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Jan.23,2005 -Jan.30,2005 |
Vaughan Gets Down to Work
"City above Toronto's" new council means business and are promising to do their best
Originally Published: 2003-12-07
Night gowns and tuxedos, some emotion and a few jokes, marked the atmosphere of the austere swearing-in ceremony for Vaughan's new city council, sending out a simple and important message: they mean business.
The nine members of the council, four women and five men, entrusted with running "the City above Toronto" for the next three years had the opportunity of giving a brief speech to the large audience. Some thanks, some appeal for collaboration among the councillors, and the usual promise of doing their best for Vaughan and its citizens.
Mayor Michael Di Biase stated the guidelines of his administration: getting things done with transparency, making use of everybody's best resources.
For instance, Di Biase invited Sandra Yeung Racco to chair the committee promoting the extension of the subway up to Vaughan. "This task," joked Di Biase, "will entail constant contact with Queen's Park, where I know you are well connected," a clear reference to her husband Mario Racco, former city councillor now turned Liberal MPP, who was attending the ceremony.
Concerning mobility, Di Biase highlighted two issues: improving public transport through GTA-wide integration of services and ticketing, and expanding the municipal and regional road net.
Di Biase also spoke of the new 'Customer Care Centre', fully integrated in a communications strategy that will be the backbone of the city's relations with its citizens.
This city's increasing reflection of Canada's multicultural mosaic was represented by the interventions of representatives of the three largest monotheistic faiths: a Christian priest, a Jewish rabbi, and a Muslim imam.
In his speech Di Biase mentioned the concept of smart, sustainable development. "That will be extremely hard to achieve," commented city councillor Tony Carella over the buffet that followed the official part of the evening. "The rate of residential and industrial growth of this city, both in the past and in its intentions for the future, gave no previous administration any chance to consider the whole situation with the necessary calm. The work ahead of us is huge, and we shall do it without slowing down the vital rhythm of the city but at the same time keeping it liveable for its residents."
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