Plurality of Torontonians want new civic leadership

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A plurality of Torontonians wants new leadership at city hall, according to a new poll from Leger 360. Though, those folks are not in a majority.

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Meanwhile, the leadership of Toronto’s neighbour, Mississauga, fared quite well in several poll categories.

The poll, entitled “Municipal Four in Canadian Cities” canvased respondents from 12 major cities across the country — from Halifax to Vancouver — about key issues involved in governing their cities. The results set out that just slightly more than half of Canadians (51 per cent) would like to elect a new mayor and council in the next municipal election.

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“Part of this somewhat ambivalent attitude likely relates to a lower general awareness of what goes on at mayor and council a great deal of time,” says Andrew Enns, executive vice-president of Leger 360 for Central Canada. The issues cities are facing, he added, often attract attention at the provincial or federal level as well.

In Toronto, the number of respondents who would like to see new leadership in the council chamber sits at 44 per cent. In Mississauga it’s only slightly less, at 43 per cent. On the flip side, the number of residents who want the present city government slate to “stay in power” comes in at 33 per cent in Toronto and 37 per cent in Mississauga.

Closely tied to those numbers, the pollsters collected approval/disapproval numbers for Canadian city politicians. Forty-one per cent expressed approval of the job their municipal administrations are doing, while 46 per cent indicated disapproval.

Respondents who give the municipal administration in Toronto a thumbs-up number 44 per cent. In Mississauga that number increases to 47 per cent. The folks who are thumbs down tally at 43 per cent in Toronto and 37 per cent in Mississauga. That amounts to good news for Mississauga politicians, as their disapproval rating is the lowest in country.

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“Mississauga has one of the newest mayors in place, so there could be a honeymoon period that is helping that city’s numbers,” notes Enns, referring to Carolyn Parrish, who became mayor of Mississauga on June 24 of this year.

Almost half of Canadians (45 per cent) think things are worse in their municipality since the last municipal election. In Toronto 42 per cent of respondents felt that way. And again there was good news for Mississauga leaders, where just 37 of respondents felt poorly served – a tie with the denizens of Winnipeg.

Looking to key issues for the Canadian urban populace, housing affordability is the big one. The pollsters say 60 per cent of respondents mentioned it as the biggest or the second biggest issue that their municipalities are struggling with. In Toronto, the number was higher than the national marker, at 65 per cent. However, it was little better for Mississaugans at 64 per cent.

In smaller proportion, homelessness, poverty and mental health is a key issue for Canadians. Overall in the country’s major cities, the number for this category was 37 per cent. It was higher in Toronto (40 per cent) and lower in Mississauga (24 per cent, the lowest of all cities surveyed).

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Next up was property taxes and spending, which ranked 23 per cent overall, 21 per cent in Toronto, 33 per cent in Mississauga. That was the highest in the country – an indication of homework for that city’s council.

Another, perhaps predictable concern was traffic congestion. Across the country, the concern for this issue sits at 19 per cent, in Toronto at 26 per cent — second to Quebec City (32 per cent). For Missisaugans the number fell to 20 per cent.

Finally, policing and public safety was a concern for 13 per cent of Canadian city dwellers. It fell a bit to 12 per cent in Toronto but rose to 20 percent in Mississauga (the highest in country).

“I suspect the drive behind policing may be related to lingering effects of the auto theft issues that plagued Mississauga a few months ago,” says Enns. Otherwise, he adds, the policing number can be “driven up if there are debates regarding police budgets or numbers of police on the streets—an angle on policing that often comes up at the municipal level.”

The Leger survey data was collected between Sept. 5 and Dec. 1, 2024. The respondent sample included 2,602 people, 18 years old or older. The margin of error for the survey was + or – 1.96 per cent (19 times out of 20).

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