Plans are forming to fight Premier Doug Ford’s bill to slash the size of Toronto city council as some opposition builds from conservative quarters.Mayor John Tory met with outside legal experts Friday, who suggested an injunction — to put a hold on the midelection change from 47 seats to 25 seats pending a possible court challenge — is possible.The constitutional and municipal experts were not giving legal advice — Toronto has a city solicitor who advises council and will report back to a special Aug. 20 meeting where council will decide any official legal action. Rather, the experts offered thoughts on possible avenues to fight the Better Local Government Act that will be before the Legislature this week, said acting mayoral spokesperson Siri Agrell.“It’s really about the process. Should the premier have consulted people on municipal changes that were applied across the province in time for the 2022 election,” Agrell said, rather than ram it through during a campaign that started May 1, shocking council candidates and even some PC MPPs.“The experts’ opinion is there is a possibility of getting an injunction, but whether it would be successful (in a court challenge) after that depends on a number of factors, including the ability for a democratically sound election to be conducted within the time frame after the introduction of new legislation,” Agrell said.“We’re in uncharted territory.”Read more:Legal challenge to Ford’s council cut possible, but tough, experts sayThe costs of redoing an election and other questions on Ford’s plan to slash Toronto city councilParkdale candidate in city election will stay the course after Doug Ford’s council plansWhile the Ontario government has constitutionally conferred power over municipalities, one expert wondered about limits on that power. Could the province, say, install one Etobicoke councillor as leader of Canada’s big ...
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