The mayor of Canada’s largest city, has officially resigned. Now what?
John Tory first announced he would step down last Friday night after admitting he’d had a relationship with a former staffer. The Toronto Star broke the story.
But Tory didn’t tender his papers immediately. Instead, he waited until a short time after city council approved his 2023 budget following a daylong debate. You can read more about that here.
Tory didn’t speak with reporters Wednesday, other to say he was happy the budget passed, and was booed by members of the public who attended the morning part of the meeting before some were removed by security. Despite that, some councillors and Ontario Premier Doug Ford urged the embattled mayor to stay on.
But that was Wednesday.
What happens next?
Tory will officially resign on Friday at 5 p.m. ET.
Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie, a Scarborough councillor in her second term in office, will take over. Per the city: “The Deputy Mayor does not become the ‘Acting Mayor’ or ‘Interim Mayor.'”
It’s also worth noting McKelvie will not inherit the “strong mayor” powers that Tory asked Ontario Premier Doug Ford to grant him. The provincial law allows the Toronto mayor to pass bylaws with the support of a just a third of councillors.
Tory’s resignation also kicks off a new mayoral race.
At the next scheduled city council meeting — set for March 29 — the city clerk will formally declare the mayor’s office vacant and pass a bylaw launching a byelection.
Nominations will open the next day. Some candidates have already declared their plans to run, while others will likely make it official in the coming weeks.
Right now, it’s unclear how long that nomination window will be open (city staff are offering a range from 30-60 days).
However, Torontonians should prepare for a 45-day campaign leading up to the byelection itself.
There may, though it remains to be seen, be a push to delay the byelection to the fall months, as some councillors discussed on CBC Radio’s Metro Morning. The city’s last election (like many municipal elections) saw a dismal voter turnout with just 30 per cent of eligible residents casting a ballot.