TORONTO - The 2010 race for Toronto mayor was thrown wide open Friday with David Miller's announcement that he won't seek a third term, setting the stage for a possible showdown between two political foes who once battled it out at the provincial level.

One of those speculative contenders, John Tory, wasted no time in assembling the media to make it clear he hasn't ruled out a run for the job. That could see the former leader of Ontario's Opposition Progressive Conservatives pitted against Liberal cabinet minister George Smitherman next November.

Miller fought a tough campaign in 2003 to become mayor, during which he waved a broom to symbolize his pledge to clean up the city, and enjoyed broad popularity in his first term.

But his handling of a 39-day civic strike this summer that saw garbage bags piled in public parks and his record on spending and tax hikes had eroded his popularity and emboldened his critics.

Miller, for his part, expressed no regrets.

"I've accomplished what I set out to do, so if I ran again it would be about me and my electoral success and not about the Toronto I love," the mayor said during a hastily called press conference.

"In 2006 I ran with an ambitious agenda to transform Toronto for the 21st century... Today every major policy that was at the foundation of my campaign has been accomplished or is well underway."

Although the campaigning won't officially begin until January, the unofficial race began in earnest Friday.

Tory, who unsuccessfully campaigned against Miller in 2003, said he didn't know yet if he'd run. Still, he sounded very much like a man on the hustings.

"I think the key is the public want to see some change. They want to see a city government that is competent. They want to see better services. They want to see better value for their tax dollars. They want to see more hope," Tory said.

"We'll see how the ballot ends up and whether I'm on it or not in due course."

Tory stepped down as Conservative leader earlier this year after failing to win a seat in the legislature.

For months Smitherman, Ontario's deputy premier and energy and infrastructure minister, has been the subject of speculation that he is eyeing the mayor's job. Last month, he gave his strongest signal yet that he's considering making a bid, saying it was something he's thinking about.

Smitherman was not immediately available for comment Friday.

In a statement, Premier Dalton McGuinty called Miller's dedication to public service unwavering. And while Miller's supporters cited a positive legacy of changing the face of Toronto police and pumping billions into transit funding, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation assailed his fiscal record.

"Property tax has skyrocketed, fees and levies have skyrocketed, and he's going to be walking out the door leaving a ruinous spending problem behind him for whoever his successor will be to try and fix," said federation director Kevin Gaudet.

Miller has introduced no fewer than three new taxes during his time in office, including a municipal land transfer tax and a car registration tax, Gaudet added.

"I think that we'll see in the future the damage that he's left behind. As future mayors look back, they're always going to be pointing their finger back at the damage this council has done."

Gaudet said a successful candidate will have to make promises to deal with the spending and budget problems the city faces.

"There's going to be massive budget holes that they have to try and fill, so the path forward for Toronto is going to be a path of austerity to get to prosperity."

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