for infrastructure that supports new housing.
Tory said he has had discussions with Ford and has “fashioned an arrangement whereby they’re going to keep us whole.”
“It’s very, very simple actually which is taking the amount that we would’ve got under the old rules, subtract from that amount the money that they took away from us, and they give back that amount. So we’re left in the exact same position that we would’ve been before,” explained Tory.
The province, Tory said, is trying to figure out how they can do that for Toronto, and for other cities across the province. “But it’s very simple and I won’t be satisfied with anything much less than that.”
“My job is to work on behalf of the residents of Toronto to advance our interests, to stand up for the city, and get as much help from the other governments as we can and that’s exactly what I do.”
Uptick in violence across the city
In response to the uptick in violence the City has seen over the last month, including several incidents on the TTC, the killing of a 59-year-old man by six teenage girls and violence increasing in schools, Tory said he has initiated two meetings with the police and the school boards.
“We really sat together and actually talked about something in a concentrated way. In the new year you will see some very specific programs where we work cooperatively together which is what people expect, to address safety in the schools where it’s been a problem.”
Tory said people will see an increase in the police budget in 2023 as well, despite calls to reduce it in the past.
“It’s not going to be gigantic and inflationary … but it’s going to be enough that we can make a difference in terms of having people that can do more of the neighbourhood policing and do more of the kinds of things that we have to do to keep our neighbourhoods safe, and I make no apology for that. It’s the right thing to do.”
Following the deadly stabbing at High Park station and multiple assaults at TTC subway stations, the transit agency said it was taking measures to improve safety, while also trying to reassure riders, noting that hundreds of millions of people use the service every year without incident.
Tory also plans to meet with the TTC, its unions and the police to talk about specific measures they plan to undertake to increase safety on transit.
“That’s the kind of thing we’re going to do very granular, very conservative, very cooperative with these other bodies because you can’t let these things slip,” explained Tory. “It’s still basically isolated incidents we’re seeing, but if you let it go, isolated incidents can become a pattern and a trend that is not healthy.
“Our commitment to our customers and our employees is to do anything we possibly can within our power and within our resources to enhance safety on the system,” said TTC spokesperson Stuart Green earlier this month.
“But it’s a full team effort. We need support from the city, we need support from social service agencies, we need support from Toronto police, and that’s how you make the TTC safer.”
Looking ahead to 2023
Huge progress towards housing is what Tory expects to see a year from now especially with reports coming back from staff on multi-tenant housing including duplexes, triplexes, and mid-rise developments.
“We’ll see the consequence of that which I hope will be very positive.”
Tory adds he thinks this will be a challenging year, but remains optimistic.
“We will see a very challenging, economic and financial year for the city in terms of its budget, and just getting the economy back on its feet. I hope that we will see further positive evolution in the downtown coming back to life, thereby the transit system comes back to life too because a lot of the reduced ridership is because people aren’t riding transit as much.”
“I think 2023 is going to be a challenging year. I’ve mentioned the challenges. I am honest and upfront about those, but I think it will lead to dividends for us if we stay the course,” he concluded.
