More work, same staff for new deputy mayor McConnell

Eric Morse –

The recent appointment of Councillor Pam McConnell as one of four deputy mayors by Mayor John Tory won’t affect existing working relationships with her constituents, McConnell’s office says.

At the end of November 2014, when Tory took office, he appointed one “statutory” deputy mayor, Denzil Minnan-Wong (Don Valley East), and three additional deputies; McConnell, Vincent Crisanti (Etobicoke North) and Glenn De Baeremaeker (Scarborough), effectively one for each of the four points of the compass. McConnell was appointed deputy mayor responsible for the city’s poverty reduction strategy. De Baeremaeker holds the file for transit and particularly Scarborough transit, while Crisanti oversees economic development in the weste end of the city.

However, apart from Minnan-Wong, the three other deputy mayorships do not have additional resources attached to their offices by virtue of their appointments, said McConnell’s executive assistant Glenn Gustafson. The assignments are more like a general oversight and political coordination function at council level and the deputies will work with city staff already assigned to these sectors to make sure that the work is given coherent form and maintains momentum at council level.

Gustafson noted that the new responsibility already sees McConnell engaging in one or two meetings per day.

Ward relations arrangements remain unaltered and the familiar faces will appear at the accustomed community events.

As previously, constituency assistant Sean McIntyre is responsible for community liaison north of Queen St., while Tom Davidson works with the communities south of Queen.