The Public GalleryToronto

←Toronto City Council · 2026-07-29 · 2026.MM43.50

safety

Council asked to have the mayor take a seat on the Toronto Police Service Board

A motion asks City Council to affirm that the Mayor should occupy the seat reserved for the head of council on the Toronto Police Service Board when the next term begins. The Police Services Board sets policing priorities and approves the $1.43 billion police budget. The mover argues the mayor's presence would signal that community safety is a mayoral priority and restore direct accountability for policing to the city's elected leader.

not yet heardToronto City Council · Wed, Jul 29You can weigh inProvince decides

Who did what

Also in this item

• The agenda paper states that since 2010, Toronto's ratio of per-capita police officers has fallen from 208 per 100,000 residents to 172, a 17 percent decrease. This decline is presented as context for the need for mayoral leadership on the Board.

The journey

Wed, Jul 29 · Toronto City Council · not yet heard

Time to act

You can weigh in

Residents can contact their councillor before the vote to support or oppose the motion. The vote is likely to occur at this council meeting or shortly thereafter.

Why is this story here?
Big deal at city hallThe mayor's participation or non-participation on the Police Services Board affects governance structure and accountability for a $1.43 billion budget and the chief's employment. However, the Ontario Community Safety and Policing Act already reserves this seat for the mayor or their designate, so the motion requests the mayor exercise an existing statutory authority rather than creating new powers. It is a directive about who fills an already-reserved seat, which is real governance but narrower than structural change. The mover cites precedent: earlier mayors have sat on the board. Undoing this would require a future motion or mayoral choice, so it is not irreversible, but it does shift who holds policing accountability. Stakes 2.Touches a narrow groupThe Toronto Police Services Board's work is important to community safety, but most residents do not directly encounter the board or know who sits on it. The effect of mayoral presence is symbolic and institutional, not a present change to policing operations, hiring, or service delivery. Residents may care about whether the mayor attends board meetings, but this does not change anyone's week today. Salience 1.

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Official title: The Mayor's Seat: Restoring Direct Mayoral Accountability on the Toronto Police Service Board - by Councillor Brad Bradford, seconded by Councillor James Pasternak · meeting video