A TWO-STEP PROPOSAL
TO EMPOWER TORONTO AND OTHER LARGE CITIES
1. ADOPT A CITY CHARTER A City Charter will set out: • The exclusive authority of a city to act on municipal issues • Shared authority, with clear roles, to act with the province in areas of mutual interest • Guaranteed city authority to raise necessary revenues. The Charter would be negotiated between a city and the province, with extensive public consultation, and passed as provincial legislation. The content of a City Charter may differ from city to city. |
2. AMEND THE CONSTITUTION An amendment to the Canadian constitution would: • Enable the creation of City Charters in large Ontario cities • Describe how to create a City Charter • Describe how to amend a City Charter, with the provision that no such change could be made without the consent of the city. The Ontario government, the House of Commons and Senate would pass the amendment, which would apply only to Ontario. Other provinces could in the future join the amendment or pass a similar one of their own. |
CONTENT OF THE CHARTER
We propose that initially, a City Charter for Toronto should cover four broad areas:
Governance, Authority, Resources, and Protection.
Other cities may have different priorities.
Governance, Authority, Resources, and Protection.
Other cities may have different priorities.
GovernanceThe city of Toronto would regain the authority to determine its own governing structures.
That authority was revoked by the province in 2018. The city would have full control over: city council and the Mayor's office; the city bureaucracy; agencies, boards and commissions; community councils; oversight and accountability, and elections. Toronto is the only municipality in Ontario without such authority. |
AuthorityThe Charter would place exclusive responsibility and authority for key municipal functions clearly in the hands of an empowered city government.
Where necessary, the city and province would share authority in certain areas, but with clear rules defining the roles and authorities of the two partners. The city would be empowered to make arrangements, financial and otherwise, directly with other governments, including other cities. |
ResourcesThe Charter would give the city control of (not
just access to) the revenues and resources it needs. It would also continue the practice of sharing the wealth generated in the city with its municipal neighbours, the province and the country as a whole. Cities currently have access to just 10 per cent of all taxes raised in Canada; the rest goes to the federal and provincial governments. |
Protection
We propose that the provincial and federal governments create
and pass a single-province amendment to the Canadian Constitution. The amendment would define Charter Cities and end their status as "creatures of the province" whose every decision--and very existence--is subject to provincial override. This would ensure that no changes could be made to the City Charter without the express consent of the city. |
"At the heart of the Charter is the concept that cities...should and can
be responsible for governing all those aspects of urban life that can be implemented locally,
but need to have the requisite resources and authority to do it well."
--Alan Broadbent, CEO Avana Capital Corporation, 2000
CHARTER CITY TORONTO PROPOSAL IN DETAIL
chartercitytoronto@gmail.com