Toronto/CMEDIA: Former city councillor and member of parliament Olivia Chow was declared the winner of the mayoral election on Monday night after dominating in the polls.
Winning with 37.2 percent of the vote, Chow captured every riding in the city’s downtown and had a strong showing in Scarborough and the North York riding of Willowdale.
Chow will be Toronto’s first progressive mayor since David Miller, the third woman, first racialized person, first woman to lead Toronto since the city amalgamated in 1998 to serve as mayor in the city’s history.
The next city council meeting is scheduled for July 19.
Promises made by Chow during the election campaign signifying a significant policy shift from Tory includin pledging to reverse TTC cuts put in place by Tory’s administration and freezing fares to help increase ridership, create a public builder to help get shovels in the ground on more affordable housing, and tear down the eastern leg of the Gardiner Expressway and create a boulevard between it and the Don Valley Parkway.
To compensate for expensive plans at a time the city is facing a budget shortfall of at least $1 billion, Chow would reportedly introduce a “modest” property tax increase and many voters reportedly trusted her on that.
Chow has also promised to not use the “strong mayor” powers granted by Ford’s government meaning any tax hike will need council support.
A new mayor typically takes several weeks to be sworn in, but Chow who has already been in communication with the City Clerk requested to take office on July 12, pending the certification of the official results.
In a June 27 statement, John D. Elvidge, City of Toronto’s City Clerk reportedly said that task should be complete no later than Wednesday.
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