Chris Murray (Canadian civil servant)

Christopher Murray is a Canadian civil servant who served as the city manager for the City of Toronto from 2018 to 2022. Originally from Fredericton, New Brunswick,[1] Murray previously was the city manager of Hamilton, Ontario, and he is the present chair of the Municipal Benchmarking Network of Canada.[2]

Chris Murray
Murray (in foreground) in 2017
Toronto City Manager
In office
August 13, 2018 – August 22, 2022
Appointed byToronto City Council
MayorJohn Tory
Preceded byPeter Wallace
Giuliana Carbone (acting)
Succeeded byPaul Johnson
Tracey Cook (interim)
City Manager of Hamilton
In office
January 2009 – August 2018
Personal details
ProfessionCity planner

Murray was appointed as Toronto's city manager in June 2018 and assumed the role on August 13, 2018,[3] following the departure of Peter Wallace, who was appointed secretary of the Treasury Board of Canada.[4] He resigned as city manager of Toronto on August 19, 2022.[5] Prior to assuming his role with the City of Toronto, Murray had served as Hamilton's city manager for nearly a decade from 2009 to 2018.[6]

Career

Murray is trained as a city planner and joined Hamilton-Wentworth's planning department in 1995,[7] taking on the role of project manager and heading environmental planning, transportation and housing until his appointment as city manager in January 2009.[8]

Notable projects which Murray worked on in Hamilton include the Red Hill Expressway, where he was project manager,[9] developing Hamilton's 2012 to 2015 strategic plan,[10] negotiations between the City of Hamilton and the Tiger Cats football franchise regarding their new stadium,[11] area-rated taxation in amalgamated communities, and addressing various high-profile "culture" problems within the Hamilton public service.[12]

City of Toronto

Following the departure of city manager Peter Wallace, who was appointed secretary of the Treasury Board of Canada, John Tory, the mayor of Toronto, nominated Murray to be the new city manager. Prior to his appointment, Murray outlined various organizational changes he wished to make, including restructuring city divisions and creating a new chief of staff position.[13]

Murray announced on June 9, 2022, his intention to step down as city manager of Toronto. He officially vacated the position on August 19.[5][14][15] Tracey Cook, a deputy city manager, acted in the role until the appointment of Paul Johnson on December 2.[16]

Anti-Black racism

On June 4, 2020, following the murder of George Floyd, Murray spoke out against anti-Black racism, saying "silence is not an option."[17] Murray noted that he does not "worry that the next George Floyd will be me, my child or my family member", that "racialized and immigrant communities are providing Toronto with more front-line and personal support workers who put themselves at risk every day than other communities", and he encouraged city staff to "speak up and take action for change."[18]

See also

References
  1. Werner, Kevin (2018-06-27). "Toronto hires away Hamilton City Manager Chris Murray". HamiltonNews.com. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
  2. "Accelerating Business Episode 7 | Building Relationships and Facing Challenges with Chris Murray, City Manager of Toronto". Archived from the original on 2021-01-24.
  3. "BY-LAW 813-2018" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-07-26.
  4. "Chris Murray leaving Hamilton to become Toronto's city manager". Archived from the original on 2018-10-09.
  5. "Toronto City Manager Chris Murray stepping down". City of Toronto. 2022-06-09. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
  6. Fox, Chris (2018-06-27). "Hamilton's top bureaucrat hired as Toronto's next city manager". CP24. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
  7. Werner, Kevin (2018-06-27). "Toronto hires away Hamilton City Manager Chris Murray". HamiltonNews.com. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
  8. "Accelerating Business Episode 7 | Building Relationships And Facing Challenges With Chris Murray, City Manager Of Toronto (Video) - Coronavirus (COVID-19) - Canada". www.mondaq.com. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
  9. "Toronto poaches Hamilton's city manager". Retrieved 2020-10-01.
  10. "PROFILE: Chris Murray, problem solver". The Hamilton Spectator. 2013-03-09. ISSN 1189-9417. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
  11. "Council approves 20-year lease with Hamilton Tiger-Cats".
  12. "Chris Murray leaving Hamilton for top job at the City of Toronto". The Hamilton Spectator. 2018-06-28. ISSN 1189-9417. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
  13. "Toronto's new city manager plans major shake-up, new chief of staff position". Archived from the original on 2018-11-14.
  14. "Toronto's city manager steps down from role - Toronto | Globalnews.ca". Global News. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  15. "Toronto city manager Chris Murray stepping down". The Toronto Star. 2022-06-09. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  16. "John Tory uses his 'strong mayor' powers to fill key role without council's approval". thestar.com. 2022-12-02. Retrieved 2022-12-03.
  17. "'I SEE YOU': Toronto's city manager pens open letter to black staff". Toronto Sun. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
  18. "Toronto's city manager writes open letter to black staff in wake of 'disturbing' events in U.S." Archived from the original on 2020-06-05.
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