At least 7 Toronto council races feature 2 sitting councillors. Here’s a look at the matchups

Thestar.com
August 29, 2018
Samantha Beattie

Two of Toronto’s most boisterous councillors, Giorgio Mammoliti and Anthony Perruzza, will take their chirping on the campaign trail as they compete to represent the new city ward, Humber River--Black Creek.

“I’ve been shopping for a Mammo-slayer cape. I’m out to slay the Mammo,” says Perruzza.

Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti, left, and Councillor Anthony Perruzza have worked side by side for well over a decade at city hall and Queen’s Park. Now they’re running against each other, a situation more than a dozen sitting councillors find themselves in.

Mammoliti notes with pride that he is taller than Perruzza. Perruzza admits Mammoliti is “physically a little more stretched” but says he is “much, much smaller in brain size.”

The two have worked together -- and against each other -- for years, first as NDP backbenchers at Queen’s Park in the early 1990s and then as councillors after Perruzza was elected in 2006. Mammoliti was elected to council in 1995.

The election in the new Ward 7 is the first time they’ll run against one another, a situation that’s not unique after Premier Doug Ford’s government slashed the number of wards to 25 from 47. Seven such races emerged quickly after registration reopened Aug. 20, with some of the longest serving politicians on council facing colleagues with just as much experience and clout.

Councillors Frances Nunziata and Frank Di Giorgio, for example, both entered municipal politics in the 1980s and have held key positions in council, but only one candidate can win Ward 5 York South--Weston.

Nunziata is determined to stay. “The smaller ward is not leaving, and neither am I,” she said.

Council races are oftentimes not competitive and don’t catch the attention of voters who are focused on the mayoral race, but this election will be an exception, said municipal governance professor Aaron Moore from the University of Winnipeg.

“This is going to be amazing to watch. Hopefully (25 wards) will galvanize the public because if they really like their councillor, they’re going to have to get out and push for them to win again,” Moore said, adding it’s highly unlikely first-time candidates will beat one, never mind two, councillors, who have higher profiles and name recognition. In the 2014 municipal election, only Councillor Jon Burnside beat an incumbent.

The Star asked all councillors, who as of Aug. 27 were registered to run against a colleague, the same set of seven questions on their accomplishments, disagreements and why they’re the right choice.

School trustee running against Giorgio Mammoliti says his ‘cockroaches’ comment shows Jane-Finch needs ‘better representation’

Perruzza said voters should choose him because unlike Mammoliti he doesn’t “build communities through hate, divisiveness and blame. You do it by bringing people together through passion and inclusiveness.” His biggest regret as councillor is not voting to dock Mammoliti three months pay for violating the code of conduct in 2014 (Perruzza was absent from the vote, which did lead to Mammoliti’s pay being docked).

Mammoliti’s biggest regret is taking off his shirt in council chambers in 1999 to make a statement against a proposed nude beach. “People who don’t like me use it against me,” he said. He’s the right choice because unlike Perruzza, he said, every decision he makes is based on conservative “family values.”

Councillors who answered the Star’s questions brought up the issues of road safety, gun and gang violence and effective representation in a 25-ward system, among many other topics.

 

Councillor Cesar Palacio, who has been in office for 16 years, said the first thing he will do if re-elected is “fight for term limits.” He is running against Councillor Ana Bailao for Ward 9 Davenport.

He said what he admires most about his competitor is her commitment to affordable housing. She said what she admires most about him is his “dedication of spending many years in public service.”

The first thing Bailao said she will do if re-elected is develop a plan for community revitalization.

Over in Ward 15 Don Valley West, Burnside was critical of what Councillor Jaye Robinson said is the best thing she’s achieved for Toronto -- the city’s road safety plan, Vision Zero.

He disagrees with Robinson’s “stewardship of Vision Zero,” he wrote in an email. “The inability to prevent traffic-related fatalities had tragic consequences.”

The city launched Vision Zero in June 2016, spearheaded by Robinson as chair of the public works committee. Two years later and Toronto is on pace for one of the deadliest years for pedestrians and cyclists with almost 30 fatalities.

But Robinson pointed out Burnside’s decision to vote against a council motion that called on the federal government to ban the sale of handguns within Toronto. The motion, which passed in July, is in response to a surge of gun violence that puts Toronto on track for a record-breaking year. Police have reported 33 shooting deaths so far in 2018, about the same number as in 2005, the so-called “Year of the Gun.”

What sets Councillor Vincent Crisanti apart from Councillor Michael Ford, his rival for Ward 1 Etobicoke North and Premier Doug Ford’s nephew, is his decade of political experience and strong leadership skills, he said. Those will be necessary when managing a ward with almost double the number of residents than before.

Michael Ford, who won his seat in a 2016 byelection, did not respond to requests for comment.

A dedicated supporter of the Ford family, Crisanti lost his deputy mayor title last fall when now-Premier Doug Ford announced plans, which later changed, to run for mayor in 2018. Crisanti publicly backed him over Mayor John Tory.

Although he and Michael Ford are now “both campaigning in this election” (he didn’t say running against), he doesn’t expect his relationship with the Fords to change and said Michael Ford is a “nice, young man.”

Councillors Jim Karygiannis and Norm Kelly (who have more than half a century in combined political experience), also refrained from taking shots at one another in their races for Ward 22 Scarborough-Agincourt.

“I’m not running against Councillor Kelly, I’m running against myself. The sun is always behind me, my shadow is always in front of me and I’ve always been trying to catch up,” said Karygiannis, a former Liberal MP, who signs his emails with the phrase “Live-Love-Laugh.”

Kelly and Karygiannis said they don’t have any regrets from their time as councillors, nor do Councillors Michelle Holland or Gary Crawford, who are running for Ward 20 Scarborough Southwest.

Holland, who went by that single last name during the current term, has registered in this election using both her maiden and married last name, Holland-Berardinetti, from former Liberal MPP Lorenzo Berardinetti, who until June 2018 represented Scarborough Southwest.

Holland, the city’s first advocate for the innovation economy, said she’s “comfortable and proud” with all the decisions she’s made as councillor and has supported her residents by improving community safety, transit and traffic gridlock, and creating jobs.

Crawford said what makes him a better councillor than Holland is that he’s a “consensus builder” and brings his experience as budget chair “to every discussion.”

What have you done for me lately?

The Star asked incumbents squaring off against each other to name the best thing they’ve done for Toronto.

Ward 1 Etobicoke North -- Vincent Crisanti vs. Michael Ford

Crisanti: Advocating for the Woodbine Racetrack development and bringing a Santa Claus parade to North Etobicoke.

Ford did not respond to requests for comment.

Other candidates: Peter D’Gama, Shirish Patel and Carol Royer

Ward 5 York South--Weston -- Frank Di Giorgio vs. Frances Nunziata

Di Giorgio: Making prudent budget decisions to deliver required infrastructure improvements.

Nunziata: The creation of the York Recreation Centre and upcoming Artscape Weston Common.

Other candidates: Keaton Austin, Deeqa Barre, Harpreet Gulri, Lekan Olawoye and Chiara Padovani

Ward 7 Humber River--Black Creek -- Giorgio Mammoliti vs. Anthony Perruzza

Mammoliti: Revitalizing his ward and bringing two pandas to the Toronto Zoo “when everyone said I couldn’t.”

Perruzza: The subway extension through his North York ward to Vaughan.

Other candidates: Amanda Coombs, Tiffany Ford, Winston La Rose and Deanna Sgro

Ward 9 Davenport -- Ana Bailao vs. Cesar Palacio

Bailao: Making progress on housing, including securing city capital for Toronto Community Housing and establishing the Open Door Program to provide city land and incentives to developers.

Palacio: Fighting for transparency, accountability, openness and fiscal responsibility to improve city services while keeping property taxes low.

No other candidates were registered as Wednesday afternoon.

Ward 15 Don Valley West -- Jon Burnside vs. Jaye Robinson

Burnside: Convincing the mayor, fellow councillors and the premier to implement photo radar, especially around school zones, to improve safety of children.

Robinson: Introducing Toronto’s first citywide road safety plan, Vision Zero, and spearheading neighbourhood-based planning reform.

Other candidates: Tanweer Khan

Ward 20 Scarborough Southwest -- Michelle Holland vs. Gary Crawford

Holland: Working hard as city’s advocate for the innovation economy, with a focus on attracting jobs to Toronto, and championing the city’s first digital literacy day.

Crawford: Being a strong voice for residents and, as budget chair, keeping taxes at or below the rate of inflation.

Other candidates: Sharif Ahmed, Gerard Arbour, Mohsin Bhuiyan, Hisham Chisti, Paulina Corpuz, Robert McDermott, Sonny Mir, Curtis Smith and Bruce Waters

Ward 22 Scarborough-Agincourt -- Jim Karygiannis vs. Norm Kelly

Karygiannis: Saving the city money by not supporting privatization of sanitation collection in Scarborough and working with paramedics to make sure they have a safe work environment.

Kelly: Bringing calm and order to city hall as deputy mayor during the Rob Ford era, and reviving Billy Bishop airport.

Other candidates: Jude Coutinho, Michael Korzeniewski and Vincent Lee