Municipal elections were held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on December 5, 1960. Six-year incumbent mayor Nathan Phillips was challenged by former mayor Allan Lamport and Controller Jean Newman. Phillips was returned to office.
The City of Toronto also held a referendum on whether to remove the Blue Law banning films and concerts on Sunday evenings. The measure passed 94,000 votes to 58,003.
Toronto mayor
Phillips had first been elected to city council in 1926 and was elected mayor in 1954 and was reelected in 1956 and 1958. He faced two prominent challengers in the 1960 race. Former mayor and Board of Control member Allan Lamport and Controller Jean Newman. Each of the three candidates had the endorsement of one of the city's newspapers. The right-wing Toronto Telegram backed Phillips, the centre-right The Globe and Mail backed Newman, and the centre-left Toronto Daily Star backed Lamport. One of the central issues was over the expansion of the Toronto subway system by building the Bloor-Danforth Line. All candidates supported it, but there was debate over how it should be paid for.
Top spot on the Board of Control, and the associated budget chief position, was contested between two incumbent conservatives Donald Summerville and William Allen with Summerville winning the top spot. Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) member William Dennison was also reelected to the Board. The position left open by Newman's decision to run for mayor attracted three aldermen with Philip Givens narrowly beating CCF member Herbert Orliffe and Francis Chambers finishing further behind. A month later in January 1961 William Allen won the position of Metro Toronto Chairman and resigned from the board. Orliffe was appointed to replace him.
Two aldermen were elected per Ward. The alderman with the most votes was declared Senior Alderman and sat on both Toronto City Council and Metro Council.
In the elections for Toronto City Council, only one incumbent was defeated, May Birchard in Ward 2. In all but one ward where two incumbents were reelected two councillors switched position changing which would also represent the city on the board of Metro Toronto.
Results are taken from the December 6, 1960 Toronto Star and might not exactly match final tallies.
Changes
Controller William Allen resigned upon being elected Metro Chairman on January 9, 1962. On January 15, 1962
Controller William Dennison was appointed Metro Councillor and Herbert Orliffe was appointed Controller