More drama in East end elections

[attach]2893[/attach]In an election that saw the defeat of five incumbents, Councillor Paula Fletcher was able to retain her seat in a narrow victory.

Fletcher beat out well-known broadcaster Liz West in a tightly contested race to gain her third term as city councillor for Ward 30.

“It was nip and tuck,” Fletcher said.

Fletcher won by just 259 votes this time around compared to an average of well over 4,000 votes in her 2003 and 2006 victories.

Despite a drastically diminished margin of victory she still saw her vote total increase by nearly 1,000 votes.

“I think people recognize the work that I’ve done in the community. I’ve worked in every inch of ward 30 with people in the community on things that are important to them,” Fletcher said.

This term, Fletcher intends to focus on maintaining a high standing of living within the riding of Toronto-Danforth, especially with all the cuts that have been promised.

“I will definitely be very conscious of all of the potential cuts to programming in ward 30, whether it be pools, whether it be breakfast programs, whether it be recreation,” Fletcher said. “And I want to be very vigilant that the quality of life doesn’t slip in trying to cut everything.”

Since her re-election, Fletcher has also kept a vigilant eye on the transit situation in her ward as well as continuing to highlight the issue of bed bugs in Toronto.

“I’ve already asked the minister to review the assessment for … the light rail vehicles,” Fletcher said. “It was rushed through council in the last term and I didn’t support it and neither did the new mayor. So there’s some synergy there to have another look at that.”

Although Fletcher seems willing to work alongside the city’s new mayor she suggests that he was not her constituents’ favourite candidate.

“The voters have elected Rob Ford,” Fletcher said. “We’ve seen the maps, the voters in the old City of Toronto didn’t elect Rob Ford.

They were voting in a different direction. But he’s the mayor so, of course, you have to work with the mayor.”