Jul 27, 2022
By Jane Brown
Mike Layton has become the seventh Toronto city councillor who’s decided not to seek re-election this October.
In a surprise announcement to the Toronto Star, the Ward 11 University-Rosedale city councillor also says he has no firm plans for his next challenge.
Mike Layton, who’s father was the legendary Canadian Jack Layton, has served on Toronto City Council for 12 years.
Toronto Mayor John Tory said Wednesday morning, “Mike Layton has been an inspiration when it comes to indigenous issues and forging a path to reconciliation, and as well on climate change, where he has been a devoted fighter on that and again has inspired me to set some goals that I think are very important for the city to follow if we’re going to make our contribution to making sure the planet stays livable. So, I think he’ll be missed as our people who serve well as he did, and I wish him well in his future endeavours. I have a feeling we haven’t seen the last of him in politics.”
Mike Layton told the Toronto Star, he wants to continue fighting climate change in a role outside elected office that he says will also give him back evenings and weekends at home.
To that end, Layton confirmed he has no plans to seek the Ontario NDP Leadership.
Layton’s departure leaves open races in Toronto’s three development-intensive downtown wards. His best friend Joe Cressy quit Ward 10 Spadina-Fort York for a senior post at George Brown College. Kristyn Wong-Tam resigned from Ward 13 Toronto Centre to launch a successful bid to become a New Democrat MPP.
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