Three new members of city council say that they are ready to hit the ground running once their terms officially begin on Monday.
The current term of council will end at midnight tonight, meaning a number of long term councillors such as Norm Kelly and Giorgio Mammoliti now just have just a few hours left in office.
But at the same time four new councillors who were elected in the Oct. 22 election are preparing to enter the council chamber for the first time as elected representatives, along with 21 others who were re-elected.
On Friday, three of those new councillors spoke to CP24 about the journey ahead and the top issues facing the city.
Here is what they had to say:
Brad Bradford – Ward 19, Beaches-East York
What are the top issues facing the city?
Transit and housing are the two biggest issues facing Toronto writ large right now. Toronto has experienced a lot of success over the past few decades but it hasn’t been felt equally so we need to make those investments in infrastructure and ensure that everyone has housing options if we are going to have success going forward.
You previously worked in the city planning office. What did you learn in that role that you want to bring to council?
I think it is really important to remember that process is a big part of achieving great outcomes so bringing everybody to the table – and it is not just about a meeting in a church basement at six or seven at night because we know that brings out a certain kind of person that is able to do that. We have to find new ways to engage in the community if we want to have those robust and effective outcomes that are really going to work for the community.
What will it be like to serve on a much smaller council with just 25 members? Is it overwhelming?
I would say that the workload will be significant but at the same time we are new so this is the only workload we will know, the 25-ward world. So you build a great team and you build those relationships with the community and you just have to go to work for them.
Jennifer McKelvie – Ward 25, Scarborough–Rouge Park
What will you bring to the table that may be different from some of the incumbents?
A lot of my background and my work has been about infrastructure planning and how we can involve the public in that process so I am looking to bring that lens to city hall and also just reach out more broadly and not just target those same people who come out all the time to meetings but really for those quiet community champions and encourage them to come to the the table.
What are the issues that you will be fighting for the most?
Building public transit. One it gets us out of our cars and helps improved traffic but it will also have a huge impact on the environment as well. I think that is something that I am really looking forward to working with the new council on.
What are your thoughts about Premier Doug Ford reducing the size of city council so close to the election?
It was certainly a surprise. I hadn’t been expecting to run against an incumbent and I am one of only two (newcomers) that managed to defeat a incumbent in this election. One of the things that I will be really interested in over the next four years is how we can change processes and so that we can ensure that more people are able to beat incumbents in the future. This isn’t a job for life so I want to look at ways we can improve that and build more leaders for tomorrow.
Cynthia Lai – Ward 23, Scarborough North
What will you bring to the table that may be different from some of the incumbents?
With my experience in real estate (as president of the Toronto Real Estate Board) I think I can bring a lot of investors to the table and try to make sure that we can maybe close some of the files that are pending. I feel like my background will maybe take me to the official plan file and maybe the housing file.
How will you make sure that the voice of Scarborough residents will be heard at city hall?
When I knocked on the doors when I was campaigning a lot of people did feel like Scarborough deserves better and that we have been neglected ever since amalgamation, so I think it is time that we actually stand up (for ourselves). Scarborough is part of Toronto.
What will it be like to serve on a much smaller council with just 25 members?
I think we have a lot to learn. We just have to learn fast.
Mike Colle - Ward 8, Eglinton-Lawrence
You were last a councillor in 1994, how are you preparing for this role?
Well basically as they say, all politics are local. When I was at the province, I was constantly dealing with transit matters, traffic, crime and public safety. So even though you’re at a different level of government, people don’t really differentiate.
Did you find people would contact you thinking their issue was a provincial issue when it was a municipal one?
Oh yeah sure. And you can’t really expect people to know the technical differences — government is government. They can’t be expected to know the fine details.
Will this smaller council still be efficient?
Well it’s going to be an experiment really. Being 25, covering twice the area, twice the households, there’s going to be a lot more work to do for each councillor. Because local government is about visiting people in their garages and their kitchens, in their backyards, on their streets and in their parks. You have to go there. It’s not about sitting at city hall and making decisions. That’s going to be the biggest challenge about going to all of the public meetings, making sure people are allowed to speak to you and express concerns.
Besides the work you do at city council there’s that work on the ground, on the streets.
