Administrative Modifications to
Signing Authority in Clerk's Division
The Corporate Services Committee recommends the adoption of the following report
(May5, 1999) from the City Clerk:
Purpose:
The purpose of this report is to update the delegation of signing authority previously granted
by By-law No. 354-1998, being a by-law "to provide authority for certain officials employed
in the office of the Clerk to sign documents and affix the corporate seal on behalf of the City
of Toronto".
Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:
There are no financial implications arising out of the recommendations in this report.
Recommendations:
It is recommended that:
(1)the following officials named under Column I below be authorized to sign documents and
affix the corporate seal on behalf of the City of Toronto in respect of the matters described
opposite each such official's position under ColumnII below:
Column I |
Column II |
City Clerk |
All matters |
Director, Secretariat, Printing and
Distribution |
All matters |
Director, Legislative Services |
All matters pertaining to
Community Councils and
decisions of former Councils |
Managers, Legislative Services |
All matters pertaining to
Community Councils and
decisions of former Councils |
Community Council Administrators |
All matters pertaining to
Community Councils and
decisions of former Councils |
Manager, Community Councils and
Committees |
All matters |
Manager, Council Secretariat Support |
All matters |
Council Administrators |
All matters |
(2)By-law No. 354-1998 be repealed; and
(3)leave be granted for the introduction of the necessary Bill in Council to give effect
thereto.
Background:
The City Clerk is assigned a variety of duties under statute, including the duty, under
section73 of the Municipal Act to record, without note or comment, all resolutions, decisions
and other proceedings of Council; to preserve and file all accounts acted upon by Council;
and, to keep the originals of all by-laws of Council and of the proceedings of Council. In
addition section74 of the Municipal Act requires the Clerk to furnish certified copies of
records under the Clerk's control. The Clerk may also be required to certify documents under
other statutes, and is a designated signing officer for City contracts and other documents
which must be executed under seal.
In a large municipal organization such as the City of Toronto, it is practical, indeed necessary,
that a variety of individuals under the supervision of the City Clerk be authorized to execute
certain types of documents for the City on the Clerk's behalf.
Comments/Discussion:
While many of the duties delegated to the City Clerk by statute are assigned by the Clerk to
various subordinates within the division without specific direction or authorization by the
Council, in the circumstances where the duty to be assigned involves the use of the corporate
seal it is appropriate that the sanction and authority of Council be obtained.
Since the functions of the Clerk's Secretariat are carried out in each civic centre as well as at
City Hall, the existing signing authority by-law distributes the authority to include staff
working out of those locations. That authority is continued and in addition, since staff of the
Division's Legislative Services unit are in close proximity to Secretariat staff in the civic
centres, it is recommended that signing authority be granted to management staff in those
units to ensure that sufficient staff are available to sign and seal documents when necessary.
In summary, the amendments proposed in this report update the provisions of the existing
by-law on the basis of staffing and organizational changes which have taken place since its
enactment.
Contact Name:
Jeffrey Abrams, Director, Secretariat, Printing and Distribution, Clerk's Division, Tel.
392-8670
jabrams@toronto.ca.
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