Former Winnipeg mayor Glen Murray may add himself to the list of candidates running for Toronto’s top job, following David Miller’s announcement on Friday that he will not seek a third term in office.
Murray governed Manitoba’s capital from 1998 to 2004, and was known for revitalizing the city’s finances. He was also Canada’s first openly gay mayor.
He left city politics for an unsuccessful bid at a federal seat and moved to Toronto in the aftermath of his defeat. He now works as president and CEO of the Canadian Urban Institute, a non-profit think tank geared at improving city life.
He has also taught at the University of Toronto.
On Monday, Murray told CP24 that several associates called him over the weekend, suggesting he consider a run for mayor in 2011.
“I got a lot of calls from a lot of people I respect and I started the conversation with the family,” he said. “I’m one of the folks not living under any illusions that this is a 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year commitment.
“I think I bring a unique set of experiences and I’ve worked as a mayor of another larger city.”
Winnipeg has a population of about 648,000, while the Greater Toronto Area has about 5 million residents.
Murray says he’d like to work to reduce the tax burden on individual residents, something he managed successfully in Winnipeg while improving the city’s credit rating at the same time.
“I think we have to start shifting… away from growing the tax burden into growing the tax base,” he said, adding, “This is a time of great change. Either Toronto is going to secure its role as a global financial capital or it’s not.”
