Coun. Maria Augimeri has been elected as the new chair of the Toronto Transit Commission, replacing Karen Stintz, who is expected to resign this week to declare her candidacy for mayor.
Augimeri, along with Coun. Josh Colle, was considered a front-runner for the high-profile position. The ward 9 councillor beat out Colle in a close vote of 23 to 21.
A long-time member of the TTC board and chair of the North York community council, Augimeri has said she is pro-subway and does not want to re-open the Scarborough transit debate.
"I have always put transit riders first," she told CP24 Wednesday morning before the vote. "I know how to chair a meeting and I think I would hit the ground running and get things done."
Thanks to @tocouncil colleagues who supported my successful bid to be #ttc Chair. I take the role seriously & will perform it with diligence
— Maria Augimeri (@MariaAugimeri) February 19, 2014
After much heated debate last year, city council in October voted in favour of a subway extension for Scarborough instead of a light-rail transit.
Augimeri will serve as chair of the TTC until the end of this term on Nov. 30, 2014.
