Miller's Time

After allowing Toronto Mayor David Miller's announcement that he will not seek re-election to sink in a little bit, I wrote this article which appeared in the Bloor West Villager on October 23, 2009.

Miller's Time

Before passing judgment on Mayor David Miller's (not yet complete) record, it is important to recall the state of the city right before he was elected.

At that time, Toronto was led by a mayor who was more likely to make residents cringe than feel inspired. The mayor's hand picked police chief divided residents with his old school approach to policing. Social policy focused on squeegee kids while more homeless slept on our streets.

Years of unaffordable tax freezes further backlogged needed infrastructure improvements. Talk of the "New Deal for Cities" was falling on deaf ears. Waterfront renewal projects went nowhere.

At city hall, lobbyists operated unchecked and the MFP computer leasing scandal brought into question the very credibility of our municipal government.

So in the fall of 2003, Torontonians were looking for a serious a candidate, a person with a vision for the city, a mayor they could be proud of. It was clear to me early on that David Miller was that candidate.

Upon Miller's surprise election victory, public hopes and expectations were high, perhaps, impossibly high. Those expectations may explain some of the criticism of Miller's record today.

Again, let us look at the state of the city today in the context outlined earlier.

Toronto has restored its reputation. The city is a respected global leader on innovation and the environment due directly to the mayor's efforts in advancing policies to combat climate change.

Toronto got a better deal from other levels of government. Thanks to the mayor's leadership, Toronto and all Canadian cities now receive new revenues through a share of the federal gas tax. That revenue has been used to replace aging busses and subway cars. There are also agreements in place to help fund Transit City, a network of new streetcar lines to bring Toronto's transit system into the 21st century.

Toronto is renewing its waterfront with projects like the urban beach and new commercial development. This renewal is spreading to neighbourhoods throughout the city as watermains are replaced, bike lanes are installed and trees are planted.

Toronto is a safer city. Under a new police chief supported by the mayor, crime rates have been lowered through a commitment to community policing.

Toronto is a more just city. Two thousand homeless Torontonians now have homes and there are new community support programs for at-risk youth.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Toronto is once again an honest city. The mayor restored integrity to local government with the appointment of Toronto's first Integrity Commissioner and Auditor General and the creation of a lobbyist registry.

David Miller will not leave office a perfect mayor. Work must continue on new and existing challenges facing the city.

But the true measure of any politician is if they can answer the following question in the affirmative: "Are things better now than when you took office?"

David Miller can rest easy knowing Toronto is a better city thanks to his leadership.

Christopher Holcroft