Hello Bonnyville, this week I'll be taking a brief look at the tumultuous rein of the esteemed Mayor of Toronto Rob Ford and reflecting on some of his major accomplishments since assuming office in 2010.
After months and months and months of being in the public eye for all the wrong reasons, not just in Canada, but also around the globe, it doesn't take a genius to see Ford has some serious personal issues. In the past 18 months alone he was almost removed from office for using his power for personal issues, involved in a scuffle with a Toronto Star reporter outside his home, cautioned for being caught reading while driving on a Toronto freeway and then the whole ‘I do not smoke crack, oh wait I do smoke crack' fiasco.
It would be easy for people to look at Ford and wonder how on earth somebody with so many demons was able to a) get into office, and b) stay in office. But the fact of the matter is, when it comes down to carrying out his day-to-day mayoral duties (media sessions aside) and following his platform, he's done a very good job.
Upon declaring he would be running for mayor in March 2010, Ford was dismissed as nothing more than a wildcard by those in the know. Although he had completed three largely successful terms as a city councillor, the media and major players in Toronto believed Ford to be too outspoken to take on the role as mayor. What they didn't take into account was Ford's popularity with ‘Joe Public', and after infamously promising to “stop the gravy train” regarding unnecessary government spending in the city, Ford was elected mayor with 47 per cent of the popular vote.
The 2010 election saw 52 per cent of registered, eligible voters in the city turnout – the highest in Toronto's post-amalgamation history. So, whether they love him or hate him, Ford seems to be getting the reaction most mayors throughout Canada can only dream of.
Ford built his platform on four key issues – putting people and families first, focusing on the fundamentals, reducing waste and eliminating unnecessary taxes, while also promising to improve the city's waning transit service (TTC).
The city's first budget under Ford's watch was a balanced one, with no tax increases and no significant changes. Later that year, Ford's administration spent time on the consideration of staffing levels in the city. In July, the city offered buyout packages to 17,000 staff it felt were “expendable.”
He got the city's largest union locals to sign collective agreements on his terms and outsourced waste collection along Yonge Street, all while avoiding any strikes or work stoppages, something his predecessor David Miller was unable to do.
Under Miller, the city's annual operating budget grew by approximately six per cent per year. In 2012, it was revealed that expenditures had evened out since Ford assumed office, with costs reaching $9.405 billion in 2011 and rising by $27 million to $9.432 billion in 2012.
Ford made several other changes over the course of his first few years in office, making cuts and changes to several programs and services he felt weren't necessary, including a “running lunch” program – code for a 30-minute paid lunch – in the vehicle maintenance department, the merging of the shop that makes road signs for the city with Transportation Services and the installation of an automated book sorter at the city's Fairview. Those changes alone saved the city upwards of $500,000.
Having moved to successfully stop the flow of the proverbial gravy train, Ford directed council to use year-end surpluses to increase funds for such things as local art organizations, kids sports and other programs. He's kick started several infrastructure improvements in the city, including the $100 million redevelopment of the Gardiner Expressway.
The changes Ford has made during his time as mayor will serve the city, and his successor, well into the future. If you can forget for a moment all his indiscretions (difficult, I know) and take a look at his record and accomplishments over the past three and a bit years, it might not seem that farfetched that the man is seeking re-election in this year's election.
Come Oct. 27, residents of Toronto will have to decide if they can put up with the circus that is Rob Ford. Make no mistake about it; should he succeed in winning over ‘Joe Public' that elected him in the first place, the city will probably be in good hands for the next four years.
