Originally Published: 2010-07-18

Reduction in the number of municipal councillors and modification to the duration of the election campaign: those are just two of the points in the private members bill tabled by York West MPP Mario Sergio (pictured at right). If passed by Parliament, the law would “save the city and citizens at least $6 to $7 million per year,” says Sergio.
The Toronto City Council Act, 2010 will modify the City of Toronto Act, 2006 focusing attention on a “restructuring of the city’s municipal council.”
Thus, for all intents and purposes, the York West MPP is launching a challenge to candidates contesting the mayoral throne for what will be a “radical change that will involve the administrative heart of Toronto City Hall.”
At stake is the entire city council organization for which Sergio is asking for a complete overhaul. His suggestion, above all, is to reduce the number of councillors from 45 to 32.
“In Toronto,” he explains, “there are 23 provincial and federal ridings with a representative for each one. Why not also have a councillor who represents these districts?”
Sergio proposes, therefore, the reintroduction of a Toronto Board of Control composed of eight members.
“In other words,” the MPP summarizes, “there’d be a total of 32 councillors – one of which could preside over council – and eight of them would make up the Board of Control, whose task would be to administer city finances, the budget, and personal issues. As well, these councillors would continue to perform their daily work answering to the needs of citizens in their respective wards.”
Members of council would be elected according to the Municipal Elections Act, 1996.
The Toronto City Council Act, 2010 limits as well the number of consecutive two-year mandates to two terms, for a total of four years after which the councils are required to resign.
The bill also calls for a reduction in the length of the election campaign. “If the proposed law was to pass,” continues the York West MPP, “election campaigns will no longer begin in January and go to end of October or November without a break. Instead, the nomination period would be 90 days followed by 30 days for the actual campaign.”

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