People think Toronto Mayor John Tory will take a leave of absence instead of resigning

The ongoing dramatic saga of potentially former Toronto Mayor John Tory has taken another wild turn.

Days after Tory publicly announced he would resign following admission to an affair with a former staffer, some people think he will stick around for a while longer.

As of Wednesday, Tory has yet to submit an official letter of resignation to the City Clerk, a requirement to make his departure official.

A few days ago, it was confirmed that Tory would continue his duties as mayor until the city's 2023 budget was passed, but his final date in office, or if he's even leaving, remain unclear.

Yo @JohnTory that word you keep using, resign, I do not think it means what you think it means.

Just leave, already.

— Duane Rollins 🇺🇦 (@24thminute) February 15, 2023

That budget meeting is happening on Wednesday morning, and protesters have gathered outside city hall to demand that Tory take his word to step down.

But inside the building, it appears councillors are debating whether the 65th mayor should resign, or instead, take a formal leave of absence and return to his post at a later date.

Ward 16 Councillor Jon Burnside is one of the councillors pushing for a leave of absence to let the drama settle, according to Toronto Star journalist (and one of the reporters who broke the story about the affair) David Rider.

Clr Burnside, leading the charge to get Mayor Tory to rescind his resignation plan, was asked what happens if he stays and the woman involved says something that paints a negative picture of the mayor’s actions (she has said nothing publicly so far)…

— David Rider (@dmrider) February 15, 2023

Councillor Frances Nunziata is also a fan of Tory staying on the job and told reporters at City Hall that the mayor did make an error in judgment but that it's "not a reason to resign."

Cllr Nunziata, who wants Mayor Tory to stay in office and said we don’t know who initiated the relationship between him and a junior staffer in the mayor’s office (part 1) pic.twitter.com/3bGV7du4YI

— David Rider (@dmrider) February 15, 2023

Others aren't so keen on this idea, and some are genuinely confused about what the heck is happening.

Setting aside how you feel about John Tory's sexual misconduct or his record as mayor, maybe a guy who resigns when he doesn't have to and then tries to go back on it mere days later doesn't have the type of judgement you want to see in the leader of the largest city in Canada.

— jimboknows (@jimboknows27) February 15, 2023

Typing 'John Tory' into Twitter will bring up many results from residents who believe he should step down — and others who aren't as sure.

@johntory please keep a smidgen of what integrity you have left and keep your word to us the people you have lied to and resign.

— Debra Bond-Gorr (@dbondgorr) February 15, 2023

Seeing as Tory had an inappropriate relationship with his junior staffer, some say that his conduct should be investigated, and that if he would like to stay on, it should happen sooner rather than later. Tory has indeed asked the Integrity Commissioner to look into the issue.

The thing to remember about John Tory is that he engaged in a sexual relationship with an employee, and if he's going to continue to weild power and not resign his office immediately, then he should be investigated immediately to understand the extent of his abuse of power.

— James McLeod (@jamespmcleod) February 14, 2023

Of course, it's an incredibly bad take to say that you take full responsibility for the affair, announce your departure, and never leave. 

If @JohnTory doesn't resign after standing behind a podium for the sole purpose of saying he would, how can anyone trust anything he says for the remainder of his term in office? #topoli

— Leslie Saffrey (@LSaffrey) February 15, 2023

Tory decided to announce his departure shortly after The Star exposed his affair.

@JohnTory Please do not resign as Mayor. You have done a great deal of good for #Toronto. We are all human & we all make mistakes. Please do not allow this error in judgment to derail your Political career.

— Shann Hayes 🇺🇦 (@BookShann) February 15, 2023

It appears the Ontario Premier Doug Ford is a fan of Tory and doesn't want him to resign either.

Premier Doug Ford on whether Toronto Mayor @JohnTory should follow through on plan to resign over sex scandal: “it’s not time to change…”
let’s not upset the apple art for a personal issue he’s dealing with.” #onpoli #topoli

— Rob Ferguson (@robferguson1) February 15, 2023

Either way, it appears Tory's legacy will be shrouded in extramarital drama and (dis)honesty.