"The System as it is Today is Not Working"

Mayoral candidate Mario Racco used a policy announcement on Wednesday across from the Promenade mall in Thornhill to speak his mind about what is fast becoming the defining issue of Vaughan’s municipal election season.

Racco, who has been in politics for the better part of 30 years at the municipal and provincial levels, noted that “Vaughan, quite frankly, has become a laughing stock” across the GTA, the province and the country for its unruly council, where endless scandals, near constant infighting and mountains of legal challenges have been the norm for far too long. “That upsets me,” he told the assembled crowd of media and supporters. “The system as it is today is not working.”

After chatting with about 1,700 people from 67 groups representing all walks of life in Vaughan, Racco has heard one message loud and clear: Ordinary people feel left out they tell him that Vaughan council is no longer working for them or the city.

To quote Howard Beale, it seems the people of Vaughan are mad as hell and won’t take it anymore. So, what does Racco propose?

Speaking at Pierre Elliott Trudeau Park – a green space featuring a statue of his political hero Trudeau that he worked to raise the funds to construct during his stint as Thornhill’s MPP – Racco announced 18 specific policy planks to bring transparency, accountably and openness back to the city. “As mayor, one of my top priorities will be to take immediate, decisive action to regain the people’s trust in their local government.”

Telling the crowd that during his six terms on Vaughan council, he gained respect as a “radical” who took on developers, Racco said that fairness has to come back to city hall. You could call it the political ground zero of his campaign to reign in years of excesses.

“City hall should be open for business for everyone,” he said, explaining his plan to be regularly available to media and to hold monthly public forums. “My door will be open to you, the people” with the aim of regaining residents’ trust in municipal government.

To begin with, Racco wants a complete review of the rules that govern how councillors act. As mayor, he would institute a rules committee to go over existing tenets, make improvements where pertinent and create new rules where necessary.

Racco wants a clear code of behaviour. “The fact that this has gone on so long is an indication (of the problem).” And that the rules aren’t clear for councillors.

“We need to firmly establish what is acceptable and what is not, and enforce those rules vigorously,” he said. “Vaughan’s reputation has suffered because of seemingly endless allegations and denials about whether rules have been breached. The fact this has gone on for so long indicates that the rules are not clear enough.”

He spoke about the creation of two hotlines: one for citizens and an anonymous tip line for employees to voice concerns or complaints.

During his short talk, the candidate couldn’t stress enough that the status quo is not working. “When I speak to people, they just don’t trust the system.”

He wants to “(Listen) to people and represent their views while leading responsibly.”

Other proposals include creating an online registry of lobbyists accessible to citizens, making available a monthly update of city services, publishing online a simplified and easily accessible record of council attendance and votes, and holding more council meeting in the evening to allow for greater public attendance and input.

Racco said that he intends to make his changes during his first year as mayor. He is setting that goal firmly in sight because he believes in winning over the electorate early on in his term.

“Under my leadership, city council will be more accountable to the people of Vaughan, and do a better job of keeping residents informed of decisions that affect them,” Racco said. “The actions I am proposing will help Vaughan become a well‐managed, vibrant, admired city.”

It’s a long time until October election day, so stay tuned.

For more information about Vaughan’s 2010 municipal elections, go to www.vaughanvotes.ca