Toronto

== Government and politics ==
{{Main|Municipal government of Toronto}}
{{see also|Politics of Toronto|Public services in Toronto}}

=== Government ===
Toronto is a [[single-tier municipality]] governed by a [[Mayor–council government|mayor–council system]]. The structure of the municipal government is stipulated by the ''City of Toronto Act''. The mayor of Toronto is elected by direct popular vote to serve as the [[Head of government|chief executive]] of the city. The [[Toronto City Council]] is a [[unicameralism|unicameral]] legislative body, comprising 25 councillors, since the [[2018 Toronto municipal election|2018 municipal election]], representing geographical [[Ward (electoral subdivision)|wards]] throughout the city.<ref name="Council Members" /> The mayor and members of the city council serve four-year terms without [[term limit]]s. (Until the [[2006 Toronto municipal election|2006 municipal election]], the mayor and city councillors served three-year terms.)
[[File:Cityhalltoronto1.JPG|thumb|left|[[Toronto City Hall]] is the seat of the [[municipal government of Toronto]].]]
As of 2016, the city council has twelve standing committees, each consisting of a chair (some have a vice-chair) and several councillors.<ref name="TCC">{{cite web |title=Toronto City Council and Committees |url=http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/decisionBodyList.do?function=prepareDisplayDBList |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160708052705/http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/decisionBodyList.do?function=prepareDisplayDBList |archive-date=July 8, 2016 |access-date=July 17, 2016 |publisher=City of Toronto}}</ref> The mayor names the committee chairs and the remaining members of the committees are appointed by city council. An executive committee is formed by the chairs of each standing committee, the mayor, the deputy mayor and four other councillors. Councillors are also appointed to oversee the Toronto Transit Commission and the [[Toronto Police Services Board]].

The city has four community councils that consider local matters. The City council has delegated final decision-making authority on local, routine matters, while others—like planning and zoning issues—are recommended to the city council. Each city councillor serves as a member of a community council.<ref name="TCC" />

There are about 40 subcommittees and advisory committees appointed by the city council. These bodies are made up of city councillors and private citizen volunteers. Examples include the Pedestrian Committee, Waste Diversion Task Force 2010, and the [[Task Force to Bring Back the Don]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Directory of committees, task forces and round tables |url=http://www.toronto.ca/committees/directory.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070403113800/http://www.toronto.ca/committees/directory.htm |archive-date=April 3, 2007 |access-date=March 18, 2007 |publisher=City of Toronto}}</ref>

The City of Toronto had an approved operating budget of {{CAD|13.53 billion}} in 2020 and a ten-year capital budget and plan of {{CAD|43.5 billion}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Toronto city council approves 2020 budget, homeowners to see 4.24% property tax increase |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/6568733/toronto-council-budget-meeting/ |date=February 19, 2020 |first1=Matthew |last1=Bingley |access-date=June 13, 2020 |website=Global News |language=en |archive-date=June 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613121400/https://globalnews.ca/news/6568733/toronto-council-budget-meeting/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The city's revenues include subsidies from the [[Government of Canada]] and the Government of Ontario (for programs mandated by those governments), 33 per cent from property tax, 6 per cent from the land transfer tax and the rest from other tax revenues and user fees.<ref name="cot-chart">{{cite web |title=Budget 2017 Charts |url=https://www1.toronto.ca/City%20Of%20Toronto/Strategic%20Communications/City%20Budget/2017/PDFs/Where%20the%20money%20goes%202017%20CA.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170726105036/https://www1.toronto.ca/City%20Of%20Toronto/Strategic%20Communications/City%20Budget/2017/PDFs/Where%20the%20money%20goes%202017%20CA.pdf |archive-date=July 26, 2017 |access-date=September 13, 2017 |publisher=City of Toronto }}</ref> The city's largest operating expenditures are the Toronto Transit Commission at {{CAD|2.14 billion}},<ref>{{Cite web |title=TTC seeks to raise fares by 10 cents in 2020 budget proposal  |url=https://toronto.citynews.ca/2019/12/13/ttc-fare-increase-2020-budget-proposal/ |access-date=June 13, 2020 |website=CityNews Toronto |date=December 13, 2019 |archive-date=June 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613121358/https://toronto.citynews.ca/2019/12/13/ttc-fare-increase-2020-budget-proposal/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and the [[Toronto Police Service]], {{CAD|1.22 billion}}.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fox |first=Chris |date=June 10, 2020 |title=Tory says he won't support 'arbitrary' cuts to the $1.22B police budget |url=https://www.cp24.com/news/tory-says-he-won-t-support-arbitrary-cuts-to-the-1-22b-police-budget-1.4977626 |access-date=June 13, 2020 |website=CP24 |language=en |archive-date=June 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613030940/https://www.cp24.com/news/tory-says-he-won-t-support-arbitrary-cuts-to-the-1-22b-police-budget-1.4977626 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Crime===
{{Main|Crime in Toronto}}
{{See also|Crime in Canada|Gun politics in Canada}}

The historically low [[crime statistics|crime rate]] in Toronto has resulted in the city having a reputation as one of the safest major cities in North America.<ref name="crime">{{cite web |author1=Statistics Canada |author2=The Daily |date=July 21, 2006 |title=Crime statistics |url=http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/050721/d050721a.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081024034909/http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/050721/d050721a.htm |archive-date=October 24, 2008 |access-date=March 5, 2007}}</ref><ref name="crime1">{{cite web |title=Crime and Safety |url=http://www.torontoisms.com/guide/crime.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080330145114/http://www.torontoisms.com/guide/crime.htm |archive-date=March 30, 2008 |website=Torontoisms}}</ref><ref name="crime2">{{cite web |date=December 26, 2007 |title=Despite rise, police say T.O. murder rate 'low' |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/despite-rise-police-say-t-o-murder-rate-low-1.268936 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091227131358/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20071226/toronto_murderrate_071226/20071226?hub=TopStories |archive-date=December 27, 2009 |access-date=April 17, 2010 |website=Ctv.ca}}</ref> For instance, in 2007, the [[homicide]] rate for Toronto was 3.43 per 100,000 people, compared with Atlanta (19.7), Boston (10.3), Los Angeles (10.0), New York City (6.3), Vancouver (3.1), and Montreal (2.6). Toronto's robbery rate also ranks low, with 207.1 robberies per 100,000 people, compared with Los Angeles (348.5), Vancouver (266.2), New York City (265.9), and Montreal (235.3).<ref>{{cite web |title=FBI statistics 2008 |url=https://www.fbi.gov/ucr/08aprelim/table_4.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100412045124/http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/08aprelim/table_4.html |archive-date=April 12, 2010 |access-date=April 17, 2010 |website=Fbi.gov}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Topping |first=David |date=July 22, 2008 |title=Metrocide: A History of Violence |url=http://torontoist.com/2008/07/metrocide_historical_homicides.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100420012605/http://torontoist.com/2008/07/metrocide_historical_homicides.php |archive-date=April 20, 2010 |access-date=April 17, 2010 |website=Torontoist}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=March 15, 2009 |title=Story – News |url=https://vancouversun.com/news/Vancouver+murder+rate+North+American+standards/1494291/story.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090418193156/http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Vancouver%2Bmurder%2Brate%2BNorth%2BAmerican%2Bstandards/1494291/story.html |archive-date=April 18, 2009 |access-date=April 17, 2010 |work=Vancouver Sun |location=Canada}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Bilan chiffres A new |url=http://www.spvm.qc.ca/upload/documentations/Bilan_chiffres_Anglais.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724121111/http://www.spvm.qc.ca/upload/documentations/Bilan_chiffres_Anglais.pdf |archive-date=July 24, 2011 |access-date=April 17, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Vancouver.ca |url=http://vancouver.ca/police/Planning/StatsDistrict/2007/20022007AnnualSummary.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190701231530/https://vancouver.ca/police/Planning/StatsDistrict/2007/20022007AnnualSummary.pdf |archive-date=July 1, 2019 |access-date=April 17, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=2007annrep_draft_daily_2008_03_26.xlsm |url=http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/publications/files/reports/2007statsreport.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100415053927/http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/publications/files/reports/2007statsreport.pdf |archive-date=April 15, 2010 |access-date=April 17, 2010 |website=torontopolice.on.ca}}</ref>{{excessive citations inline|date=September 2023}} Toronto has a comparable rate of [[motor vehicle theft|car theft]] to various U.S. cities, although it is not among the highest in Canada.<ref name="crime" />

In 2005, Toronto media coined the term "Year of the Gun" because of a record number of gun-related homicides, 52 out of 80 homicides in total.<ref name="crime2" /><ref>{{cite web |title=CTV Toronto – Toronto sets a new record for gun-related carnage – CTV News, Shows and Sports – Canadian Television |url=http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20051227/homicide_year_051227/20051227?hub=TorontoHome |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091227130849/http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20051227/homicide_year_051227/20051227?hub=TorontoHome |archive-date=December 27, 2009 |access-date=April 17, 2010 |website=Toronto.ctv.ca}}</ref> The total number of homicides dropped to 70 in 2006; that year, nearly 2,000 people in Toronto were victims of a violent gun-related crime, about one-quarter of the national total.<ref>{{cite web |title=Gun crime in Metro Vancouver highest per capita in Canada |url=http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?k=19079&id=4b651ab1-e729-44a9-86d3-79a1ddc84689 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090214043459/http://www2.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?k=19079&id=4b651ab1-e729-44a9-86d3-79a1ddc84689 |archive-date=February 14, 2009}}</ref> 86 homicides were committed in 2007, roughly half of which involved guns. Gang-related incidents have also been on the rise; between the years 1997 and 2005, over 300 gang-related homicides have occurred. As a result, the Ontario government developed an anti-gun strategy.<ref>{{cite web |date=October 25, 2005 |title=Ministry of the Attorney General – Backgrounder |url=http://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/english/news/2005/20051025-gunviolence-bg.asp |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090701105835/http://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/english/news/2005/20051025-gunviolence-bg.asp |archive-date=July 1, 2009 |access-date=April 17, 2010 |website=Attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=June 11, 2011 |title=Toronto Police Service :: To Serve and Protect |url=http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/statistics/ytd_stats.php |access-date=September 15, 2023 |archive-date=June 11, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611112116/http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/statistics/ytd_stats.php}}</ref> In 2011, Toronto's murder rate plummeted to 51 murders—nearly a 26% drop from the previous year. The 51 homicides were the lowest number the city has recorded since 1999 when there were 47.<ref>{{cite news |last=Doucette |first=Chris |date=December 31, 2011 |title=Toronto murder rate plummets in 2011 |newspaper=Toronto Sun |url=http://www.torontosun.com/2011/12/31/toronto-murder-rate-plummets-in-2011 |url-status=live |access-date=February 18, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120403220644/http://www.torontosun.com/2011/12/31/toronto-murder-rate-plummets-in-2011 |archive-date=April 3, 2012}}</ref> While subsequent years did see a return to higher rates, it remained nearly flat line of 57–59 homicides in from 2012 to 2015. 2016 went to 75 for the first time in over eight years. 2017 had a drop off of 10 murders to close the year at 65, with a homicide rate of 2.4 per 100,000 population.<ref name="TPS2015YTD">{{cite web |date=November 23, 2015 |title=TPS Crime Statistics – {{resize|Year to Date Shootings & Homicides}} |url=http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/statistics/ytd_stats.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151126002330/http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/statistics/ytd_stats.php |archive-date=November 26, 2015 |website=torontopolice.on.ca |publisher=[[Toronto Police Service]]}}</ref>

The total number of homicides in Toronto reached a record 98 in 2018; the number included fatalities from the [[2018 Toronto van attack|Toronto van attack]] and the [[2018 Toronto shooting|Danforth shooting]], which gave the city a homicide rate of around 3.6 per 100,000 people. The record year for murders was previously 1991, with 89, at a rate of 3.9 murders per 100,000 people.<ref>{{cite news |last=Rankin |first=Jim |date=November 18, 2018 |title=What Toronto's Homicide Record Means — And What We Can Do About It |work=Toronto Star |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/analysis/2018/11/18/what-torontos-homicide-record-means-and-what-we-can-do-about-it.html |url-status=live |access-date=November 22, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181122100648/https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/analysis/2018/11/18/what-torontos-homicide-record-means-and-what-we-can-do-about-it.html |archive-date=November 22, 2018}}</ref><ref name="Major Crime Indicators">{{Cite web |title=Major Crime Indicators |url=https://data.torontopolice.on.ca/pages/major-crime-indicators |access-date=September 15, 2023 |website=data.torontopolice.on.ca |language=en-us |archive-date=August 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230811085819/https://data.torontopolice.on.ca/pages/major-crime-indicators |url-status=live }}</ref> The 2018 homicide rate was higher than in [[Winnipeg]], [[Calgary]], [[Edmonton]], Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal, [[Hamilton, Ontario|Hamilton]], New York City, [[San Diego]], and [[Austin, Texas|Austin]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Beattie |first=Samantha |date=November 20, 2018 |title=Toronto Blows Past Winnipeg For Highest Homicide Rate In Canada |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2018/11/20/toronto-homicide-rate-murder_a_23594924/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181121183909/https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2018/11/20/toronto-homicide-rate-murder_a_23594924/ |archive-date=November 21, 2018 |access-date=March 27, 2019 |website=HuffPost Canada |language=en}}</ref> Homicides in 2019 dropped to 80 (a rate of 2.9 per 100,000 people) [[List of United States cities by crime rate|below the rate of most US cities]], but still higher than the Canadian average of 1.8.<ref>{{Cite web |last=admin |date=January 9, 2019 |title=Toronto 2019 Homicide Victim List - Homicide Canada |url=https://homicidecanada.com/toronto-2019-homicide-victim-list/ |access-date=September 15, 2023 |website=homicidecanada.com |language=en-US |archive-date=October 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002100655/https://homicidecanada.com/toronto-2019-homicide-victim-list/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Shooting incidents also increased to an all-time high of 492 in 2019, even outpacing gun incidents that occurred in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Shootings |url=https://data.torontopolice.on.ca/pages/shootings |access-date=September 15, 2023 |website=data.torontopolice.on.ca |language=en-us |archive-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824150430/https://data.torontopolice.on.ca/pages/shootings |url-status=live }}</ref> 2020 saw another decrease in homicides with the city having a total of 71 murders for the year (a rate of around 2.6 per 100,000 people).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Homicide |url=https://data.torontopolice.on.ca/pages/homicide |access-date=September 15, 2023 |website=data.torontopolice.on.ca |language=en-us |archive-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824150429/https://data.torontopolice.on.ca/pages/homicide |url-status=live }}</ref> However, in 2021, the city saw an increase in homicides, with the city murders increasing to 85, giving Toronto a homicide rate of 3.04 per 100,000 people.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://data.torontopolice.on.ca/pages/homicide |title=Homicide Overview |access-date=September 15, 2023 |archive-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824150429/https://data.torontopolice.on.ca/pages/homicide |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/1317685/homicide-rate-toronto-canada/ |title=Homicide rate in Toronto, Ontario in Canada between 2000 and 2021 |access-date=October 10, 2023 |archive-date=December 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221220142740/https://www.statista.com/statistics/1317685/homicide-rate-toronto-canada/ |url-status=live }}</ref> A decrease in murders happened the following year with 71 being reported in 2022 (a murder rate of 2.5 per 100,000), which was then followed by a slight increase in homicides with 73 being reported in 2023, giving the city a murder rate of 2.6 per 100,000 people, along with a record 12,143 reports of auto theft in the year.<ref name="Major Crime Indicators"/>