Coun. Mike Layton will not seek re-election in the October municipal election, saying he believes he has accomplished what he could during three terms on the city council and wants to spend more time with his family.
“This is a very demanding job. It starts from the moment you wake up and look at your phone until the moment you go to sleep… And I love doing this job. It’s something I love very much . It’s a hard thing to do. walk away from it,” Layton told CBC News on Wednesday.
“But after 12 years, I think I’ve lost too many bedtimes with my kids not to seek a little more balance in my life.”
The move away from municipal politics means Toronto won’t have a Layton in office for the first time in decades.
Layton, currently a University-Rosedale councillor, has held the position since 2010. His father, the late Jack Layton, was a Toronto councilor starting in the 1980s before moving into federal politics and leading the New Democratic Party.
On city council, the younger Layton was one of the council’s strongest voices on environmental issues and also championed road safety projects like the Bloor Street bike lanes.
He cited his part in developing the city’s 2040 Climate Action Plan and forming the Office of Indigenous Affairs as one of his proudest accomplishments during his time in public service.
“I’ve had some successes and some losses. But I can be proud of what I’ve put into this role,” he said.
Layton said among her regrets is that the council should have done more to advance supportive housing initiatives.
“I think we could have been more vocal earlier and kept the noise that we were, and maybe then we wouldn’t be in as dire a position as we are with our shelter and homelessness crisis,” she explained.
Layton added that Premier Doug Ford’s decision in 2018 to reduce the size of city council and dramatically increase the size of many wards only amplified the intense pressures of the job. The impacts were especially felt in inner-city neighborhoods, where a complex mix of business and development interests meant less time for community organizing, he said.
The next council faces major challenges, Layton continued, including an $875 million budget hole left by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a statement posted on Twitter, Layton thanked his constituents, saying it was a great honor to have served the neighborhood.
“Together we have driven climate action, healthy environments, affordable housing, safer streets and a more inclusive and supportive city,” the statement said.
It has been a great honor to serve the local community and the city of Toronto these past 12 years. I extend my sincerest thanks to the constituents who have placed their trust in me, and to the residents and staff with whom I have worked to build a better Toronto. a letter pic.twitter.com/8jtlYBabpS
—@m_layton
As for what’s next, Layton told CBC News that he intends to work on a job related to climate change, though he’s not sure exactly what that will be.
“I think it’s time for me to use my skills, my energy, my experience in a different role. I don’t know what that role will be, but it will definitely try to fight climate change again because my children can have a place better to live when they grow up and have children,” he said.
Layton is the latest progressive councilor to call it quits downtown. Coun. Joe Cressy left municipal politics earlier this year and Coun. Kristyn Wong-Tam made the leap into provincial politics this June.
The Toronto election is scheduled for October 24.