[ShonTron]

I thought I’d start this thread now with the news that Joe Cressy will not be running for re-election.

He won’t be running for mayor, either.

The man who won’t be mayor: Why one of Toronto’s youngest and most effective political leaders is calling it quits

Coun. Joe Cressy, one Toronto’s most prominent leaders through the COVID-19 pandemic, says he’s stepping away from elected office to be a good father and partner and will look for other meaningful work outside of city hall.

www.thestar.com

 

[Northern Light]

I thought I’d start this thread now with the news that Joe Cressy will not be running for re-election.

He won’t be running for mayor, either.

The man who won’t be mayor: Why one of Toronto’s youngest and most effective political leaders is calling it quits

Coun. Joe Cressy, one Toronto’s most prominent leaders through the COVID-19 pandemic, says he’s stepping away from elected office to be a good father and partner and will look for other meaningful work outside of city hall.

www.thestar.com

Am I only only one who wanted to throw up reading that piece? LOL

I found it Twee, and rather cloying.

 

[christiesplits]

Am I only only one who wanted to throw up reading that piece? LOL

I found it Twee, and rather cloying.

I found it quite saccharine as well. Still, I don't doubt for a moment that being a councillor - especially in a downtown ward - is an extremely stressful job, and I'm happy he's looking out for his mental health and family.

 

[theOther]

From what I remember, the man has been a bit public about his mental health issues. It's not surprising then that he'd give it all up. I mean...."give it all up" is a bit of a heavy sentiment.

 

[Rufus8]

Just got a call from polling firm, last question was if John Tory did not run who would you vote for, choices were Keesemat (?), Adam Vaughan and councillors Michael Ford Michael Thompson, Ana Bailo (?), Mike Layton, Denzil Minangwong, Josh Matou or none of the above. Testing the waters? If Tory runs we will get another lame duck candidate just to make it official. I think he will run again and set someone in place as Deputy Mayor(s), which is not a bad policy. We do need a recall process not based on criminal conviction because it takes so darn long to go thru the legal system.

 

[Northern Light]

Just got a call from polling firm, last question was if John Tory did not run who would you vote for, choices were

Jennifer Keesmaat
Adam Vaughan
Michael Ford
Michael Thompson
Ana Bailao
Mike Layton
Denzil Minnan-Wong
Josh Matlow

Testing the waters? If Tory runs we will get another lame duck candidate just to make it official. I think he will run again and set someone in place as Deputy Mayor(s), which is not a bad policy.

He has 4 deputy mayors now, though only 1 is statutory. That's DMW

We do need a recall process not based on criminal conviction because it takes so darn long to go thru the legal system.

An odd tack-on thought...............but I don't disagree. I think their should be a statutory processes for recalling MPs/MPPs/Mayors and Councillors. The standards should be high, so as not to have nonsensical political theatre with people trying to challenge legitimate elections after the fact.

BC is the only province that has this for MPPs as I recall

Recall | Elections BC

The Chief Electoral Officer administers the recall petition process according to the rules established in the Recall and Initiative Act.

elections.bc.ca

I like their system, only one recall process ever got far enough along to trigger a vote, and the member resigned, despite the law being passed in 1996.

So we're 35 years in; but its there as a safety valve.

 

[adma]

Jennifer Keesmaat
Adam Vaughan
Michael Ford
Michael Thompson
Ana Bailao
Mike Layton
Denzil Minnan-Wong
Josh Matlow

I'm still betting on Brad Bradford becoming some kind of anointed John Tory successor.

 

[christiesplits]

Jennifer Keesmaat
Adam Vaughan
Michael Ford
Michael Thompson
Ana Bailao
Mike Layton
Denzil Minnan-Wong
Josh Matlow

The only two on the list I can't see running are Adam Vaughan and Josh Matlow. Both are too independent, too prickly, and don't play well with others. These attributes are often advantageous when sitting as a councillor, but less so as a mayor (or an MP).

I'm still betting on Brad Bradford becoming some kind of anointed John Tory successor.

Yes, I can see Bradford or Bailao as potential Tory heirs. Both Brad or Ana could offer a "fresh" platform while still being unthreatening to the Bay Street-Board of Trade types. Both also have ties to Liberal Party machinery, which always helps.

Mike Layton, or a rising local NDP "star" like Paul Taylor or Jill Andrew, could be the anointed lefty candidate, with the hopes of rebuilding the David Miller coalition of 2003.

If Premier Ford loses in June, it wouldn't surprise me if he plots another run. Politics is always personal.

 

[adma]

If Premier Ford loses in June, it wouldn't surprise me if he plots another run. Politics is always personal.

Actually. my POV has long been that had Kathleen Wynne lost her '13 provincial leadership bid, she'd probably have run for Mayor the next year and probably won, largely by rendering a John Tory bid redundant (yeah, I know, a queer female vs the Ford machine--but she'd have been a superior big-tent candidate to George Smitherman)

 

[christiesplits]

I did some research to determine the longest serving councillors. I included councillors who held council seats before amalgamation, and excluded trustee roles and other levels of office held (Perruzza and Colle are former MPPs). Let me know if I missed anyone.

1. Frances Nunziata: Elected to York City Council in 1988.
2. John Fillon: Elected to North York City Council in 1990.
3. Denzil Minan Wong: Elected to North York City Council in 1994.
4. TIE - Shelley Carroll/Paula Fletcher/Mark Grimes/Michael Thompson elected to Toronto Council in 2003.
5. TIE - Paul Ainslie/Gord Perks/Anthony Peruzza elected to Toronto Council in 2006.

 

[ShonTron]

Paul Ainslie has been in office slightly longer than Perks and Perruzza - he was appointed earlier in 2006 to a different ward than the one he was elected to in 2006.

Mike Colle was a City of York/Metro Councillor from 1982 to 1994 – 12 years. Add that to his current term, and he’s been in municipal office for 15 years now, as long as Perks and Perruzza.

 

[adma]

Paul Ainslie has been in office slightly longer than Perks and Perruzza - he was appointed earlier in 2006 to a different ward than the one he was elected to in 2006.

Mike Colle was a City of York/Metro Councillor from 1982 to 1994 – 12 years. Add that to his current term, and he’s been in municipal office for 15 years now, as long as Perks and Perruzza.

And Perruzza served a term on North York Council in 1988-90 before being elected to Queen's Park.

 

[christiesplits]

I've always been on the fence about term limits, but surely 25+ years in office is enough to leave your mark on a city?

 

[toonderly]

Jennifer Keesmaat
Adam Vaughan
Michael Ford
Michael Thompson
Ana Bailao
Mike Layton
Denzil Minnan-Wong
Josh Matlow

As recently as this summer, Jennifer Keesmaat has said that she doesn't intend to run. I hope Tory won't run again . . . he was a better option than Doug Ford at the time but possibly only in the sense that DF is super-aggressively terrible and Tory tries to soft-pedal the terrible things he winds up doing anyway and possibly avoids doing some of the really appalling things.

I'm still betting on Brad Bradford becoming some kind of anointed John Tory successor.

If Tory favours Bradford, why does he make Minnan-Wong his primary Deputy Mayor?

 

[Northern Light]

If Tory favours Bradford, why does he make Minnan-Wong his primary Deputy Mayor?

A good question to which I don't have any real answer (that is to say, the Mayor has not seen fit to confide in me on the matter, LOL)

However, if I were to hypothesize..........

DMW's vote might come more easily to Tory when he's inside the fold.............

Bradford was also a first-termer, with excellent connections to staff (having been a City Planner for Toronto), but not necessarily great connections on Council.

He's neither in the NDP caucus, nor a member of right wing on Council; so his ability to bring votes isn't great; and a slightly to the left of centre pragmatist, Tory can probably count on his vote
more often than not.

It would also be entirely speculative on my part to suggest the Mayor's backing of the Danforth Cycle Track (a top Bradford priority) might have been sufficient to sway the councillor the couple of times his vote was needed; or that in the event it were not that the Mayor's backing of some of key planning reforms with which Bradford would be sympathetic, some of which might be in reports to Planning and Housing next week might further a positive working relationship.
.