East York reps shut out from key council roles
[attach]3191[/attach]East York reps new and old were shut out of top roles on [url=http://www.mytowncrier.ca/ford-wins-on-key-appointments.html]Mayor Rob Ford’s council[/url], marking a major shift from David Miller’s tenure.
Longtime councillors [url=http://www.mytowncrier.ca/janet-davis-wins-ward-31-easily.html]Janet Davis[/url] (Beaches-East York) and [url=http://www.mytowncrier.ca/fletcher-fends-off-west-in-ward-30.html]Paula Fletcher[/url](Toronto-Danforth) were not among the council elite named to the mayor’s executive team, and neither will chair committees at city hall.
Under former mayor [url=http://www.mytowncrier.ca/david-miller-says-goodbye.html#0]David Miller[/url], Davis chaired the community development committee and Fletcher was in charge of the parks committee. Both were members of Miller’s executive team.
Now that the spectrum has shifted to the right at city council, left-leaning councillors in Toronto’s southeast and downtown were not only shut out of important decision-maker roles, but many are not even members of significant committees, Davis pointed out in early December.
“If you shut out one quarter of the representatives, you shut out the people they represent,” she said.
“Mayor Ford said he would reach out and it’s unfortunate that’s not reflected in the appointments. We should be bridging those divides.
Despite what people say about the previous administration, there was geographical and gender representation, she added.
At the first council meeting of the term, Ford’s choices of who serves on various committees, agencies, boards and agencies were largely backed.
Ford’s executive includes councillors from the various suburbs but no reps from downtown, Beaches or East York. In comparison, Miller had a smattering of representation from Etobicoke, downtown, East York, York, Scarborough and North York on his 13-member executive,
Davis said regardless of what committee she serves on, she’ll still push for issues that are important to residents and businesses in her ward.
“I have always advocated on behalf of my community and I will continue to do that,” she said.
While east-end councillors won’t serve on TTC, budget, executive, Toronto Community Housing, Police Services Board, they weren’t completely shut out.
Davis will serve on community development and recreation committee, and the library board.
Fletcher is on the economic development committee and board of health.
Like her predecessor Case Ootes, newly elected Toronto-Danforth Councillor Mary Fragedakis will serve on economic development.
Another newbie, Beaches-East York Councillor Mary-Margaret McMahon, was appointed to the audit committee.