Municipal government of Toronto
Encyclopedia
{Unreferenced|date=December 200 and has an operating budget of $
7.8 billion. The most recent operating budget was composed of $2.5 billion dollars of funds from the Government of Ontario
for purposes they mandate such as Toronto Public Health
, $2.0 billion for special purpose bodies including the Toronto Public Library
and Toronto Zoo
, $1.7 billion of directly controlled money, and $900 million for capital financing and other programs http://www.toronto.ca/budget2005/pdf/2005op_wheremoneygoes.pdf.
(known more popularly as "Metro") in 1954. This new regional government, which encompassed the smaller communities of East York
, Etobicoke, Forest Hill
, Leaside
, Long Branch
, Mimico
, New Toronto
, North York, Scarborough
, Swansea
, Toronto, Weston
, and York
, was created in light of the need for more coordination of city services. The postwar boom resulted in suburbanization, and it was felt that a coordinated land use planning strategy, as well as shared services, would be more efficient.
These thirteen townships, villages, towns, and cities continued to exist independently of the regional government, and continued to provide some local services to their residents. Gradually, the Metro government began taking over management of services that crossed municipal boundaries, most notably highways, water, and public transit.
On January 1, 1967, several of the smaller municipalities were amalgamated with larger ones, reducing their number to six. Forest Hill and Swansea became part of Toronto; Long Branch, Mimico, and New Toronto joined Etobicoke; Weston merged with York; and Leaside amalgamated with East York.
This arrangement lasted until 1998, when the regional level of government was abolished and the six municipalities (Toronto, Etobicoke, North York, East York
, York
, and Scarborough
) were amalgamated into a single municipality or "megacity". Many people criticised this change, which came on top of a massive "downloading" of provincial services to the municipal level, with little to no new revenue available. A plebiscite indicated that a majority of the citizens of Toronto opposed amalgamation, but criticisms were raised about the leading nature of the question asked. In Canada (and Ontario), plebiscites are not legally binding. The Province of Ontario
under Premier Mike Harris
had the power to ignore the result and did so. Mel Lastman
, the long-time mayor of North York before the amalgamation, was the first mayor of the new "megacity" of Toronto.
City official reporting directly to City Council:
), who then reports to the Mayor and City Council.
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
7.8 billion. The most recent operating budget was composed of $2.5 billion dollars of funds from the Government of Ontario
Government of Ontario
The Government of Ontario refers to the provincial government of the province of Ontario, Canada. Its powers and structure are set out in the Constitution Act, 1867....
for purposes they mandate such as Toronto Public Health
Toronto Public Health
Toronto Public Health is a city department of the City of Toronto and is responsible for promoting public health policy in the city.The current department was formed in 1998, replacing the public health units of the former cities of Toronto, York, North York, Scarborough and Etobicoke and the...
, $2.0 billion for special purpose bodies including the Toronto Public Library
Toronto Public Library
Toronto Public Library is a public library system based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the largest public library system in Canada and in 2008, had averaged a higher...
and Toronto Zoo
Toronto Zoo
The Toronto Zoo is a zoo located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It opened August 15, 1974 as the Metropolitan Toronto Zoo and is owned by the City of Toronto; the word "Metropolitan" was dropped from its name when the cities of the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto were amalgamated to form the...
, $1.7 billion of directly controlled money, and $900 million for capital financing and other programs http://www.toronto.ca/budget2005/pdf/2005op_wheremoneygoes.pdf.
History
The current municipal government is rooted in the creation of the Municipality of Metropolitan TorontoMetropolitan Toronto
The Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto was a senior level of municipal government in the Toronto, Ontario, Canada area from 1954 to 1998. It was created out of York County and was a precursor to the later concept of a regional municipality, being formed of smaller municipalities but having more...
(known more popularly as "Metro") in 1954. This new regional government, which encompassed the smaller communities of East York
East York
East York can refer to:*East York, Pennsylvania, United States*East York, Ontario, Canada...
, Etobicoke, Forest Hill
Forest Hill, Toronto
Forest Hill is an affluent neighbourhood in central Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Along with Lawrence Park, Rosedale, and The Bridle Path, it is one of Toronto’s wealthiest neighbourhoods.-History:...
, Leaside
Leaside
Leaside is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The area takes its name from William Lea and the Lea family, who settled there in the early years of the nineteenth century. The area first developed as farmland along with Toronto through the nineteenth century. It was incorporated as a...
, Long Branch
Long Branch, Toronto
The former Village of Long Branch is a neighbourhood in the south-west of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the south-west corner of the former Township of Etobicoke and was a partially-independent municipality from 1930-1967...
, Mimico
Mimico
The historic Town of Mimico is a neighbourhood in the south-western part of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the south-east corner of the former Township of Etobicoke, and was an independent municipality from 1911 to 1967....
, New Toronto
New Toronto
The historic Town of New Toronto is a neighbourhood in the south-west end of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the south-centre of the former Township of Etobicoke and was an independent municipality from 1913 to 1967, one of the former 'Lakeshore Municipalities'...
, North York, Scarborough
Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River...
, Swansea
Swansea, Toronto
Swansea is a neighbourhood in the City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, bounded on the west by the Humber River, on the north by Bloor Street, on the east by High Park and on the south by Lake Ontario...
, Toronto, Weston
Weston, Toronto
Weston is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in the northwest end of the city, within the former boundaries of the old City of York. The neighbourhood generally lies south of Highway 401, east of the Humber River, north of Eglinton Avenue, and west of Jane Street. Weston Road just north of...
, and York
York, Ontario
York is a dissolved municipality in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it is located northwest of Old Toronto, southwest of North York and east of Etobicoke, where it is bounded by the Humber River. Formerly a separate city, it was one of six municipalities that amalgamated in 1998 to form...
, was created in light of the need for more coordination of city services. The postwar boom resulted in suburbanization, and it was felt that a coordinated land use planning strategy, as well as shared services, would be more efficient.
These thirteen townships, villages, towns, and cities continued to exist independently of the regional government, and continued to provide some local services to their residents. Gradually, the Metro government began taking over management of services that crossed municipal boundaries, most notably highways, water, and public transit.
On January 1, 1967, several of the smaller municipalities were amalgamated with larger ones, reducing their number to six. Forest Hill and Swansea became part of Toronto; Long Branch, Mimico, and New Toronto joined Etobicoke; Weston merged with York; and Leaside amalgamated with East York.
This arrangement lasted until 1998, when the regional level of government was abolished and the six municipalities (Toronto, Etobicoke, North York, East York
East York
East York can refer to:*East York, Pennsylvania, United States*East York, Ontario, Canada...
, York
York, Ontario
York is a dissolved municipality in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it is located northwest of Old Toronto, southwest of North York and east of Etobicoke, where it is bounded by the Humber River. Formerly a separate city, it was one of six municipalities that amalgamated in 1998 to form...
, and Scarborough
Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River...
) were amalgamated into a single municipality or "megacity". Many people criticised this change, which came on top of a massive "downloading" of provincial services to the municipal level, with little to no new revenue available. A plebiscite indicated that a majority of the citizens of Toronto opposed amalgamation, but criticisms were raised about the leading nature of the question asked. In Canada (and Ontario), plebiscites are not legally binding. The Province of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
under Premier Mike Harris
Mike Harris
Michael Deane "Mike" Harris was the 22nd Premier of Ontario from June 26, 1995 to April 15, 2002. He is most noted for the "Common Sense Revolution", his Progressive Conservative government's program of deficit reduction in combination with lower taxes and cuts to government...
had the power to ignore the result and did so. Mel Lastman
Mel Lastman
Melvin Douglas "Mel" Lastman , nicknamed "Mayor Mel", is a former businessman and politician. He is the founder of the Bad Boy Furniture chain. He served as the mayor of the former city of North York, Ontario, Canada from 1972 until 1997. At the end of 1997, North York, along with five other...
, the long-time mayor of North York before the amalgamation, was the first mayor of the new "megacity" of Toronto.
Administration
The following reporting order in the administration of day-to-day services reporting to the City Manager, who then reports to the Mayor:- 5 Directors
- 3 Deputy City Managers (including 1 as Chief Financial Officer)
- 22 Directors (including Executive Directors, Acting ED, Project Directors)
- 11 Managers (including General Managers, Acting General Managers)
- 1 Treasurer
- 3 Officers (Chief Information Officer, Chief Corporate Officer, Medical Officer of Health)
- 3 Deputy City Managers (including 1 as Chief Financial Officer)
City official reporting directly to City Council:
- Auditor General
- Integrity Commissioner
- Lobbists Registrar
- Ombudsman
- City Solicitor
- City Clerk
Service departments
Prior to 2005, the city had various departments headed by Commissioners. These heads were simplified by replacing the departments with divisions headed by Deputy Manager. All department heads now report to a City Manager (currently Joseph PennachettiJoseph Pennachetti
Joseph Pennachetti is City Manager for the City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. As City Manager, Pennachetti oversees the delivery of more than 40 major services to a population of 2.7 million people in the fifth largest city in North America....
), who then reports to the Mayor and City Council.
Divisions
- Toronto Support Services DivisionToronto Support Services DivisionThe Toronto Support Services Division was responsible for infrastructure and administration related issues for the City of Toronto.-Operations:TSSD were split into two divisions:...
- Toronto Solid Waste ManagementToronto Solid Waste ManagementToronto Solid Waste Management is the municipal service that handles the transfer and disposal of garbage as well as the processing and sale of recyclable materials collected through the blue box program in Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
- Toronto WaterToronto WaterToronto Water was created following the 1998 amalgamation of Metropolitan Toronto to run and maintain Toronto's water supply network.-History:Water treatment was originally established to provide safe drinking water...
- Toronto Technical Services DivisionToronto Technical Services DivisionThe Toronto Technical Services Division is responsible for engineering design and construction, surveying and mapping and other program divisions within the City of Toronto...
- Toronto Transportation Services Division
- Toronto Homes for the Aged DivisionToronto Homes for the Aged DivisionThe Toronto Homes for the Aged Division, or THAD, assumed responsibilities for public run home care facilities for the elderly from the former Toronto Community Services department....
- Toronto Children's Services Division
- Toronto Social Services DivisionToronto Social Services DivisionThe Toronto Social Services Division assumed responsibilities for social services from the former Toronto Community Services department.This includes:* welfare programs* social workers* social assistance under the Ontario Works Act...
- Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation DivisionToronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation DivisionThe City of Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division is the division of the Toronto municipal government responsible for city-owned parks, forests, and recreation centres...
- Toronto Shelter, Support & Housing Administration DivisionToronto Shelter, Support & Housing Administration DivisionThis division took over the responsibility of hostels and shelter system from the former Toronto Community Services department in 2005.The division reported to a deputy city manager and with the new executive committee it will report to Giorgio Mammoliti, chair of Affordable Housing...
- Toronto Economic Development and Culture DivisionToronto Economic Development and Culture DivisionThe Toronto Economic Development and Culture Division is responsible for the economic wellbeing of Toronto and to promote cultural events and venues in Toronto. It was formerly a part of Toronto Parks and Recreation and was created in April 2005....
- Toronto Public LibraryToronto Public LibraryToronto Public Library is a public library system based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the largest public library system in Canada and in 2008, had averaged a higher...
- Toronto Public Library
- Emergency Services Division
- Toronto HydroToronto HydroThe Toronto Hydro-Electric System is the local distributor of electric power in the City of Toronto. In 2005 the utility served a peak load of over 5,000 MW and had nearly 600,000 residential and 70,000 commercial and industrial customers, and had around 1,600 employees. In 2005 the corporation...
- Toronto Hydro
- Toronto Police ServiceToronto Police ServiceThe Toronto Police Service , formerly the Metropolitan Toronto Police, is the police service for the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the largest municipal police service in Canada and second largest police force in Canada after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police...
- Toronto EMSToronto EMSToronto Emergency Medical Services is the statutory Emergency medical services provider for the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The service is operated directly as a branch of the municipal government as an independent, third-service option provider, which means that the service is funded by...
- Toronto Fire ServicesToronto Fire ServicesThe Toronto Fire Services is part of the Emergency Services that respond to 911 calls in the City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.-Overview:The Toronto Fire Services is responsible for responding to fires, rescue and assisting with medical situations within the City of Toronto...
- Heavy Urban Search and Rescue - unit with the emergency services (police, fire, EMS)
- Accounting Services
- Affordable Housing Office
- Pension, Payroll & Employee Benefits
- Policy, Planning, Finance & Administration
- City Clerk's Office
- Toronto Public HealthToronto Public HealthToronto Public Health is a city department of the City of Toronto and is responsible for promoting public health policy in the city.The current department was formed in 1998, replacing the public health units of the former cities of Toronto, York, North York, Scarborough and Etobicoke and the...
- City Planning
- Purchasing & Materials Management
- Corporate Finance
- Revenue Services
- Court Services
- Social Development
- Employment & Social Services
- Facilities & Real Estate
- Finance & Administration
- Special Events
- Financial Planning
- Special Projects
- Strategic Communications
- Fleet Services
- Human Resources
- Toronto Building
- Human Rights Office
- Toronto Environment Office
- Information & Technology
- Toronto Office of Partnerships
- Legal Services
- LicensingToronto Licensing CommissionToronto Licensing Commission is a municipal body in Toronto which grants licenses and permits for certain activities under the city's jurisdiction including:* taxi licenses* vendor licenses * driving instructor licenses...
& Standards - Waterfront Secretariat