Toronto's new City Council holds its first meeting on November 18, ten weeks after Election Day

Fifty-five people elected in Toronto's October 26 municipal election begin a four-year term on November 15, 2026, and City Council holds its first meeting three days later, on Wednesday, November 18.

The term start date is set by section 6(1) of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996. The first meeting date follows from section 27-5.1 of the Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 27 (Council Procedures), which requires Council to hold its first meeting on the first Wednesday after the commencement of the term. Toronto amended that rule on July 22, 2022, by By-law 954-2022. The Municipal Code is a certified true copy issued by City Clerk John D. Elvidge and digitally signed on October 16, 2026.

Who gets seated and who sets the agenda

Before taking a seat at the first meeting, each member must take a declaration of office as the Municipal Elections Act requires. Section 27-5.1 D of the Municipal Code says only members who have done so may attend. Members who have not yet completed their declaration cannot participate in that meeting.

The City Clerk prepares the agenda for the first meeting in consultation with the Mayor-elect, section 27-5.1 B states. Council at the first meeting may consider only the business on that agenda. Section 27-5.1 C bars any new business from being added at the meeting itself. This means anything not on the pre-set agenda cannot be discussed at the inaugural session.

The Mayor may invite a guest to make a special address at the first meeting, as section 27-5.1 E allows.

Meetings of City Council are open to the public under section 27-5.14 of the Municipal Code, except for the closed-session topics listed in section 27-5.15, such as labour relations, litigation and property acquisition. Any meeting that begins in public must also end in public, section 27-5.15 B states.

The Mayor appoints a Deputy Mayor

Mayor Olivia Chow will appoint a Deputy Mayor at or around the first meeting. Section 27-6.2 A of the Municipal Code gives the Mayor the power to appoint and remove the Deputy Mayor, with written notice to the City Clerk. Under section 27-6.3, the Deputy Mayor holds all the rights, powers and authority of the Mayor, except the Mayor's by-right-of-office powers as a member of a Community Council.

The power to appoint committee chairs was removed from section 27-6.2 on June 25, 2026, by By-law 657-2026, the Municipal Code's editor's note states. That power now rests with the Mayor by Mayoral Decision, under Part VI.1 of the City of Toronto Act, 2006.

Council will also elect a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker from its members, with the Mayor's written consent given to the Clerk before the first meeting, as section 27-6.4 requires. When the Mayor is not chairing, the Speaker chairs Council meetings. The Speaker's appointment lasts the full Council term, as section 27-6.4 D states. Council requires a two-thirds vote of all 26 members to remove a Speaker or Deputy Speaker, section 27-6.4 E says.

The council's make-up and the ward map

City Council consists of Mayor Olivia Chow and 25 ward councillors, one for each of the city's 25 wards. The wards run from Ward 1 Etobicoke North in the northwest to Ward 25 Scarborough-Rouge Park in the east. Each councillor represents the residents of their ward on decisions that range from rezoning applications to the city budget. You can see every elected councillor and their ward on the results page.

Council meets at least ten times and for at least twenty meeting days in a calendar year, as section 27-5.2 C of the Municipal Code states. When scheduling those meetings, the City Clerk must recommend dates that respect cultural and religious days and times, section 27-5.2 B adds. The Clerk recommends the schedule to the Striking Committee, and Council adopts it. After the first meeting, City Council's regular schedule for the new term will be published.

School trustees begin their terms too

Along with the mayor and 25 city councillors, 29 school trustees elected on October 26 also begin their terms on November 15: 12 for the Toronto District School Board, 12 for the Toronto Catholic District School Board, 3 for Conseil scolaire Viamonde, and 2 for Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir. Each board holds its own first meeting separately from City Council.

The next general municipal election is scheduled for October 28, 2030, under sections 4(1) and 5 of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996. The term that begins November 15 runs until that election. The November 18 City Council meeting is open to the public and will be livestreamed. Check the City's council and decision-making page at toronto.ca for the confirmed time and location once the City Clerk publishes the meeting notice. You can follow the new council's promises and votes at the promise tracker.