Item - 2021.EX28.19
Tracking Status
- City Council adopted this item on December 15, 2021 without amendments and without debate.
- This item was considered by the Executive Committee on December 7, 2021 and adopted without amendment. It will be considered by City Council on December 15, 2021.
EX28.19 - Updating the Council Member-Organized Community Events Policy
- Decision Type:
- ACTION
- Status:
- Adopted on Consent
- Wards:
- All
City Council Decision
City Council on December 15, 16 and 17, 2021, adopted the following:
1. City Council amend the Council Member-Organized Community Events Policy as follows:
a. the prohibition that “in an election year, a Member of Council must not seek donations and sponsorships for any community event that has not been staged in the previous two years” not be applied to the 2022 election year; as a consequence, for this election year only, there would be no requirement to have held a similar community event in prior years; and
b. the per member cap on all donations received in a calendar year for community events be increased from $10,000 to $20,000 in recognition of the fact that the size of Wards nearly doubled in 2018.
Background Information (Committee)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/ex/bgrd/backgroundfile-174018.pdf
EX28.19 - Updating the Council Member-Organized Community Events Policy
- Decision Type:
- ACTION
- Status:
- Adopted
- Wards:
- All
Committee Recommendations
The Executive Committee recommends that:
1. City Council amend the Council Member-Organized Community Events Policy as follows:
a. the prohibition that “in an election year, a Member of Council must not seek donations and sponsorships for any community event that has not been staged in the previous two years” not be applied to the 2022 election year; as a consequence, for this election year only, there would be no requirement to have held a similar community event in prior years; and
b. the per member cap on all donations received in a calendar year for community events be increased from $10,000 to $20,000 in recognition of the fact that the size of Wards nearly doubled in 2018.
Origin
Summary
The Integrity Commissioner provides advice on policy matters dealing with issues of ethics and integrity for members of Council under the City of Toronto Act, 2006 and Chapter 3 of the Toronto Municipal Code.
Pursuant to the City of Toronto Act, 2006, Council may adopt policies that govern the activities of its members. The Council Member-Organized Community Events Policy governs how and when members may obtain donations for their community events. It was adopted by Council in 2008.
A public health emergency was declared in March 2020 and, as a result, in-person community events have been either been prohibited or discouraged for public safety purposes until now. The upcoming year, 2022, is an election year. The current policy prohibits members from seeking any donations for their community events in an election year if they have not held a similar event in the previous two years. The current policy does not account for the fact that in-person community events could not be held for most of the last two years.
The current policy includes a $10,000 cap on donations a member may receive each year. It should be updated because the size of Wards and the number of constituents per Ward almost doubled when the size of Council was reduced in 2018.
The Integrity Commissioner recommends that Council update the Council Member-Organized Community Events Policy to address these matters.
Background Information
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/ex/bgrd/backgroundfile-174018.pdf