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But since taking office, Chow has seemingly been dodging fights with Ford, even when there鈥檚 a lot at stake for the city.

She鈥檚 mostly kept her powder dry on Ontario Place, even as the questions flood in about the dodginess of the plan Ford鈥檚 government approved to build a mega spa on public land. It鈥檚 a generational decision about a part of Toronto鈥檚 waterfront, and yet the mayor never seems to have much to say about it.

And while she has opposed Ford鈥檚 attempt 鈥� now held up by a judge 鈥� to tear out 海角社区官网bike lanes on Bloor Street, University Avenue and Yonge Street, Chow鈥檚 reaction has been more low-gear than a lot of cyclists would have liked. Whatever your views on bike lanes, Ford鈥檚 move undermines her authority. More moves like this one, and the mayor鈥檚 job could become little more than a glorified civic mascot 鈥� here for photo-ops and ribbon-cuttings but not much else.

Still, there鈥檚 a simple explanation for Chow鈥檚 soft-touch approach: it鈥檚 all about the money.

Ford鈥檚 got it, and Chow needs it.

Chow鈥檚 friendly approach to Ford paid dividends early in her term, when she struck a landmark 鈥淣ew Deal鈥� with the Queen鈥檚 Park. Ford got the short end of the stick on that one, agreeing to take ownership of the money pit known as the Gardiner Expressway.

But the devil was in the details. While the upload of the Gardiner and the DVP to the province will represent permanent savings for Toronto鈥檚 capital budget, the rest of the New Deal was conspicuously time-limited.

The outlines about $1.2 billion worth of operating funding over three years: 2024, 2025, and 2026. The money was earmarked for funds for the TTC and shelters, always two of the biggest demands on city spending.

So for Chow, the clock is ticking. Loudly. She鈥檒l soon enter the final year of the deal. Without a confirmed renewal 鈥� a new new deal 鈥� the financial outlook for city hall and its agencies is quickly returning to something more like, well, doom.

The doomerism was already on full display at a meeting of the TTC鈥檚 strategic planning committee last week. After transit staff outlined a dire financial situation that鈥檒l require the agency to find billions of dollars over the next five years, board member Joe Mihevc asked a pointed question: 鈥淗ow would you describe where we鈥檙e going? Would you say something like, 鈥榟oly camoly, we鈥檙e going off a cliff here?鈥欌��

The TTC鈥檚 executive director of finance John Montagnese, unfortunately, refused to say the words 鈥渉oly camoly.鈥� But he did say, after a pronounced pause, 鈥渋t鈥檚 a big hole.鈥� So definitely holey.

Later, Chow鈥檚 appointed TTC chair, Coun. Jamaal Myers responded bluntly to a presentation from the advocacy group TTCriders pushing for the TTC to increase service without increasing fares.

鈥淒o you really think this is realistic? You just saw the budget,鈥� Myers asked. 鈥淒o you really think it鈥檚 realistic to come with a long laundry list of requests when we鈥檙e here trying to have an honest conversation about what the budget actually looks like, and what are the trade-offs we need to do to grow the ridership?鈥�

It was not exactly the kind of tone that plays well in an election campaign.

And it leaves the mayor at a crossroads. If the new deal is allowed to simply come to an end, Chow is likely to spend the next year defending herself from attacks suggesting she needlessly hiked property taxes.

What was the point, potential right-leaning challenges like Coun. Brad Bradford and former mayor John Tory might ask, if those tax increases just left the city in the same financial crisis as before?

Plus, if other departments start offering fiscal projections like what the TTC presented last week, Chow won鈥檛 be able to credibly promise major service improvements. Her numbers won鈥檛 add up.

But if Chow can strike a new new deal with Ford 鈥� perhaps one that ropes in Prime Minister Mark Carney too 鈥� within the next few months, suddenly she鈥檒l enter next year鈥檚 election season looking like the negotiator-in-chief 海角社区官网needs.

And perhaps crucially, she鈥檇 be able to say she got better deals than her predecessor ever did.

But, well, that rosy scenario requires Ford to want to deal soon. Because he鈥檚 now locked himself into a majority until 2029, he could choose to wait until after the municipal election. He could even, if the relationship with Chow turns sour, publicly muse that he鈥檇 be better able to deal with one of her opponents.

This probably isn鈥檛 the game Chow wishes she was playing, but it鈥檚 the game on the table. And given how many cards Ford is holding, playing nice just might be the winning move.