Municipal government of Toronto

City of Toronto
Municipal government

Municipal logo

Toronto City Hall, the seat of government
Formation
  • Original: January 1, 1834; 190 years ago (1834-01-01)
  • Current: January 1, 1998; 26 years ago (1998-01-01)
Governing actCity of Toronto Act and successors
TypeSingle-tier municipality with a mayor-council system
Websitetoronto.ca
City of Toronto
MayorOlivia Chow
City managerPaul Johnson
Budget$20.53 billion (operating budget; 2023)
Toronto City Council
Head of councilOlivia Chow
SpeakerFrances Nunziata
Members25 councillors plus the mayor
Appointed byDirect election
SeatToronto City Hall

The municipal government of Toronto (incorporated as the City of Toronto)[1] is the local government responsible for administering the city of Toronto in the Canadian province of Ontario. Its structure and powers are set out in the City of Toronto Act.

The powers of the City of Toronto are exercised by its legislative body, known as Toronto City Council, which is composed of 25 members and the mayor. The council passes municipal legislation (called by-laws), approves spending, and has direct responsibility for the oversight of services delivered by the city and its agencies.

The mayor of Toronto serves as the chief executive officer and head of council. The day-to-day operation of the municipal government is managed by the city manager who is a public servant and head of the Toronto Public Service – under the direction of the mayor and the council. The government employs over 38,000 public servants directly,[2] as well as affiliated agencies. Its operating budget was CA$20.53 billion in 2023, including over $5.1 billion for the Toronto Transit Commission and $4 billion on emergency service agencies, such as the Toronto Police Service, Fire Services and Paramedic Services.[3]

  1. ^ "Headley v. City of Toronto". canlii.org. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Highlights from Toronto 2020 budget". thestar.com. February 19, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2020.