In September, the Province passed legislation giving "strong mayor" powers to the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa. Toronto's mayor now has the power to veto bylaws that conflict with provincial policy goals, and greater responsibility and power over preparing and tabling the City's budget. The strong mayor legislation has essentially taken power away from Councillors and the residents they represent, and given it to the mayor — and the Province. 

Now is the time for us to reclaim our local democracy. The strength of our democracy depends on our own engagement with it. Rather than giving in to the misconception that our voice or vote won’t actually affect change, we need to demand better from our system and from our publicly elected leaders. Each of our votes matters, especially in a municipal election. Toronto needs and deserves much better, and we need your voice and vote.

That begins with our votes on Monday. But it does not end there. Read our latest blog post for our thoughts on improving our local democratic system.

Our Executive Director, Jin Huh, also shared our concerns with strong mayor powers on CBC's Metro Morning on October 14.