1.2.1
Decision Making of City Council
Council and its Committee System
City Council uses a committee system to manage its legislative process and
make decisions. With few exceptions the business of the City is introduced
at a committee and debated for recommendation to Council. City Council
and its committees are required to meet in public, with some exceptions as
specified in the City of Toronto Act, 2006, and all votes, including votes on
matters discussed in closed meetings must be taken in public. Committees
provide an important forum for debate and public input on issues within their
area of responsibility.
Council's core committee system includes:
 An Executive Committee
 Seven policy Standing Committees of Council
 Four Community Councils (geographic standing committees)
 Six special committees
A chart of Council's Committee Structure is attached in Appendix A.
Council Procedures
The business of City Council and its committees is governed by the Council
Procedures contained in Chapter 27 of the Toronto Municipal Code. They
establish the rules in a number of key areas including:
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Rules of Council and committee debate
Public participation
Agendas, minutes and order of business
Roles of key office holders and conduct of Members
Committee structure and duties
Delegation to committees
Motions and Voting
Bills and by-laws
City Council can only amend the Council Procedures by a two-thirds vote
after certain notice and public hearing requirements are met.
The Council Procedures can be found at:
http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/municode/1184_027.pdf
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Executive Committee
The Executive Committee reports to Council and is composed of the Mayor
(chair), the Deputy Mayor (vice chair), the seven chairs of the Standing
Committees and four other members of Council who are not chair of the
Toronto Police Service Board or the Toronto Transit Commission.
The Executive Committee’s mandate is to monitor and make
recommendations on the priorities, plans, international and
intergovernmental relations, governance structures and processes including
the City's relationship with its agencies and corporations, and financial
integrity of the City.
Standing Committees
There are seven policy Standing Committees of City Council. Every Standing
Committee has a distinct mandate and is composed of six members and the
Mayor by-right-of-office.
Standing Committees are responsible for setting priorities and direction,
providing a forum for policy debate and public participation, and
recommending policies and budget priorities to Council.
The Standing Committees include:
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Community Development and Recreation Committee: Primary
focus: social cohesion -- responsible for monitoring and making
recommendations to strengthen services to communities and
neighbourhoods.
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Economic Development Committee: Primary Focus: the economy -responsible for monitoring and making recommendations to strengthen
Toronto’s economy and investment climate.
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Government Management Committee: Primary focus: government
assets and resources -- responsible for monitoring and making
recommendations on the administrative operations of the City.
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Licensing and Standards Committee: Primary focus: consumer safety
and protection -- responsible for monitoring and making
recommendations on the licensing of business and enforcement of
property standards.
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Public Works and Infrastructure Committee: Primary focus:
infrastructure -- responsible for monitoring and making recommendations
on Toronto’s infrastructure needs and services.
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Planning and Growth Management Committee: Primary focus: urban
form -- responsible for monitoring and making recommendations on the
planning, growth and development of the City.
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Parks and Environment Committee: Primary focus: the natural
environment -- responsible for monitoring and making recommendations
on the sustainable use of Toronto’s natural environment.
Community Councils
City Council has established four geographic standing committees: North
York Community Council, Toronto and East York Community Council,
Scarborough Community Council and Etobicoke York Community Council.
Each includes eleven electoral wards and represents about 600,000
residents.
Community Councils consider local matters and provide a forum for local
input into Council's decision-making process. They hold public meetings on
a range of planning matters, monitor the well-being of local neighbourhoods,
nominate citizens to a range of local bodies, and consider appeals brought
forward by ward councillors of Sign Variance Committee decisions and make
recommendations to City Council for final decision.
Community Councils also exercise delegated final decision making on a
range of local routine matters, subject to certain limitations, including
decisions involving parking, traffic regulations and road alterations, permits
for cafes and front yard parking, appointments to certain local boards such
as community centres, installation of stop signs, and exemptions to certain
City by-laws.
City Council cannot re-open a decision made by a Community Council on a
delegated matter. City Council retains the authority to revoke delegation at
any time. Community Councils can re-open decisions if required with a twothirds majority vote. Delegated matters that involve more than one
Community Council require City Council approval as they are considered
City-wide matters.
Information on delegated areas of legislative authority to community
councils can be found at: http://goo.gl/i9sNs4
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A Community Council map is attached in Appendix B.
Special Committees
The Budget Committee reports to the Executive Committee and is
composed of seven members. The Budget Committee is responsible for
coordinating the preparation of the capital and operating estimates and
reviewing matters that may have a significant impact on a future budget as
determined by the Executive Committee.
The Employee and Labour Relations Committee reports to the Executive
Committee and is composed of seven members. The Committee is
responsible for reviewing corporate human resource policy issues affecting
the City’s workforce. The Committee is also responsible for providing
strategic policy direction and receiving routine updates on collective
bargaining related to the City.
The Affordable Housing Committee reports to the Executive Committee
and is composed of six members. The Committee has several
responsibilities including leading affordable housing policy, research and
advocacy; allocating funding and acquiring land to increase the supply of
affordable housing; and measuring the efficiency and effectiveness of
projects and programs undertaken by the Affordable Housing Office.
The Civic Appointments Committee reports directly to Council and is
composed of up to nine Council members, including the Mayor or the
Mayor’s designate as Chair. The Committee makes recommendations to City
Council on the appointment of citizens to key City agencies, external bodies
and other committees.
In addition to the Civic Appointments Committee, City Council has
established several nominating panels to make recommendations to City
Council on appointments to other bodies.
The Audit Committee reports directly to City Council and is composed of
six members. The Committee has several responsibilities, including
considering the annual external audit of the City’s financial statements,
reviewing the audited statements of City agencies, considering reports from
the Auditor General, and recommending the appointment of the City's
external auditor, auditor for City agencies, and external auditor to conduct
the annual audit of the Auditor General's Office.
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The Striking Committee reports directly to City Council and is composed of
up to seven members of Council.
The Striking Committee is responsible for making recommendations to City
Council on:
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Council member appointments to fill the positions of the at-large
members of the Executive Committee, the members of the Standing
Committees, the members of the Budget Committee, the members of
the Audit Committee, and the members of the Civic Appointment
Committee;
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Council member appointments to the boards of directors of City
agencies and Council representatives on external boards and public
advisory bodies; and
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The meeting schedule for City Council and Council Committees.
Board of Health is a statutory board governed by the Provincial Health
Protection and Promotion Act. The Board reports directly to Council and is
composed of 13 members including 6 members of Council, 6 citizen
members and 1 representative from education.
The Board of Health has several responsibilities that include advising Council
on a broad range of health issues, and providing direction to the Public
Health Unit on public health policies, programs and services that respond to
local health needs.
Sub-Committees can be established by the Executive Committee, a
Standing Committee, a Special Committee, the Board of Health and a
Community Council to undertake a time-limited task or to serve on an
ongoing basis for more detailed consideration of matters. Sub-committees
generally report through their establishing body, except for Community
Council subcommittees who report directly to Council on public hearings and
public presentations. Only members of the committee creating the
subcommittee may be subcommittee members.
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BRIEFING NOTE
Appendix A: Council Committee Structure
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BRIEFING NOTE
Appendix B: Community Council Map
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