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.
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.City of Toronto Act 2006, s. 192 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.Chapter 27, Toronto Municipal Code, Council Procedures
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.Chapter 27, Toronto Municipal Code, Council Procedures, s27.6.4(H)
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 ImageNameTermWard1Sandra Bussin2006–201032 Beaches–East York2Frances Nunziata2010–present11 York South—Weston (2010–2018)5 York South—Weston
Deputy speakers of Toronto City Council NameTermWard1Gloria Lindsay Luby2006–20104 Etobicoke–Centre2John Parker2010–201426 Don Valley West3Shelley Carroll2014–April 201833 Don Valley East4Glenn De BaeremaekerApril 2018–December 201838 Scarborough Centre5Shelley CarrollDecember 2018–November 202217 Don Valley North6Stephen HolydayNovember 2022–August 20232 Etobicoke Centre6Paula FletcherAugust 2023–present14 Toronto—Danforth
References
External links Implementation of New Council Governance Model for the Term of Council