Toronto city council has voted 22-11 in favour of appointing a candidate to fill the Etobicoke Centre seat vacated by former deputy mayor Doug Holyday.
Mayor Rob Ford had called a special meeting to decide how to fill the seat and was pushing for a byelection, which would have cost an estimated $225,000.
The Etobicoke York Community Council will hold a special meeting Oct. 3 to pick its preferred candidate. City council would then meet on Oct. 10 to appoint a candidate.
The person who is appointed will serve for a year until voters go to the polls for the next municipal election in October 2014.
During a two-hour debate Monday, Ford called a byelection the "open and transparent" choice.
“Folks, they want us to respect their democratic right and let them choose their representative, not us,” Ford said of Ward 3 voters during the meeting.
Councillors Janet Davis and Gord Perks needled the mayor about whether he would endorse or campaign for a candidate, or use city resources for such a purpose.
Ford flatly said he would not use any taxpayer-funded resources, and any campaigning by himself or his staff would be done on their own time.
As for supporting a candidate, Ford did not rule it out, saying he would support a family member or Holyday’s son, should such a situation unfold.
Byelection supporter Coun. Peter Milczyn, who lost to Holyday as the Liberal candidate in Etobicoke-Lakeshore, said policy dictates that council should hold a byelection if there is a vacancy with at least a year to go in its mandate.
“It is the best way to fill an elected position,” Milczyn told CP24 reporter George Lagogianes. “The people of Ward 3 and of Toronto would be best served when they decide who their representatives are.”
Responding to questions from council members, the city clerk said appointing a candidate would cost “considerably less” than a byelection, and the timing of a Nov. 25 byelection is “not ideal.”
Coun. Denzil Minnan-Wong suggested the turnout for a November byelection would be very low because the weather will be cold and there will be fewer hours of daylight.
Former mayoral candidates interested in appointment
At the start of Monday's meeting, Speaker Frances Nunziata declared a conflict of interest and recused herself from the decision because her brother John, a former MP and 2003 mayoral candidate, says he would consider an appointment to replace Holyday.
In a tweet, John Nunziata said he is not considering running for the seat in a byelection.
Coun. John Parker, city council’s deputy speaker, chaired the meeting in Coun. Frances Nunziata’s absence.
Former mayoral candidate Sarah Thomson, who accused Ford of appearing intoxicated and groping her at a charity event earlier this year, indicated Monday that she would also consider an appointment. Ford denied the allegations she made against him after the March event.
Last Wednesday, Ford hosted a community meeting at a high school in Ward 3, which is home to about 52,200 people, to ask residents what they want.
At Monday's special meeting, Ford's presentation included video clips from residents who explained why they support a byelection.
Ford told Perks the clips were recorded with “our own camera” on volunteer time, disputing any notion that the clips were produced with city resources.
As for the deputy mayor position, Ford announced last week that Coun. Norm Kelly (Scarborough-Agincourt) would fill that role.
