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Chris Fox, CP24.com
Published Friday, July 27, 2018 6:15 AM EDT
Last Updated Friday, July 27, 2018 11:06 EDT
Prime Minister Doug Ford promises to cut the size of Toronto City Council by almost half, a decision that Mayor John Tory says is "unfair", "unfair" and should be the focus a referendum
. Ford announced Friday morning that its government would introduce a law on Monday that will reduce the number of councilors in Toronto from 47 to 25 scheduled in time for the October 22 elections.
The Prime Minister also said that he would cancel the planned regional projects. Elections Officer in Peel, York, Niagara and Muskoka and return to an appointment process that was in effect prior to 2016, interrupting the campaigns of former Progressive Conservative Party leader Patrick Brown in Peel Region and New Brunswick. former Liberal Minister Steven Del Duca.
The movements have no doubt the potential to plunge the election campaigns into chaos, but Ford told reporters Friday that "taxpayers will be happy to exchange millions of politicians at City Hall for millions of dollars "
Ford also dismissed suggestions that he unilaterally imposed the changes after not mentioning anything about the downsizing of municipal governments during the provincial election campaign.
"I have consulted thousands of people on the other side of the city. Every person I've talked to said that you have to reduce the size of the government, "he said." Nobody ever told me "Doug we need more politicians." In fact, it's the opposite. People tell me we have too many politicians that complicate things and make things difficult.
Ford said reducing the size of Toronto City Council would save municipal taxpayers $ 25 million. On Friday, the prime minister described the Toronto board as "the country's most dysfunctional political arena" and said he hoped it would work more smoothly. "
" They all have their own interests and nothing is done, "Ford said about the current size of the Toronto board. "Nothing is done because they can not make decisions."
He also mentioned several times that Los Angeles, a city of nearly four million residents, has only 15 city councilors. However, there are many other cities in North America, with comparable populations in Toronto having larger councils, including Chicago where there are 50 elected members. In Canada, the size of municipal councils is important, with 64 people sitting on the Montreal City Council, but only 10, plus the Mayor of Vancouver City Council.
Conservatives call for referendum
Ford plans to cut council size arrive hours before 2 pm Government officials say deadline to be postponed to 14 September.
Speaking with reporters at an early press conference on Friday morning, Mayor John Tory said "Angry" about how the changes are being imposed on the city.
Tory said that he finally discovered the changes after reading a report in the Toronto Star on Thursday night, but conceded that Ford mentioned a few weeks ago, there is had an idea during a meeting.
"I rejected it saying that it was not something that could be done and that the case had been abandoned. I did not feel that he was pursuing it, "Tory said. "It's not fair, it's not fair, it's not respectful of people and it's not an appropriate process to follow when it's about A major decision relating to our democracy. "
The number of wards was to rise from 44 to 47 in time for this year's municipal election, after a lengthy boundary review process that included extensive public consultation.
As part of this review, a reduced council of 25 members, in which ward boundaries would reflect existing federal ridings, was reviewed but ultimately rejected
. A May 2016 report noted that "only a very small number of advisors and the public supported" this scenario, and the report also indicated that the model would not meet the "effective representation requirement in the future", since the population of 25 neighborhoods would range from 96,614 to 135,298 by 2026.
On Friday, Tory stated that while he was open to having "a discussion about the size of the council", he did can support a process in which a "gigantic decision about the city of Toronto" is "sunk into our throat without a single second of public consultation."
I promised to be a government for the people, they were campaigning every day, and I would tell the Prime Minister and his government to be true to your words, if you are really a government for the people, let's ask that people and let them decide.
Tory presented a e motion at the town council meeting today asking the clerk to hold a referendum on the prospect He said that he would also seek legal advice on whether the province is in the process of right to unilaterally change the size of the municipal council.
"Although I have no doubt that the province has a very broad power to deal with the city of Toronto, there are terms in different laws that can allow us to very strongly badert the idea that there is a certain degree of cooperation and consultation that is expected and required here "
Matlow calls the plan" undemocratic "
After the news of the cuts appeared Thursday evening, the 22nd St. Paul's Coun District. Josh Matlow called them "undemocratic" and "reckless" while Ward 14 Parkdale Coun. Gord Perks accused Ford of "demolishing democracy".
A handful of other advisers, however, stated that they would support the changes.
"I think we are wasting a lot of time and money with Council much bigger," Ward 7 York West Council Giorgio Mammoliti said at CP24 on Friday morning
"I think that one Smaller advice will allow us to tackle really important issues much faster than we do now and deal with them. And I think there will be less politics at City Hall. "
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