I am proud to be your advocate with the municipal government as Councillor for Ward Five, Etobicoke-Lakeshore, Toronto. During the past six years as your local councillor, I have met with many constituents and local groups, attended hundreds of Ward meetings or events, and sat on city committees and community agency boards. Each has provided me with valuable insight into what needs to be done and what still needs to be improved upon. I believe that the residents of Toronto want more say into ‘where’ their taxes dollars are being spent. They want to see increased efficiencies and more accountability from all City departments. Your municipal government should be accessible 24/7 to respond to the needs of the city. With that in mind, I am encouraged by City initiatives that have been undertaken while I have been a City Councillor.

As Chair of Toronto’s e-city Committee, I fully support and am encouraged by the progress this committee has made on the 3-1-1 proposal for Toronto. 3-1-1 will be your one-stop telephone number for you to reach all city services, have your questions answered, file a complaint, and to report a fallen tree, pothole or broken street light. The 3-1-1 call centre and tracking system will demand that the City run more efficiently. The advanced tracking system and monitoring of calls coming into the call centre means more accountability. New York, Chicago and Calgary are a few of the cities in North America that have this community service up and running. Toronto will be next!

In each term of office I have also been a member of the Budget Advisory Committee. The approval of each budget submitted must be reviewed thoroughly. While it is true that provincial downloading has added over $350 million to the City's costs, we have to be realistic that only a portion of those costs will be reversed by the Province. While Council has been able to balance the $7.2 billion operating budget each year, I feel strongly that there is room for additional savings. Some budgets could be trimmed further and since salaries of the City of Toronto make up the bulk all operating budgets, they too should be reduced. Leadership does start at the top. I voted for a reduction in the councillor’s office budgets and voted against the proposed increase to the councillor’s salaries.

I encourage you to sign up for my regular e-Tobicoke electronic updates. I have divided the Ward into four quadrants which makes communicating your specific neighbourhood news much easier. Please see the ward maps on this website to determine which Ward 5 Area you are a part of. Contact me if you need more information on previous updates and the four areas of the ward. Work with me on the future direction of Etobicoke-Lakeshore and Toronto. The community outcomes that I plan to work on and get accomplished for Ward 5 are:

Neighbourhood Safety – a community with safer streets, visible police representation, and improvements to pedestrian safety and traffic concerns.

Governance of Toronto – to have a well-governed City, with ample opportunity for local input, community meetings and feedback. Regular communications with updates on community events, programs, meetings and Citywide news.

Recreation –neighbourhoods with open greenspace, parkland, trails and recreation facilities nearby. I would encourage residential developers to provide community parkland and work with Parks and Recreation to upgrade and improve existing parks where needed.

Growth – to have vibrant main streets on Dundas St., Bloor St. and The Queensway, new business growth, prosperous BIA (Business Improvement Areas) and continued awareness of increased needs when growth occurs. Completion of the West District Study, Six-Points interchange redesign and development of the Westwood Theatre Lands.

Clean and Beautiful Community – a goal to have Etobicoke Lakeshore take guardianship of the streets and environment around us. Litter free, clean areas start with education, a collective consciousness, with everyone taking responsibility.

What areas do you value as important to your wellbeing? Please use this website and its’ links as a resource to my office, to Toronto City Hall, and to get information Ward 5 news, events, notices or community meetings.

Your ongoing comments and suggestions are appreciated. If you have a Ward question or concern please do not hesitate contacting me.