Speaker of Toronto City Council


The Speaker of Toronto City Council and Deputy Speaker of Toronto City Council serve as the presiding officers at meetings of Toronto City Council in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, as of December 1, 2006. The two positions were recommended by the council-appointed three-member volunteer advisory panel and its report "The City We Want – the Government We Need" in 2005. Before this change, the Mayor of Toronto was the presiding officer during council meetings.
The two positions are chosen by ballot by city council from among its members. The mayor retains the right to chair city council meetings and can take the chair at any time. However, in practice, this is reserved for ceremonial or other significant occasions, and the speaker and deputy speaker normally preside.
In the absence of the speaker or deputy speaker, the deputy mayor can also preside over a meeting of city council. The speaker and deputy speaker are elected for a four-year term and can only be removed by a two-thirds vote of city council.

List of Speakers of City Council