Adam Vaughan bids farewell to city hall ahead of federal bid, gets in one last dig at ‘worst mayor’ Rob Ford
Adam Vaughan bid farewell to Toronto city hall on Tuesday in a manner that has defined his second term in municipal politics: launching a verbal spear at Rob Ford. And, by drawing one last caricature of the chief magistrate, now seeking rehabilitation for substance abuse.
“He was a terrible mayor, the worst mayor the city’s ever had,” Mr. Vaughan told reporters at the lunch break of the Toronto East York Community Council. “And the only good thing about today is that as I leave, he’s not around to talk about it.”
Mr. Vaughan has resigned his seat as Ward 20 councillor in order to carry the Liberal banner in the federal Trinity-Spadina by-election on June 30. The by-election was called after Olivia Chow resigned as MP to run for mayor. The city clerk will prepare a report for the next meeting of council recommending that council officially declare the Ward 20 seat vacant and approve a process to appoint someone to fill the spot within 60 days.
It’s unusual for a councillor to resign a seat when seeking office at an upper level of government — many hold on until the outcome of the race. Mr. Vaughan will face off against Joe Cressy, a well known NDP organizer who hopes to continue the party’s domination of the downtown riding.
“It’s a risk, but you don’t do politics because it’s safe,” said Mr. Vaughan. “You don’t do politics because it’s easy. You do politics because you want to get something done and that’s a lesson my mother taught me more than my father, who was a politician.”
He hopes his legacy at city hall revolves around housing: he ran in 2006 on a pledge to build more three-bedroom condo units and leaves with 1,800 completed (compared to 13 in the decade before, his office says). He says there are about a dozen different housing models underway in his ward. If there is one regret he has, though, it’s not convincing his colleagues that dedicating 10% of Section 37 — a provision in the Ontario Planning Act that enables municipalities to collect funds for community amenities from developers in exchange for building more density than the bylaws allow — could wipe out Toronto Community Housing’s repair backlog.
“I hope I’ve been a very strong advocate for housing,” said Mr. Vaughan, who wants to go to Ottawa to develop a national housing policy.
But, he’s probably best known as Ford’s nemesis.
“He overshadowed everything we did as a council,” he acknowledged. “Did I stand in front of that train first and fastest? Maybe. I’m proud to have done that.”
Adam Vaughan bids farewell to city hall ahead of federal bid, gets in one last dig at ‘worst mayor’ Rob Ford
Adam Vaughan bid farewell to Toronto city hall on Tuesday in a manner that has defined his second term in municipal politics: launching a verbal spear at Rob Ford. And, by drawing one last caricature of the chief magistrate, now seeking rehabilitation for substance abuse.
“He was a terrible mayor, the worst mayor the city’s ever had,” Mr. Vaughan told reporters at the lunch break of the Toronto East York Community Council. “And the only good thing about today is that as I leave, he’s not around to talk about it.”
Mr. Vaughan has resigned his seat as Ward 20 councillor in order to carry the Liberal banner in the federal Trinity-Spadina by-election on June 30. The by-election was called after Olivia Chow resigned as MP to run for mayor. The city clerk will prepare a report for the next meeting of council recommending that council officially declare the Ward 20 seat vacant and approve a process to appoint someone to fill the spot within 60 days.
It’s unusual for a councillor to resign a seat when seeking office at an upper level of government — many hold on until the outcome of the race. Mr. Vaughan will face off against Joe Cressy, a well known NDP organizer who hopes to continue the party’s domination of the downtown riding.
“It’s a risk, but you don’t do politics because it’s safe,” said Mr. Vaughan. “You don’t do politics because it’s easy. You do politics because you want to get something done and that’s a lesson my mother taught me more than my father, who was a politician.”
He hopes his legacy at city hall revolves around housing: he ran in 2006 on a pledge to build more three-bedroom condo units and leaves with 1,800 completed (compared to 13 in the decade before, his office says). He says there are about a dozen different housing models underway in his ward. If there is one regret he has, though, it’s not convincing his colleagues that dedicating 10% of Section 37 — a provision in the Ontario Planning Act that enables municipalities to collect funds for community amenities from developers in exchange for building more density than the bylaws allow — could wipe out Toronto Community Housing’s repair backlog.
“I hope I’ve been a very strong advocate for housing,” said Mr. Vaughan, who wants to go to Ottawa to develop a national housing policy.
But, he’s probably best known as Ford’s nemesis.
“He overshadowed everything we did as a council,” he acknowledged. “Did I stand in front of that train first and fastest? Maybe. I’m proud to have done that.”
Adam Vaughan bids farewell to city hall ahead of federal bid, gets in one last dig at ‘worst mayor’ Rob Ford
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