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Political Structure for East York
The Special Committee to Review the Final Report of the Toronto Transition Team recommends the adoption of the Recommendations of the East York Community Council, embodied in the communication (February 20, 1998) from the City Clerk, subject to:
(1) striking out Recommendation No. (iii) and inserting in lieu thereof the following:
"(iii) the Province of Ontario be advised of the City of Toronto's decision to hold a by-election and the City seek the immediate written concurrence of the Provincial Government with Council's position that a by-election may legally be held at this time, and, if the Province does not concur with this legal interpretation, that the Province immediately table the appropriate legislation to ensure that such a by-election can be held in September, 1998;" and
(2) adding to Recommendation No. (iv) the words, "as a transition cost", so that such Recommendation shall now read as follows:
"(iv) the Province of Ontario be requested to fund the cost of the by-election to fill the third Councillor position as a transition cost."
The Special Committee to Review the Final Report of the Toronto Transition Team reports, for the information of Council, that the portion of Hansard containing comments made by the Honourable Al Leach, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, with respect to this matter has been appended to this Clause as directed by the Special Committee.
The Special Committee to Review the Final Report of the Toronto Transition Team submits the following communication (February 20, 1998) from the City Clerk, East York Community Council:
Recommendations:
The East York Community Council on February 18 and 19, 1998, recommended to the Special Committee to Review the Final Report of the Toronto Transition Team, the following:
(i) a third Councillor be granted to Ward One, East York;
(ii) the City Clerk be requested to conduct a by-election no later than September 1998, to fill the third Councillor position;
(iii) the Province of Ontario be advised of the City of Toronto=s decision to grant the third Councillor and seek concurrence of the Province or initiate appropriate legislation to ensure the third councillor position is implemented; and
(iv) the Province of Ontario be requested to fund the cost of the by-election to fill the third Councillor position.
The East York Community Council reports, for the information of the Special Committee, having requested the City Solicitor to report directly to the Special Committee on various legal queries raised at the Community Council meeting including, but not limited to the following:
(i) the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing=s exclusive authority under Bill 26;
(ii) the conditions under which an appointment can be made or an election can be held in accordance with the Municipal Elections Act; and
(iii) the status of using the federal boundaries for the municipal elections.
The East York Community Council also reports for the information of the Special Committee that it received the report (February 10, 1998) of the City Solicitor respecting the legal options for change to the political representation in East York.
Background:
The East York Community Council, at its meeting on February 18 and 19, 1998, had before it a report dated February 10,1998, from the City Solicitor respecting the legal options for change to the political representation in East York.
The East York Community Council also had before it communications from the following in respect of the political structure for East York:
- (February 16, 1998) from Ms. Margaret Simpson, East York;
- (February 15, 1998) from Dr. Alexander P. Lang, East York;
- (February 16, 1998) from Mr. Tim McDonald, East York;
- (Undated) from Ms. Donna-Lynn McCallum, East York;
- (February 19, 1998) from Ms. Carol Burtin Fripp, President, Leaside Property Owners= Association Inc; and
- (Undated) from Mr. Colin MacLeod, Team East York.
The following persons appeared before the East York Community Council in connection with the foregoing matter:
- Mr. John Papadakis, East York;
- Ms. Marilyn Churley, MPP, Riverdale;
- Ms. Donna-Lynn McCallum, East York;
- Mr. Colin Macleod, East York;
- Mr. Ian Cameron, East York;
- Mr. Jay Josefo, East York;
- Ms. Margaret Simpson, East York;
- Mr. Steven Hellebust, East York;
- Ms. Carol Burtin Fripp, President, Leaside Property Owners= Association Inc;
- Ms. Susan Kaufman, East York;
- Mr. Norm Smith, East York;
- Mr. E. Wigglesworth, East York;
- Ms. Judy Lauzon, East York;
- Mr. Brian Barron, East York;
- Ms. Elizabeth Rowley, East York;
- Mr. Michael Tziretas, East York;
- Mr. Vasil Alexiou, East York;
- Mr. Mark Stoltz, East York;
- Mr. Gord Crann, East York;
- Mr. John Parker, MPP, York East;
- Councillor David Miller, High Park;
- Councillor Anne Johnston, North Toronto;
- Councillor Ron Moeser, Scarborough Highland Creek; and
- Councillor Joan King, Seneca Heights.
The Special Committee to Review the Final Report of the Toronto Transition Team submits the following excerpt from Hansard containing comments made by the Honourable Al Leach, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, during the Provincial Government's debate respecting political representation in East York, as requested by the Special Committee:
"Municipal Restructuring.
Ms. Frances Lankin (Beaches-Woodbine): My question is to the Minister of Municipal Affairs. Minister, you will know that I have a private member's bill before the House, Bill 144, which seeks to increase the number of councillors in East York under the new City of Toronto Act that you brought forward, the megacity legislation.
Having had extensive discussions with your House Leader and knowing how busy the House agenda is with government business from now until the end of November, I know there is next to no possibility for time to deal with that private member's bill, so I am going to be tabling - legislative counsel is working on it now - two amendments to your Bill 148, the City of Toronto Transition Bill, which would have the effect of increasing the representation in East York One, by three councillors, which is what they have asked for, although some people have said that would cause a problem in terms of ties on the overall megacity Council, so I'm going to put an alternative in that would increase it by four.
You know the problems, you know the issue. What I'm asking you today is for a commitment that you will at least consider those amendments from me and perhaps work with me to see if there is a way you could have the government support the amendments to give equitable representation to East York.
Hon. Al Leach (Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing): I thank the member from the third party for the question and I'd be pleased to consider her amendments. As a matter of fact, I'll make a commitment that I will provide a copy of her amendments to the Transition Team so they will be able to inform the new Council of the views of the member, because our position is that the size and shape of the Community Councils and how they're structured and how many represent certain areas should be the responsibility of the new City of Toronto Council.
If the member has advice she would like the new City Council to have, I'll make sure that advice gets to them through the Transition Team. I know the new Council will take that into consideration when they're reviewing the role of the Community Councils.
Ms. Lankin: Minister, thanks. I've already talked to the Transition Team. They are aware of that, I've made that position clear and I think some of them are quite sympathetic to it.
The problem with that, and I know you know this, is that fact any changes with respect to Ward boundaries and representation numbers wouldn't come into place until the next Municipal election, another three years from now.
When I was a Minister - I know you weren't here but you can check with your colleagues - I did work with opposition members when they add ideas. I did sit down with them and talk to them or have our legal counsel meet with them to see if there was a way I could help them make the amendment acceptable to the government so they could bring forward the idea and accomplish it.
Let me ask you, would you agree to meet with me with your staff, or if not you, your legal staff or policy staff who have carriage of this, and help me draft this in a way that's acceptable to you? The Citizens of East York deserve equitable representation now, in the next municipal election, not three years from now.
Minister, you can make it happen. I will be tabling those amendments. You'll have to deal with them. Please, let's get together so you don't have to vote them down.
Hon. Mr. Leach: I'd like to thank the member from the third party for her question, because it is an important issue, but it's an issue that we sincerely believe should be dealt with by the new Council, not by this government. We've set up the initial structure for the new City of Toronto Council and we have set up the ways and means in which the Community Councils should be established.
If the New City Council wants to make any changes to that organization or those structures and how they work, what their roles are, what their responsibilities are, how they're formed, how the boundaries would change, that's a role and a responsibility for the new unified City of Toronto. I think that is the organization and the body that should deal with it.
I'll be glad to work with the member to make sure any of her ideas are submitted through the transition team and ensure that the new City Council is made aware of them."
The Special Committee to Review the Final Report of the Toronto Transition Team also submits the following communication (February 25, 1998) from Councillor Bill Saundercook, York Humber:
I would like to propose that we move collectively to strengthen the Community Council concept as follows:
Current Community Council Membership: Proposed Membership:
Toronto 16 Toronto 14
North York 14 North York 10
Scarborough 12 Scarborough 8
Etobicoke 8 Etobicoke 8
York 4 York 8
East York 2 East York 8
This proposal focuses on a more equal distribution of workload and geographic representation of the new City in order to provide the equal distribution of services.
I look forward to a discussion of this proposal.
The following persons appeared before the Special Committee to Review the Final Report of the Toronto Transition Team:
- Ms. Marilyn Churley, MPP, Riverdale;
- Ms. Margaret Simpson, East York;
- Mr. Colin MacLeod, Team East York;
- Mr. John Papadakis, East York;
- Mr. William Phillips;
- Mr. Ian Cameron, East York Action Committee, and filed a written submission in regard thereto;
- Mr. Ed Wigglesworth, East York;
- Ms. Judy Lauzon, East York;
- Mr. Mark Stoltz, East York;
- Mr. Gordon Crann, East York; and
- Ms. Jane Pitfield, East York.
The following Members of Council appeared before the Special Committee to Review the Final Report of the Toronto Transition Team in connection with the foregoing matter:
- Councillor Frank Faubert, Scarborough Highland Creek; and
- Councillor Doug Holyday, Markland-Centennial.
(A copy of the report (February 10, 1998) from the City Solicitor, entitled "Legal Options for Change to Representation in East York", was forwarded to all Members of Council with the February 26, 1998, agenda of the Special Committee to Review the Final Report of the Toronto Transition Team, and a copy thereof is also on file in the office of the City Clerk.)
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