For information on the 2014 Municipal Election check this link:
https://eastyorktenantsgroup.com/2014/09/11/the-2014-municipal-election/
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The date for Municipal Elections is October 25, 2010. For more information about voting regulations and eligibility call 311, and/or check:
www.toronto.ca/elections.
Candidates in the Municipal Election are soliciting for tenant votes. This is an opportunity for tenants to engage candidates and discuss concerns related to property standard violations by landlords. Violations are often related to outstanding maintenance and repairs to their unit or building premises. These violations fall under the jurisdiction of the Municipal Licensing and Standards department (MLS) of the municipal level of government. Tenants should make use of this opportunity and raise their concerns about enforcement of municipal licensing standards as well as other serious challenges facing residents in the GTA.
NOTE – The East York Tenants Group maintains political neutrality and does not endorse or promote any of the candidates running in the Municipal election in our neck of the woods.
Below are candidates running for office in Beaches-East York and Toronto Danforth. Names are listed in alphabetical order.
CITY COUNCILLOR – Beaches-East York
Ward 31
Agaliotis, Peter
Braniff, Donna
Davis, Janet
MacDonald, Brenda
Rahman, Rasal
Subotich, Leonard
Walker, Robert
Ward 32
Baker, Bruce
Begley, Keith
Bussin, Sandra
Castells, Albert
Feraday, Brad
Gladstone, Martin
McMahon, Mary-Margaret
Pope, Kieron
Sinclair, Neil
Trustee, Toronto District School Board Ward 16
Burke, Alan
Cary-Meagher, Sheila
Kennedy, Matthew
CITY COUNCILLOR – Toronto Danforth
Ward 29
Caldwell, Chris
Fragedakis, Mary
Pitfield, Jane
Restivo, Mike
Richardson, John
Wood, Jennifer
Ward 30
Bogojevic, Andreas
Dewdney, Mark
Fletcher, Paula
James, Andrew
Tingas, Angie
Varga, Mihaly
Walsh, Gary
West, Liz
MAYORAL CANDIDATES
Achampong, Rocco
Alexander, Michael
Andrews, Don
Babula, George
Ball, Christopher
Brausewetter, Michael
Campbell, Douglas
Castillo, Jaime
Clarke, Kevin
Cole, Keith
Cottle, Charlene
Derome, Gerald
Devenyi, Diane
Di Fiore, James
Epstein, David
Firth, Selwyn
Flie, Michael
Ford, Rob
Ghazi, Abdullah-Baquie
Gomberg, Howard
Goodhead, Barry
Hossain, Monowar
Lee, Dewitt
Letonja, John
Macklin, Carmen
Magee, Colin
McMillan, Jim
Pampena, Joseph
Pantalone, Joe
Rossi, Rocco
Sarma, Vijay
Smitherman, George
State, Mark
Steinberger, Tibor
Syed, Himy
Tang, Weizhen
Taylor, Phil
Thomson, Sarah
Vallance, David
Wadhwa, Ratan
Walker, Daniel
East York Tenants Group 
It really doesn’t matter what politicians promise while campaigning. These promises get lost in the dust after they get elected. Evenutally they focus on satisfying the agenda the economic elites want for their priviliged group. We are not renters but owners of a modest little house in East York and I am coming up short in my search for candidates who have realistic plans for the suburbs and the urban areas. These politicians must address how to maintain an acceptable level of all municipal services in this economic downturn. There has to be an end to all the waste and incompetence of the previous administration.
As a tenant I believe it is important pay close attention to ALL the issues in the upcoming election. Tenants issues are ‘close to the bone’ since our apartment is our home and landlord violations often make life a nigihtmare. After so many frustrating experiences dealing with landlord violations and lack of their co-operation I am compelled to ask – Is there is a ‘special relationship’ between landlords and Property Standards at City Hall??? Where is the impartilaity? There are other major concerns that affect all of us in the GTA. – out of control spending at City Hall, waste of our tax dollars especially questionable consulting contracts, little or no transparency, our deteriorating neighbourhoods, overall poor service in so many instances from the municipal government, and the list goes on. We need to look at the whole picture when casting our vote and not just tenant issues.
As a renter I believe we should be very concerned about property standard violations and whether these are handled impartially by municipal government. But there are other important issues that should not be ignored. We have to look at how City Hall is managed and the type of people needed to run City Hall effectively. We are still in tough economic times and should be seriously concerned about accountability, oversight and transparency-. For far too long these aspects of municipal government have been sadly lacking. We have to be very careful about who we elect.
I have a question specifically for renters…… Do renters have a real connection with those representing them in the Municipal election? Over the years I have come to the conclusion that candidates use the Municipal level of elections as a stepping stone that will ultimately lead to getting into the Provincial and Federal level of politics. I am totally dissolutioned and don’t believe that candiates are really interested in doing anything for their commmunities. They are only interested in photo ops to keep their names in the media. For most of them it is just a job …. has good pay, terrific perks and great pensions where they can posture, grandstand and engage in high jinks. I want to vote but throw up my hands in despair when I look at the unimpressive slate of candidates and what this game of politics has become in so-called democracies.