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Toronto, City Manager Peter Wallace is stepping down as Toronto’s top bureaucrat in order to head up the Treasury Board of Canada.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau formally announced that Peter Wallace would take over from Yaprak Baltacioğlu as the Secretary of the Treasury Board effective April 4.
The appointment comes less than three years after Wallace was hired to fill a role left vacant by retiring city manager Joe Pennachetti. Prior to joining the city, Wallace led Ontario’s public service as secretary of the cabinet.
“It has been a privilege to serve council and the residents of our great city,” Wallace said in a press release. “I want to thank Mayor Tory, council and all of the many professional and dedicated staff for their tireless work on behalf of the residents and businesses of Toronto. I remain passionate about the role of municipal government in meeting the needs of our citizens and making a real difference in people’s lives.”
During his time heading Toronto’s civil service Wallace frequently made a point of warning council about the growing divide between revenues and expenses, often cautioning against relying on record revenue from the land transfer tax to bridge that divide.
News of his departure comes three days after council passed a $11.12 billion operating budget that he helped shape.
At the launch of that budget in November, Wallace again delivered a stern warning to council, noting that the city can’t keep betting on record growth in land transfer tax revenue to pay for basic services, especially amid a softening residential real estate market. That warning, however, went mostly unheeded as the 2018 budget was balanced on the basis of an expected $808 million in land transfer tax revenue, $92 million more than was generated in 2017.
In a message posted to Twitter on Thursday afternoon, Coun. Josh Matlow wished Wallace luck in his next job, adding that he hopes “he has better luck in Ottawa having politicians listen to his sage advice.”
Mayor John Tory, meanwhile, thanked Wallace for setting a tone of “absolute professionalism” at city hall.
“As head of the Toronto Public Service, Peter has set a tone of absolute professionalism and raised the bar on customer service excellence by helping to transform city services to meet the needs of a modern city,” he said in a press release. “I enjoyed a close working relationship with Peter and appreciated his strategic and thoughtful advice. He has a tremendous opportunity with the Government of Canada and I wish him well in his new leadership position.”
Wallace is just the latest senior bureaucrat to leave the city or announce their intention to do so. City planner Jennifer Keesmaat left in September while former TTC CEO Andy Byford left in December. Deputy City Manager John Livey also plans to retire in April.
Wallace’s last day on the job as city manager will be March 29.
Wallace has recommended that one of his deputy city managers, Giuliana Carbone, be appointed to the top job on an interim basis while a permanent successor is found, though that decision will ultimately be up to city council.
