Last week I went to a house party filled with dozens of 20- and 30-somethings eager to get their mind off of work. Never in a million years did I think I would be engaged in a heated debate over the future of Toronto's city hall.
Bike lanes vs. frustrated motorists, subways vs. streetcars, suburban needs vs. city necessities…There we were on a Saturday night, drinks in both hands, music blasting and while most people in the crowd couldn't name you their local councillor, they were ready to battle over the city's biggest issues.
That's the thing about municipal politics. Once you understand just how much it affects you, you can't help but get intense about it. Even on a Saturday night.
This is my challenge. To get our readers interested in current local matters enough to get out and vote on October 25. But more than that, it's about getting you to see how much your vote counts in a municipal election – more so than in any provincial or federal election.
Consider this:
While the mayor's race is getting the most press play, let's not forget that on decision day, the mayor only has one vote out of 45.
Your councillor matters the most, because not only can he or she align themselves with the mayor on key votes, but they can also be the single crucial vote that shoots down a controversial proposal.
You know why you pay twice as much for a driver's license in Toronto? Because only 20 councillors out of 44 voted against it.
My friend just bought a house on Steeles Avenue. The north side of course, because if she bought the house directly south of hers, she'd have to pay a second land transfer tax.
Those two decisions were made by Toronto city council in the last four years.
Let's make sure we know who is going to be deciding our future from now on.
Sandie Benitah is a Toronto journalist who has covered municipal politics for the CTV Toronto website and other publications. She is covering the issues of this election for CTV Toronto and CP24's websites.
