T.O. police budget vote reveals tale of two cities
Geopolitics doesn’t only play out on the global stage. As the recent Toronto City Council vote on defunding police demonstrated, geographic divisions can be especially stark in the municipal arena.
A motion to trim the police budget by 10 per cent was defeated by a council vote of 16-8. Strikingly, seven of eight councillors representing wards in the downtown city core supported the motion. Conversely, 14 of 15 councillors beyond the central city area voted against the motion, as did Mayor John Tory.
Why are Toronto’s downtown and inner suburbs so divided on the issue of police reform?
Differences in political context, culture and demographics continue to divide city council, more than 20 years after amalgamation was imposed on Toronto by the Mike Harris government. The vote on the police budget is just the latest example.
Calls to dramatically reimagine policing have swept the country and continent. Deadly encounters with police — of Black people, Indigenous people and persons suffering mental health distress — have sparked alternate proposals to better protect public safety.
Foremost have been calls to transfer funds from police budgets, to strengthen community supports and de-escalating intervention approaches. Why did counsellors from the city core respond so differently than counsellors at the east/west/north sides of Toronto?
To begin, we should note that councillors who voted against defunding, generally represent areas with higher Black population concentrations. The inner suburbs of Scarborough, North York and Etobicoke have the highest share of Black, visible minority, and immigrant population. They also have a distinct political setting and dynamic.
Elected councillors in the inner suburbs typically come from business or professional backgrounds. They regard homeowners as the key constituents they need to please. Racialized minorities, recent immigrants and tenants receive little outreach from civic officials. They are less likely to vote in municipal elections, and politicians know it.
Civic engagement is a challenge for many in the inner suburbs who need political change most. Precarious, lowpaid employment leaves little time for community activism. Poor transit and the lack of public congregating spaces, make rallying together a challenge. A host of factors, then, systemically limit the political voice of marginalized populations.
You could call it “the inner suburb bubble effect,” where politicians typically do not reflect the city’s diversity, and prioritize the wishes and apprehensions of local homeowners and businesses. These constituents generally regard police as their protectors.
Meanwhile, a different political dynamic plays out in the city core — the wards of what was the preamalgamation City of Toronto. Most councillors came to their positions from careers or activism in NGOs, social movements and the public sector.
Their mindset is geared toward promoting societal transformation. And they serve residents who tend to be highly organized and vocal.
Downtown councillors report receiving many constituent messages advocating police defunding. Demonstrations and protests happen on streets and neighbourhoods in “their” wards, further reinforcing their commitment as change-agents.
You could call it “the downtown interactive effect,” where central city councillors’ own values are reinforced by community voices calling for change.
And so, Toronto’s geopolitical divide persists. Several steps could bridge the gap. Geography is not destiny.
It would help to have a council that is more diverse, younger and better shares the experiences of Toronto’s population. Visible minorities comprise over half (51.5 per cent) of the city’s population, but only 15 per cent of city councillors. Several civic groups are organizing to change the face of city council. The previous 2018 election proved a lost opportunity, when Premier Doug Ford slashed the size of council in half, with the largest number of vacant positions in memory up for grabs.
Additionally, more diverse community voices need to be heard across the city. Councillors will consider a wider range of policies, if they are promoted by their own constituents, in their own area. The place to start, is where most political change starts — on the street.
It’s time for marches and demonstrations on Lawrence, Wilson, Sheppard, Finch and Steeles Aves. Politics should be more visible in those geographies.
Myer Siemiatycki is professor emeritus of politics and public administration at Ryerson University. He lives in North York.