What to know
- Brad Bradford has tabled a motion asking Toronto’s next mayor to take the seat on the Toronto Police Service Board reserved for the head of council.
- The mayoral candidate criticized Mayor Olivia Chow for declining the position, arguing the mayor should play a direct role in police oversight.
- The motion would also require a future mayor who declines the seat to provide council with a written explanation.
- Chow said she would address the issue during her re-election campaign. The motion will be debated at Toronto City Council’s July 29-31 meeting.
Toronto councillor Brad Bradford is calling for the city’s next mayor to serve on the Toronto Police Service Board, criticizing Mayor Olivia Chow for declining the position during her first term.
In a motion submitted to Toronto City Council, Bradford is asking council to request that the mayor assume the seat on the Toronto Police Service Board reserved for the head of council at the start of the 2026-2030 term.
The motion comes after Bradford made serving on the board a campaign promise as he prepares to challenge Chow in the upcoming mayoral election.
In a video posted to social media, Bradford criticized Chow’s decision not to take the seat, arguing it limits the mayor’s direct role in police oversight.
“She chose to give up her say when it comes to how many police officers the service hires, or how fast the police can respond when you call for help, or how more than a billion dollars of your taxpayer money gets allocated and spent,” Bradford said.
Bradford also pointed to former Toronto mayors John Tory, Mel Lastman and David Miller, all of whom served on the board while in office.
“All Mayor Chow had to do was say yes to the seat that was provided to her, but she said no. She chose not to. That’s not leadership. That’s having somebody else do the job,” he said.
Motion calls for mayoral accountability
Bradford’s motion asks city council to affirm that “ultimate political accountability” for community safety in Toronto rests with the mayor and should not be delegated.
It also proposes that if a future mayor declines the seat, they must be required to provide city council with a written explanation outlining their reasons for doing so.
When asked by reporters about the issue recently, Chow said she would discuss it further when she launches her re-election campaign this fall.
Now Toronto reached out to Chow’s office for comment on the motion and Bradford’s criticism but did not receive a response before publication.
The motion is scheduled to be considered during Toronto City Council’s July 29-31 meeting.
