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2023 Mayoral By-Election
Eye On Election
The Toronto Mayoral By-Elections campaigns are in full swing, and the outcome of this election will have a significant impact on the future of GTA residents. This election will determine the kind of city we want to have, and how we are going to get there.
The City of Toronto is a leading global metropolis, however as with most great cities there are remarkable success stories and tremendous potential, as well complex administrative challenges, and social problems. We must be honest about the fact that our city’s affairs have not been managed well for a while, and consequently we have many serious issues to address.
Most important is our ineffective Social Services systems. The city’s most vulnerable are at the mercy of social support systems that are designed to steer people into poverty, rather than enable self-sufficient productive individuals. The Employment, Housing and Financial support programs are not integrated and do not provide any solution-oriented services.
Resolving the “Quality of Life” issues of the most vulnerable will play a key role in solving some of the other social challenges we face such as increased crime. In many cases, petty crimes, theft, drug abuse and violent outburst are related to the stresses of life. Effective and efficient Social Service systems would take preventative approach, by identifying employable and value adding candidates and helping them stay out of poverty, as well as a developmental approach by coaching or training other candidates and guiding them out of poverty. Effective social support in Employment and Housing programs would enable capable residents to earn a reasonable standard of living by adding value to the community, while reducing the prohibitive costs of financial support programs.
The new mayor will have the massive challenge of overseeing the city’s budget and tackle a range of issues that all require significant investment. Making campaign promises to throw money at these issues is not the answer. If the programs continue to be ineffective; the money will be wasted.
Will the projects and programs produce results? Will we see reductions in homelessness, crime, and unemployment? Will we be safe on our subways and streets?
Identifying viable, pragmatic, and holistic solutions, then ensuring efficient implementation and operation of projects and programs, are the keys to managing the city’s affairs successfully.
MAYORAL CANDIDATE INTERVIEWS
Have your say on Issues and Solutions!
The prominent mayoral candidates are busy promoting their platforms and key issues. Housing, Affordable Housing and Homelessness are quickly becoming the primary issue of discussing with four of the seven leading candidates unveiling “housing plans” that would supposedly solve the problem.
These issues although interrelated, affect different segments of the population in different ways, and the overall solution requires strategic integration of a number of the ideas tabled by the candidates. The most important change we need is vast improvement of our ineffective social service systems. What is your opinion on these issues?
Here is a list of the record setting 102 Candidates for the position of Mayor of Toronto.
THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
In our political system election of the City’s Mayor is the last level of Government, where we as citizens can vote for individuals that present solutions to the issues that affect us, without having to take a tribal or partisan position on a number of other serious policy issues. Every other level of government is determined by divisive party politics.
To use our democratic rights effectively and identify the ideal candidate we must understand the role, responsibilities, and challenges of a mayor.
The mayor serves as the chief executive officer (CEO), of the city. The mayor heads the administrative structure and has the power to appoint and remove department heads and other unelected government positions. While the council has legislative power, the mayor has veto power on policy issues.
The mayor’s responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Providing leadership to the council on bylaws, resolutions and other solution measures that enhance the quality of life for constituents, and good governance of the city.
- Overseeing public service departments and ensuring they are operating effectively.
- Proposal of the city’s budget and approval of spending.
- Appointing staff to unelected government positions.
- Representing the city at government and other stakeholder meetings.
The complexity of the job requires a broad range of skills that we classify in three areas:
The ideal mayoral candidate must possess the 3Cs.
- Competence
- Character &
- Confidence
The ideal candidate must demonstrate a prominent level of professional Competence in 5 areas:
- Leadership Leadership is the primary skill set that a mayor or any other elected government official must possess. The ability to inspire, direct, correct and elevate those serving them, is essential to achieving desired results. A mayor who is an effective leader will get the full commitment of staff, which will lead to higher productivity and improved outcomes.
- Negotiation Negotiation skills are critical for a mayor’s success. As mayor one must conduct business with a range of stakeholders, many of whom may have competing interests; the ability to reach favorable agreements between parties who have different interests is a valuable skill for a mayor. Negotiation skills are also useful when doing business with other government officials to create compromise agreements to create new policies.
- Decision-Making The ability to assess complex scenarios and find effective solutions is the core of all leadership positions. An effective mayor must be able to assess all the information available to them and identify the best solution options.
- Communication All leadership positions including mayor must have above average communication skills to be effective. No one can lead if they cannot get their message across. An effective mayor must be able to express themselves clearly verbally and in written text.
- Conflict Management Politics is a natural arena of conflict; disputes will arise between councilors, staff members and external stakeholders; the mayor’s ability to bring the disputes to early and satisfactory resolution is important to maintaining healthy working relationships and a productive culture and environment.
The ideal Candidate must be of high Character.
Must possess and demonstrate Integrity, Honesty, Fairness and Empathy.
Integrity must be demonstrated to earn the trust of supporters and stakeholders, so promises and solutions presented on the platform must be pragmatic and attainable. Integrity is not only important when running for office, but also while running as it enables the level consistency in messaging and decision making and eases the explanation of any changes in plans or polies that may arise due to unforeseen circumstances. Operating from a position of Integrity allows the candidate to communicate with Honesty to constituents, staff, and supporters.
Honesty delivers respect and loyalty, and it is important for longevity. Mayors and public officials should not be expected to be perfect human beings, nor should they be expected to reveal details about their personal lives that are irrelevant to the execution of their professional duties. They should however be held accountable for intentionally misleading their publics with inaccurate, incomplete, or deceptive messages.
The Ideal Candidate must be Fair and Just
The position of Mayor is not a partisan position, and it should be executed accordingly. The City of Toronto is one of the most diverse cities in the world, and the mayor’s primary duty is the development and implementation of policies and programs that serve the best interest of all constituents, not any particular group or sector.
Navigating the myriad of special interest and stakeholder groups and producing solutions that keep everyone happy is an impossible task. Only an individual that is resistant to temptation, threat, and personal biases will be capable of consistently making decisions that are fair and equitable.
The ideal candidate must have Empathy if they are to recognize and understand the issues that are critical to constituents. Many times, politicians get caught up in the business of politics and the voting citizen becomes nothing more than a statistic, a piece of numerical data. If an elected official does not identify with the true needs of the people, they cannot serve the people and consequently serve themselves and their financiers. The ideal candidate should present platform solutions that demonstrate a conscious connection with the needs of the people.
Confidence
That level of Honesty can only be achieved with exceptional Confidence.
Confidence should not be confused with egotism or narcissism; true confidence in one’s leadership ability means knowing when to take a stand, knowing when to listen to others, and knowing when to let others lead.
The ability to stand firm and make the difficult decision when necessary, and the ability to change course when conditions or circumstances change, is the type leadership flexibility needed in this rapidly evolving sociopolitical landscape.
The willingness to take responsibility for the decisions you make, and to give credit to those that contribute to successes, is a sign of true confidence.
The ideal Candidate must be Committed to using all their skills and attributes to delivering the best possible quality of life to constituents; and only confidence in self and the leadership team will enable effective leadership and development of our great city.
Who is your ideal Candidate?
What are your key issues?
Send us your comments to toronto@advoc84change.com
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