Public input still vital in new deal

Revamped council must listen to people: Adviser Panel to make recommendations next week

As Toronto is about to receive new power and responsibility, the city must change the way it governs itself, says the head of an advisory panel examining how to restructure city council.

“Sophistication demands sophisticated response,” Ann Buller, told 150 citizens gathered last night for a public consultation session at the St. Lawrence Market building.

“ This is a city that cannot afford to leave people behind. It must be a governance model for all.”

Buller, who is president of Centennial College, said changes will require a balancing act to ensure more efficiency and accountability in government, but not at the expense of shutting out public input. Her panel will deliver its recommendations to Mayor David Miller and city council next Wednesday.

Miller said he’ll await the panel’s advice before making a final decision.

However, he said, a clear principle has already emerged.

“ The office of the mayor needs to be strong enough to guide a city- wide agenda but council needs to be local enough to meet needs on a neighbourhood basis,” Miller said.

Miller appointed Buller, University of Toronto law professor Sujit Choudhry and Martin Connell, founder of ACE Bakery and chair of the Toronto Community Foundation, last June to come up with options to improve how Toronto is governed. The timing comes as Queen’s Park is about to hand over new powers and responsibilities to the city under the new City of Toronto Act, due to be introduced in December. A joint report by city and provincial officials, released this week, outlined a template of what that legislation will say. It shows the city will get new taxing powers — from imposing road tolls to tacking on fees to concert tickets or booze and cigarette sales — but it will not get a share of income and sales taxes.

Toronto will come out from under provincial control on most issues — from setting hours for bars and whether stores can open on holidays — but when it comes to planning, the province will keep a tight grip.

Queen’s Park also won’t give up rules it sets governing businesses and property taxes. While Premier Dalton McGuinty has stated publicly he would like to see changes in how Toronto is governed, he will not dictate any specific model in the legislation.

It will be up to city council to decide whether the mayor deserves more sweeping powers to hire top city employees and set the budget, and whether an executive committee needs to be created.

Also, there will be debate on whether local issues such as approving a speed bump should take up the attention of a full council. Too often, city council meetings can degenerate into long, time- consuming debates as the 45 members stand up to get their chance to speak. The agenda is so thick that critical issues can pass without any notice, such as the recent 12.25 per cent pay hike over four years for city councillors. But change will come slowly. Many Toronto councillors like the current setup where every member is equal and the mayor has only one vote on a 45- member council.