Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam has been encouraging efforts to bring together local stakeholders and various city departments to kick-start redevelopment on a neglected strip of Yonge Street.SHAN QIAO
Toronto rookie city councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam is calling for an administrative inquiry into a decision by the mayor's office not to bid on the 2020 Olympic Games and is urging Rob Ford to stop governing by "fiat."
In a strongly worded open letter to Mr. Ford, the downtown councillor, who frequently finds herself on the opposite side of issues from the mayor, notes that she and others on council only found out about the Olympic decision the day before the deadline. She notes that Mayor Rob Ford's brother Doug, his closest adviser and an Etobicoke councillor, were involved in the discussions. "In fact, I believe that you and Councillor Doug Ford disrespected our roles as elected representatives when you made a decision by fiat without council consideration," the letter goes on to state.
The Olympic bid, Councillor Wong-Tam argues, is just the latest example of a how the mayor and his brother are running the city without the input of council. "With sincere respect to Councillor Ford, he is one of 44 city councillors, is not a committee chair and is not entitled to special privileges," the letter states.
The councillor notes that one of Rob Ford's first acts as mayor was to declare the Transit City plan, which was approved by the previous administration, as dead without consulting councillors. "Your unilateral decree overrides the democratic process of civic government," her letter states, and later urges the mayor to "reconsider the governance style in which you currently operate."
This is not the first time that members of council who oppose the mayor have expressed frustration at the special relationship between the Ford brothers. Earlier this week, Councillor Ford's meetings on an alternative plan for the Port Lands at the mouth of the Don River came under attack.
Councillor Wong-Tam in her letter notes that in 2000 when then mayor Mel Lastman championed the 2008 Olympic bid the merits of the plan were "explored openly and debated robustly before council gave it its unanimous backing.
The mayor could not be immediately reached for comment. Councillor Doug Ford said he has not had a chance to read the letter, but countered that of course he has a privileged relationship with the mayor. "He's my brother," he told reporters.