Mayor John Tory says he won’t call a special meeting of council on whether or not to submit a written expression of interest in bidding on the 2024 Summer Olympics, despite some calls for him to do so.
Ward 8 York West Coun. Anthony Perruzza wrote an open letter to Tory on Wednesday, urging him to seek council’s approval for any expression of interest but in a news conference at city hall Tory said the decision on whether to submit the letter by the Sept. 15 International Olympic Committee deadline will ultimately fall to him.
The only thing required from the city on Sept. 15 is a letter signed by Tory indicating an interest in bidding on the games and a cash deposit; however a number of other cities already in the running, including Los Angeles, have sought council approval before submitting that expression of interest.
“I respect the right of Coun. Perruzza to write a letter but I have decided to go about this the way I am going about it because I just think it’s the best and most sensible way to do it,” Tory said. “I have made it very clear that the ultimate decision on whether or not we actually bid for the Olympics, if we send in the letter, is in the hands of city council, so there will be a debate, there will be a vote and there will be every opportunity for everybody at that time to have their views heard and to vote.”
In January 2014, the city's economic development committee voted against studying the possibility of going after the 2024 games but the recent success of the Pan American Games and changes to the International Olympic Committee bid process have revived the debate.
In his letter Perruzza said it is a mistake for Tory to continue to have “behind the scene conversations” without council approval and called on him to schedule a meeting “for the next few days” to settle the issue.
“Mr. Mayor, City of Toronto Council has a long and well deserved record of transparency and accountability," he wrote. "A possible Olympic bid is of such importance and interest to our City that it requires City Council consideration."
Tory has previously said that he is continuing to seek answers on the cost of bidding for and hosting the Olympics, including whether or not the city would be able to reuse costly venues built for the Pan American Games.
Speaking about a potential bid on Wednesday, Tory said he is "not taking a cavalier approach."
"There are a lot of people who say to me it (the letter) is just a placeholder and to send it in but I am being very careful about this," he said. "If I wanted to be cavalier I would have just sent the letter in last week."
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