Edited by Ann Marie Elpa
Last Monday, October 22nd, the Municipal elections took place, and local voters went to the polls to decide who would be the Mayor of the city of Toronto for the next term. The incumbent, John Tory was re-elected for another four years with 63.5% of the vote while his main opposition, former chief city planner Jennifer Keesmaat obtained a mere 24%. Tory was leading in the polls from the beginning of his campaign to the end of the election. He won with much more ease this time around compared to 2014, when he secured his initial position as mayor with 40% of the vote against Rob Ford who came close with a total of 33%.
Tory did not propose many new ideas as part of his campaign for another term as mayor, rather, he pledged to maintain what he had been working on prior to the election. Upon his victory, Tory promised to enhance the quality of life in the city. He said in his victory speech, “We must do more to speed up the increase and supply of affordable housing, and to tackle the causes and the consequences of gun violence in the city.”
Prior to his election, Tory stated that he is committed to keeping living in Toronto affordable by keeping property taxes at or below the inflation rate and focussing on the affordability of transit and housing. He said that upon being re-elected, he would commit to building 40,000 affordable rentable housing units over 12 years by both developing city-owned land and partnering with private industries.
Tory also declared that he had a three-point plan to combat criminal activity in Toronto. He petitions to hire 200 more police officers each year, put in place stricter bail laws and harsher sentencing for offenders, and to increase investments in communities to offer progressive options for the city’s youth.
So what does this mean for Toronto? We seem to be in pretty good hands. In his past four years as mayor, Tory has made some notable changes in the city. In terms of housing, he increased funding for a rent supplement program which helps subsidize rent for those who are eligible and ensured that more city-owned land was used for affordable housing. He has kept residential property taxes at or below the rate of inflation, promising during his recent campaign that he would continue to do this for the next four years.
Tory also tripled the number of companies in the Partnership to Advance Youth Employment, began implementing a poverty reduction strategy, and establishing a standing committee on housing and homelessness that reports to the council. He also advocated for more childcare spaces and increased childcare funding, adding 300 childcare subsidies.
Finally, Tory also did quite a bit for Toronto in terms of transit, approving a 10-year expansion plan of express bus service on both new and existing routes. He supported a reduced TTC fare for people on the Ontario Disability Support Program and facilitated the two-hour transfer that presto users can now enjoy when taking the TTC. And let’s not forget the extension of line 1, which now reaches up to Vaughan. Tory also approved the Gardiner east hybrid that maintained the elevated connection to the Don Valley Parkway, and has begun to expand on the street network of bike lanes after approving a 10-year plan to put them in place.
The past four years under Tory have been accompanied by changes for the better in the city of Toronto. As for the next four, we must wait and see.