Josh Matlow announces Toronto mayoral run

Councillor Josh Matlow will enter the race for mayor of Toronto, a spokesperson for his campaign announced Tuesday.

Councillor Josh Matlow will enter the race for mayor of Toronto, a spokesperson for his campaign announced Tuesday.

The Ward 12 Toronto—St. Paul's councillor said in an open letter Tuesday morning that Toronto City Hall’s leadership “has [long] held this city back from reaching its full potential.”

“We have all seen the decline. The snow is not cleared on time, public washrooms are dirty, if they’re even open, and garbage bins are broken and overflowing,” Matlow wrote in the letter.

“The past decade of leadership has kept taxes artificially low by starving the services that made Toronto the incredible city I grew up in,” he continued.

If elected, Matlow said he will launch the ‘City Works Fund’ – a property tax that will cost homeowners an average of $67 a year, raising over $390 million dollars over five years.

“The City Works Fund will ensure that buses and streetcars run on time. Libraries are open when your family needs them. Warm places are available for unhoused people to go when it’s cold outside. Streets and sidewalks are cleared so parents with strollers or people with mobility issues can get around safely. Roads aren’t cracked and covered in potholes. Parks and recreation programs are accessible and available,” Matlow wrote.

This is a developing story. More to come…