City of Toronto
Logo of the City of Toronto
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| Predecessor | York, Upper Canada |
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| Merged into | 1998 |
| Formation | January 1, 1834 |
| Merger of | |
| Type | Municipal government |
| Headquarters | Toronto City Hall |
| Location | |
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Mayor
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John Tory |
The municipal government of Toronto, or City of Toronto, is a public corporation providing services to Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is administered by 44 elected councillors (representing around 55,000 people each), who along with the mayor, make up the Toronto City Council. Torontonians elect a new council every four years, in October.
The City of Toronto is legally bound by the City of Toronto Act, an Ontario law. It lays down the division of powers, responsibilities and required duties of the corporation. The City Council is the only power able to enact Toronto laws, known as "by-laws", which govern the actions of the corporation and/or matters within its jurisdiction, such as administration of the Canadian Criminal Code within its borders. The Council itself forms several committees after every election to divide the administration of the corporation. The Council also forms several "Community Councils" which hear matters relating to narrower, district issues, such as building permits and developments requiring changes to zoning by-laws. Community Council decisions, as well as those of the Mayor, must be approved by City Council at regular sessions.
The top civil servant in the corporation is the City Manager, who reports to the Mayor and City Council. 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 the City Manager. The following senior staff report to the City Manager:
City officials reporting directly to City Council:
The City of Toronto represents the fifth largest municipal government in North America, and has an operating budget of CA$7.8 billion. The most recent operating budget was composed of CA$2.5 billion of funds from the Government of Ontario for purposes they mandate such as Toronto Public Health, CA$2.0 billion for special purpose bodies including the Toronto Public Library and Toronto Zoo, CA$1.7 billion of directly controlled money, and CA$900 million for capital financing and other programs.
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