Political Landscape of Toronto (including Ward Boundary Review)

[muller877]

I did a count of the wards layout in the report, and it appears that Old Toronto will be the biggest benefactor of these changes. The ward boundaries don't follow the boundaries of the dissolved boroughs, so this count is just a crude approximation. Nevertheless, there's definitely a greater concentration of power in the central areas of Toronto with these new boundaries.

Old Toronto (+3)
Current Boundaries: 11
New Boundaries: 14

Etobicoke (+0)
Current Boundaries: 7
New Boundaries: 7

Scarborough (+0)
Current Boundaries: 10
New Boundaries: 10

North York (-2)
Current Boundaries: 12
New Boundaries: 10

East York (-1)
Current Boundaries: 3
New Boundaries: 2

York (+0)
Current Boundaries: 1
New Boundaries: 1

York has a bunch of partial wards with the old city of Toronto and North York. Both for the current and new. And it looks like it's disappearing even more with the proposed changes. So not exactly apples to apples but an interesting review.

More interesting to me is the movements within each of the old cities (page 20 or so of the following link). The 5 maps showing the slow and steady growth along rapid transit.
http://static1.squarespace.com/stat...rdBoundaryReview.OptionsReport.Aug11Final.pdf

 

[muller877]

Yeah, I'm down with the 75k per ward population layout. I never thought I'd agree to a reduction of representatives, but I didn't realise that changing the ward boundaries could achieve this while also maintaining a decent ratio of citizens to reps. Also, this is the best chance to get rid of at least Mammo. Make it happen, please.

I'm assuming they will be looking at the last 2 options...less politicians. Which one will Tory go for?

There is one huge problem with using future population estimates. It's based on the cities plan. And there is one certainty...that we will not follow this urban plan. Does it predict the Mr Christie factory development? LCBO sale? Or the next large factory that will shut down for condo development that isn't even known yet? How about a condo bubble that everyone is predicting so there is no development for 15 years?

We can predict 5 years in the future but it is very hard to predict 15 or 20 years. The feds keep their boundaries for 10 years. I wish we did the same (using the population prediction 5 years out)

 

[christiesplits]

‏@reporterdonpeat
"The last thing we need is more politicians" John Tory on prospect of 58 councillors

Yup, Tory is pulling a page from Ford's notebook.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

‏@reporterdonpeat
"The last thing we need is more politicians" John Tory on prospect of 58 councillors

Yup, Tory is pulling a page from Ford's notebook.

To be honest though, council is pretty unwieldy as is - I question the hypothesis that adding more councillors will translate into better governance.

AoD

 

[WislaHD]

To be honest though, council is pretty unwieldy as is - I question the hypothesis that adding more councillors will translate into better governance.

AoD

More representative government, maybe.

In the small ward option, I don't really like how that ward extends along the 401 south of Sheppard. Just cut that part off at Yonge and give the rest of it to the Willowdale ward even if it leads to slight pop imbalance.

 

[animatronic]

To be honest though, council is pretty unwieldy as is - I question the hypothesis that adding more councillors will translate into better governance.

AoD

They really need to add on an analysis of bringing party governance into the mix. A direct-elect mayor with executive authority and a legislative council organized by party lines would legitimize the power of the executive committee, marginalize the crazy backbenchers and make it easier to elect councillors on their ideologies vs. their names.

A second, unrelated change should be to add a monthly "mayor's question period" that meets regardless of whether council is in session.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

No thank you. The mayor already has too much power as is. I'd love to see the mayor further stripped of power.

And land it on hands such as RoFo, Jimmy K or Mammo? That's not exactly an improvement. I am more interested in how to ensure that the mayoralty is ironclad sane and competent in order to wield power to get things done.

AoD

 

[TheTigerMaster]

I'd rather see the mayor further diluted of power. In particular, stripping the position of the ability to appoint persons to executive and other committees. The mayor would retain the ability to sit in on any committee, declare state of emergency and to represent the City of Toronto.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

And what if Rob Ford or Jimmy K or Mammo were to be elected mayor? Would you want those people wielding additional "ironclad" powers of executive office? I'm of the opinion that no one person should wield so much power over the city. Rather, they should have to work hard to build consensus among the 44 councillors.

Built in council veto function? Plus a reformed electoral system?

AoD

 

[TheTigerMaster]

And land it on hands such as RoFo, Jimmy K or Mammo? That's not exactly an improvement. I am more interested in how to ensure that the mayoralty is ironclad sane and competent in order to wield power to get things done.

AoD

And what if Rob Ford or Jimmy K or Mammo were to be elected mayor? Would you want those people wielding additional "ironclad" powers of executive office? I'm of the opinion that no one person should wield so much power over the city. Rather, they should have to work hard to build consensus among the 44 councillors.

 

[animatronic]

Built in council veto function? Plus a reformed electoral system?

AoD

An indirectly-elected mayor would deal with some of this (mayor would be chosen from council by council). However not sure it would be politically palatable.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Built in council veto function? Plus a reformed electoral system?

AoD

I'd be open to giving the mayor additional executive powers if and only if Council could veto the policy with a 50+1 vote. This would give the mayor power to implement policies without having to navigate Council (making it easier for the mayor to "get things done"), while also ensuring that the mayor cannot implement any policies that Council does not agree with.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

I would also put in some ultra-strong ethics/CoI/good behaviour restrictions as well, given our err, electoral history.

AoD

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

An indirectly-elected mayor would deal with some of this (mayor would be chosen from council by council). However not sure it would be politically palatable.

It would be kind of weird to give a mayor increased power but have no opportunity to articulate his/her vision prior to the election because the voters are not really voting for one, and it really isn't a Westminister system either.

AoD

 

[animatronic]

I'd be open to giving the mayor additional executive powers if and only if Council could veto the policy with a 50+1 vote. This would give the mayor power to implement policies without having to navigate Council (making it easier for the mayor to "get things done"), while also ensuring that the mayor cannot implement any policies that Council does not agree with.

If it's just a 50%+1 override then the mayor wouldn't in practice have any special powers. Veto threshold would need to be 60% or 2/3 or something.