The city is taking the province to court over a move to cut the size of council to 25 wards.Council voted 25 to 17 on Monday to challenge Premier Doug Ford’s unprecedented Bill 5, the Better Local Government Act, in court after it restarted the municipal election in the middle of the campaign. They also voted to defend the city’s interests in any and all appeals.“Today, Toronto city council took a stand against Doug Ford’s meddling in our local democracy,” said Councillor Josh Matlow, who moved the motion supported by Mayor John Tory and others. “It’s going to be an uphill battle, but we’re doing the right thing. We’re standing up for local representation. We’re standing up for the principle of not ripping apart an election when it’s halfway underway. And we’re seeking to set a new precedent to ensure that local democracy will prevail when a premier acts like a tin-pot dictator.”A hearing date has already been set for Aug. 31, when the city’s lawyers will join others who have already launched legal challenges against the province.Council also directed the city clerk to consider postponing the election, if required, should the city be successful in court, reverting to a 47-ward system for the vote. The decision came after a daylong debate at a special council meeting called to debate the issue, after Ford’s government surprised the city by introducing legislation at Queen’s Park without warning or consultation.Read more:Doug Ford and John Tory spar over special council meeting called to deal with council cutToronto city hall exploring options to fight Ford’s council cutBill to slash the size of Toronto city council passesThe council meeting opened Monday morning with multiple councillors tabling petitions from thousands of Torontonians opposed to the law passed last week, reducing city council from 47 to 25 wards ahead of the Oct. 22 civic election. The campaign ...
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