Remember, tomorrow, October 25th is Election Day. Make sure you get out and vote! Encourage your family and friends to vote as well, this is a chance for the youth community to make an important decision that will affect daily life.
Elections are being conducted to elect a Mayor, Councilors, and School Board Trustees. Do your research, and make sure you vote for someone who you feel will work towards the betterment of the City.
Read below on the duties, roles and responsibilities of City Council, and you will see how important choosing a representative is. Make sure you vote, because you have a duty to help create your city into a strong city.
“To me, a great city is one that is known around the world for the quality of life it offers its citizens. It’s safe, strong, creative and clean. It has a great transit system. And a great city leaves no one behind by creating opportunity for all.” – Mayor David Miller’
“The struggle to save Toronto continues: it will be up to future councils to build upon the foundation we’ve started here. For those of you who are staying, keep fighting for what you believe in. Keep fighting for your constituents, your ward, and your city.” – Mayor Mel Lastman
Here is some useful information on the City of Toronto:
Toronto City Council is the main governing and legislative body of the City of Toronto. Council is composed of the Mayor and 44 Councillors who make decisions on behalf of their constituents. Issues are identified by the public, through research, as follow-up to existing programs, services or policies or as part of the everyday work of running a city and achieving Council’s priorities.
City staff prepare reports for the Executive Committee, one of the seven Standing Committees of Council or a Community Council. If the majority of committee members approve a report, it then goes to City Council. When Council deals with an item it can approve, refer, defer, receive, or amend. All approved items are confirmed by by-law. The Toronto Public Service is responsible for implementing the by-laws.
So what are their roles? (Toronto.ca)
The Mayor
The role of the Mayor as the head of council is to:
- act as chief executive officer
- provide information and make recommendations to Council with respect to Council’s role in ensuring that administrative policies, practices and procedures and controllership policies, practices and procedures are in place to implement the decisions of Council and in ensuring the accountability and transparency of the operations of the City, including the activities of the senior management of the City
- preside over (chairs) meetings of council so that its business can be carried out efficiently and effectively
- provide leadership to council
- represent the City at official functions, and
- carry out any other duties under the City of Toronto Act, 2006 or any other Act.
The role of the Mayor as chief executive officer is to:
- uphold and promote the purposes of the City
- promote public involvement in the City’s activities
- act as the representative of the City both within and outside the City, and promote the City locally, nationally and internationally; and
- participate in and foster activities that enhance the economic, social and environmental well being of the City and its residents
The duties and powers of the Mayor include:
- calling special meetings of Council
- expelling any person for improper conduct at a meeting
- acting as a commissioner for taking affidavits (as may any member of Council)
- appointing guards with the powers of peace officers for public works and municipal buildings
- declaring that an emergency exists in the municipality, implementing an emergency plan and declaring when an emergency has ended
- signing all bylaws, together with the City Clerk, passed at meetings at which the Mayor has presided
The Mayor is a member of all committees and is entitled to one vote.
City Councillors (also called Members of Council)
Councillors play both a legislative role and a constituency role. In their legislative role they are responsible for deliberating and establishing policies and bylaws in order to implement Council’s decisions. In their constituency role Councillors are responsible for consulting with the constituents they represent through the electoral system, and for ensuring that all sides of an issue are considered in the decision making process.
Councillors work on city-wide, ward based and local neighbourhood issues. To carry out this diverse role effectively Councillors play several roles within the City’s governance system. A typical Councillor’s workload includes:
- chair or member of a standing committee
- chair or member of a community council
- chair or member of additional committees and boards such as sub-committees, special committees, ad hoc committees, advisory committees, task forces, boards of management, and program operating boards In addition to these formal appointments most Councillors serve in a volunteer capacity on other community organizations
Shared roles – when powers or duties are delegated to others
The City of Toronto Act, 2006 gives the City the ability to delegate powers and duties to a person or body subject to certain restrictions. For example, Council may delegate certain powers to:
- One or more members of City Council or a Council committee
- A body with at least two members, half of whom are members of City Council, individuals appointed by Council, or a combination of these
- An individual who is an officer, employee or agent of the City
When considering delegating powers or duties to others, Council must consider several rules and policy choices. They include:
- A delegation may be revoked at any time without notice unless the delegation by-law specifically limits the City’s power to revoke the delegation.
- A delegation shall not limit the right to revoke the delegation beyond the term of the Council which made the delegation.
- A delegation may provide that only the delegate can exercise the power, or that both the City and the delegate can exercise the power.
- A delegation may be made subject to such conditions and limits as City Council considers appropriate.
Source: http://www.toronto.ca/civic-engagement/learning-material/governance.htm#mayor
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