John Tory is still the mayor of Canada’s largest municipality, the city clerk confirmed to CTV News Toronto Saturday.
On Friday evening, The Toronto Star broke the news that Tory had engaged in an ‘inappropriate’ relationship with a member of his staff. The unnamed employee no longer works with the city.
Less than an hour later, the 68-year-old mayor called a news conference and announced that he would be resigning in the coming days. His relationship with the staffer developed during the pandemic and "mutually" ended "earlier this year," he said.
As of Saturday, Tory has not yet formally submitted his resignation.
“The Mayor has not submitted a letter of resignation to the City Clerk at this time and remains Mayor,” a spokesperson for the city said Saturday morning.
It is unclear at this time when Tory intends to do that. The city says once a resignation letter is received, it will advise on timelines and next steps.
On Saturday morning, Ontario Premier Doug Ford issued a statement thanking Tory for his time in office.
"John will be remembered as a dedicated and hard-working mayor who served as a steady leader during the most difficult days of the pandemic,” Ford said. “He united Toronto behind an optimistic vision for the future and I will miss working with him to see it come to life.”
WHAT'S NEXT FOR TORONTO?
Under the City of Toronto act, following a formal resignation, city council will have to declare the office of the mayor vacant. This could happen as soon as next Wednesday when councillors convene for a special meeting to debate the 2023 budget.
Under the new strong mayor legislation, the City of Toronto and the City of Ottawa are required to hold a by-election to fill the mayor's seat. Until then, Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie will take over the job.
After a by-election is called, the next step is for the city clerk to set a date when candidates can file their nomination papers, according to the Municipal Elections Act. Election day would take place 45 days after nomination day.
Tory's departure comes at a critical time in the city as this year's budget has not been passed. With the mayor solely responsible for the budget, it is to be seen what will happen to Tory's proposal, which includes a contentious increase in the police's budget.
