While municipal council meetings in Ontario are traditionally chaired by the head of Council (e.g. Mayor, Warden, Reeve or Regional Chair), the City of Toronto Act allows Toronto Council to appoint another member as a presiding officer.

[1] Toronto Council has opted to use this provision and the election of presiding officers with the titles Speaker and Deputy Speaker is authorized by s. 27-6.4 of the Council Procedures.

The Mayor is considered to be the Chair of Council for all other purposes.

[3] The position was recommended by the council-appointed three-member volunteer advisory panel and its report "The City We Want – the Government We Need" in 2005.

Before recommendations from the report was accepted, the mayor was the presiding officer during council meetings.