The mayor part 1
The Mayor
The role of the Mayor as the head of council is to:
- act as chief executive officer
- provide information and make recommendations to Council with respect to Council's role in ensuring that administrative policies, practices and procedures and controllership policies, practices and procedures are in place to implement the decisions of Council and in ensuring the accountability and transparency of the operations of the City, including the activities of the senior management of the City
- preside over (chairs) meetings of council so that its business can be carried out efficiently and effectively
- provide leadership to council
- represent the City at official functions, and
- carry out any other duties under the City of Toronto Act, 2006 or any other Act.
The role of the Mayor as chief executive officer is to:
- uphold and promote the purposes of the City
- promote public involvement in the City's activities
- act as the representative of the City both within and outside the City, and promote the City locally, nationally and internationally; and
- participate in and foster activities that enhance the economic, social and environmental well being of the City and its residents
The duties and powers of the Mayor include:
- calling special meetings of Council
- expelling any person for improper conduct at a meeting
- acting as a commissioner for taking affidavits (as may any member of Council)
- appointing guards with the powers of peace officers for public works and municipal buildings
- declaring that an emergency exists in the municipality, implementing an emergency plan and declaring when an emergency has ended
- signing all bylaws, together with the City Clerk, passed at meetings at which the Mayor has presided
The Mayor is a member of all committees and is entitled to one vote. The Mayor also chairs the:
- Striking Committee - the Mayor recommends to Council the membership of the Striking Committee and may designate the Deputy Mayor as chair of the Striking Committee
- Civic Appointments Committee - the Mayor may designate any member of Council to chair the Civic Appointments Committee
The Mayor is a member of the Toronto Police Services Board and the Exhibition Place Board of Governors, although City Council, with the consent of the Mayor, may appoint another member to take the Mayor's place.
Council can designate another Member of Council to preside at Council meetings, subject to the consent of the Mayor. Council has decided to do this by establishing the positions of Speaker and Deputy Speaker. The Speaker and Deputy Speaker serve for the term of Council. Council has delegated to the Mayor the power to appoint and remove the Deputy Mayor and Standing Committee chairs.
The Deputy Mayor assists the Mayor, is Vice Chair of Executive Committee and can act as Mayor when the Mayor is absent from the City or absent because of illness, or when the office of the Mayor is vacant. The Deputy Mayor has, and may exercise, all the rights, power and authority of the Mayor, save and except the by-right-of-office powers of the Mayor as a member of a community council.
If the Mayor or head of Council is absent, refuses to act or vacates their elected office, City Council may appoint another Member of Council to act in their place. In such cases, the acting head of Council has all the powers and duties of the Mayor
