John Tory to remain mayor for Wednesday’s budget meeting

Toronto Mayor John Tory will remain in his current role until after Wednesday’s city budget deliberations.

York Centre–Downsview councillor James Pasternak told reporters that Tory would attend the mid-week budget meeting before formally resigning as mayor.

Tory is expected to wield the powers, including a veto, to help push through the budget with only one-third of support from city council.

Tory announced he was stepping down on Friday night after admitting to an affair with a former staff member that developed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The relationship ended mutually in early 2023. The woman, reportedly 31 years old, has not been identified.

Tory has been married to Barbara Hackett, a home builder and renovator, since 1978. The soon-to-be-former mayor said he believes he must commit himself to the work required to repair his personal relationships.

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When Tory formalizes his resignation as mayor, Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie will likely take on the interim role until the city holds a by-election.

The provincial government indicated strong mayor powers do not transfer over to the interim or acting mayor.

“Once a new mayor has been elected pursuant to the by-election, that person will be the head of council and will be able to exercise the strong mayor powers,” a government spokesperson told CityNews.

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.

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 defeated various candidates, including Gil Penalosa, who placed second.

Penalosa recently announced his intention to run for mayor of Toronto again once Tory formally resigns.

With files from The Canadian Press