Speaker of Toronto City Council

The Speaker of Toronto City Council chairs meetings of Toronto City Council. With the written consent of the Mayor, the Speaker and a Deputy Speaker are elected by Toronto City Council from among its members.

Speaker of Toronto City Council
Municipal wordmark
Incumbent
Frances Nunziata
since 2010
Toronto City Council
StyleSpeaker
Reports toToronto City Council
SeatToronto City Hall
AppointerDirect election
by members of Toronto City Council
Term length4 years;
renewable
Inaugural holderSandra Bussin
Formation2006
Websitewww.toronto.ca/council
Toronto City Council chamber

While municipal council meetings in Ontario are traditionally chaired by the head of Council (e.g. Mayor, Warden, Reeve or Regional Chair), the City of Toronto Act allows Toronto Council to appoint another member as a presiding officer.[1] Toronto Council has opted to use this provision and the election of presiding officers with the titles Speaker and Deputy Speaker is authorized by s. 27-6.4 of the Council Procedures.[2]

Unlike "Speakers" in parliamentary assemblies, the Council Speaker has no other duties outside of presiding over meetings. The Mayor is considered to be the Chair of Council for all other purposes. The Speaker does not earn any additional salary for the position. The Speaker is precluded from serving as chair of a committee, the Toronto Transit Commission or the Toronto Police Services Board.[3]

The position was recommended by the council-appointed three-member volunteer advisory panel and its report "The City We Want – the Government We Need" in 2005. Before recommendations from the report was accepted, the mayor was the presiding officer during council meetings.

The mayor retains the right to chair city council meetings and can take the chair at any time. However, in practice, this is reserved for ceremonial or other significant occasions, and the speaker and deputy speaker normally preside.

In the absence of the speaker or deputy speaker, the deputy mayor can also preside over a meeting of city council. The speaker and deputy speaker are elected for a four-year term and can only be removed by a two-thirds vote of city council.

Speakers of Toronto City Council
No. Image Name Term Ward
1 Sandra Bussin 2006–2010 32 Beaches–East York
2 Frances Nunziata[4] 2010–present 11 York South—Weston (2010–2018)
5 York South—Weston

Deputy speakers of Toronto City Council
No. Name Term Ward
1 Gloria Lindsay Luby 2006–2010 4 Etobicoke–Centre
2 John Parker 2010–2014 26 Don Valley West
3 Shelley Carroll[5] 2014–April 2018 33 Don Valley East
4 Glenn De Baeremaeker[6] April 2018–December 2018 38 Scarborough Centre
5 Shelley Carroll[7][4] December 2018–November 2022 17 Don Valley North
6 Stephen Holyday[8] November 2022–present 2 Etobicoke Centre

References
  1. City of Toronto Act 2006, s. 192
  2. Chapter 27, Toronto Municipal Code, Council Procedures
  3. Chapter 27, Toronto Municipal Code, Council Procedures, s27.6.4(H)
  4. "Mayor John Tory calls on smaller city council to 'work together'". www.cbc.ca. Retrieved 2019-12-25.
  5. "Toronto councillor Shelley Carroll resigning to run for provincial Liberals". CityNews. April 5, 2018.
  6. Toronto City Clerk [@TorontoCouncil] (April 25, 2018). "City Council has elected Councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker for the position of Deputy Speaker for the remainder of the term #tocouncil" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  7. "Nunziata acclaimed as Speaker". WestonWeb.ca. Retrieved 2019-12-25.
  8. "City of Toronto ushers in the 2022-2026 Council term". City of Toronto. 2022-11-23. Retrieved 2022-11-27.
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