Byford and Keesmaat Departure Countdown...?

[AlvinofDiaspar]

If Tory really did want to get rid of Byford and/or Keesmaat, who would he like to see replace them?

Haha, van Nostrand perhaps.

AoD

 

[Midtown Urbanist]

Of course, and once upon a time elected officials sucked it all up and pushed it onto an unwilling member of the municipality as well.

AoD

Elected officials also, listening to activists and voters, cancelled the whole thing to everyone's benefit.

Point is, the system however flawed it may be, provides a necessary checks and balances.

I think one solution to the flaws of the system is a heightened level of civic and community involvement in the planning process, which Keesmat is doing a great job of BTW.

 

[Armour]

If Tory really did want to get rid of Byford and/or Keesmaat, who would he like to see replace them?

David Price?

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Elected officials also, listening to activists and voters, cancelled the whole thing to everyone's benefit.
Point is, the system however flawed it may be, provides a necessary checks and balances.
I think one solution to the flaws of the system is a heightened level of civic and community involvement in the planning process, which Keesmat is doing a great job of BTW.

Of course you are right there - but the events of the last few years have shown that the current system is totally out of whack, with little to now safeguards against the Nero type. Heightened level of civic involvement most certainly didn't prevent criminality and thuggery from attaining power.

AoD

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Of course you are right there - but the events of the last few years have shown that the current system is totally out of whack, with little to now safeguards against the Nero type. Heightened level of civic involvement most certainly didn't prevent criminality and thuggery from attaining power.

AoD

Little to no safeguards?

I think the Ford administration was a testament to the incredible safeguards our weak mayor system provides. The mayor is powerless to implement their agenda without the support of Council. It's why Toronto emerged from the Ford tenure relatively unscathed. I'm sure you could image the disaster that Ford's tenure if we had a strong mayor system.

Improvements can still be made to the system. I believe the position of mayor needs to be stripped of its power to appoint committee members and to preside over Council meetings. I'd also like to see the mayor's participation in committee votes be contingent on Council approval.

 

[GenerationW]

I believe the position of mayor needs to be stripped of its power to appoint committee members and to preside over Council meetings. I'd also like to see the mayor's participation in committee votes be contingent on Council approval.

No thanks.

 

[picard102]

I believe the position of mayor needs to be stripped of its power to appoint committee members and to preside over Council meetings. I'd also like to see the mayor's participation in committee votes be contingent on Council approval.

Why bother with a mayor at that point?

 

[dowlingm]

Small point: even if K and/or B's contracts are not renewed (and I would think it would be JK as AB plays the game better) their contracts would likely still have some sort of golden handshake attached. Just not with severance on top as with Webster.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Small point: even if K and/or B's contracts are not renewed (and I would think it would be JK as AB plays the game better) their contracts would likely still have some sort of golden handshake attached. Just not with severance on top as with Webster.

And in the case of Keesmaat, a politcial career maybe coming?

AoD

 

[dowlingm]

And in the case of Keesmaat, a politcial career maybe coming?

AoD

In an "offer fresh ideas and then vote for bill C-51" sort of way?

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Who knows, she certainly got name recognition at this point.

AoD

 

[torontologist]

In an "offer fresh ideas and then vote for bill C-51" sort of way?

I don't see Keesmaat going federal. Municipal is more her jam.

 

[insertrealname]

And in the case of Keesmaat, a politcial career maybe coming?

AoD

I can't see a political career as satisfying her professional commitment to planning. I see her high public profile gamesmanship as being the necessary concomitant, even a requirement, of a Chief Planner position in a major urban area and hope that however long she lasts--the attitude of some Councillors is becoming more poisonous by each City Council meeting--there will be a legacy of some good changes & revival in the City Planning department.

As for Byford, I think that as soon as he can show a few significant transit infrastructure projects more-or-less finished, he'll want to look elsewhere for a more rational working environment--who would really want to work in a political/planning spaghetti like Toronto over the past 5 years? Is the challenge really worth the trouble for a non-Toronto candidate? It may be that family considerations (education, etc.) may delay actively searching for challenges elsewhere, though.

There are a lot of positive things happening in Toronto, but the overall direction is still downward I feel.

 

[Midtown Urbanist]

Toronto is still an amazing city for a foreigner like Byford to reside with his family. So you are right, I doubt he'll want to move on until his kids have graduated high school.

 

[Riverdale Rink Rat]

Toronto is still an amazing city for a foreigner like Byford to reside with his family. So you are right, I doubt he'll want to move on until his kids have graduated high school.

Hahahaha... yeah, not like that dump of a country... Australia. Or his home country of England. Wisla? C'mon, shake your head.