Ford urged to hit ‘pause’ button

The people of Toronto should have a voice when it comes to the size of their local government, Mayor John Tory said Friday as he called on the province to hit the “pause button” on a controversial decision to cut the size of city council just two months before a municipal election.

Premier Doug Ford has called Toronto City Council dysfunctional, and his Progressive Conservative government introduced legislation last week to reduce it to 25 seats from 47.

In a letter to Ford, the mayor said the decision should be put to a “binding referendum.”

“I have made my own position clear — it is unacceptable and unfair to change the rules in the middle of an election,” Tory said in the letter made public Friday.

Tory said the province should allow a question about the proposed council reduction to appear on ballots in the Oct. 22 municipal election. Other reforms such as term limits could also be considered at the same time, he added.

In the letter, Tory argued that “hitting the pause button” on the decision is a sign of strength, and urged Ford to consult more broadly on the plan.

“I would respectfully suggest that the legitimacy of your government’s position dramatically increases if supported by a legitimate process,” Tory said. “It is always better to do something right as opposed to doing it quickly.”

The letter also noted that the city has requested advice from its lawyers on the potential for a constitutional challenge of the province’s legislation.