TORONTO, Ont. - Expressing disappointment with the city’s latest budget, Coun. Mike Del Grande has stepped down after serving two years as budget chief.
The Ward 39 city councillor handed in a letter of resignation to Mayor Rob Ford and City Manager Joe Pennachetti Wednesday — just hours after the 2013 budget was approved.
“I was quite concerned with councillors wanting to do spending based on emotion as opposed to evidence-based,” Del Grande told CityNews Channel late Wednesday night.
In December, as the budget committee was close to finalizing the 2013 budget plan, he threatened to resign if councillors tried to add millions of dollars in spending back.
On Wednesday, council voted to add another $12 million to the budget.
But Del Grande said he wanted to finish what he started before calling it quits.
“I handed in my resignation after everything had been completed with the budget.”
Del Grande said he was disconcerted with a motion that urged for more transparency during the budget process.
“I indicated to [council] that I felt that was a vindictive point-of-view, a personal point-of-view.”
“They voted 25 to 20 to do just that. I said, ‘well, time for me to go.’”
Del Grande said the budget process is “frustrating.”
“That’s part of the challenge. It’s a heavy load.”
But he said he devoted much of his time to the city’s finances for Torontonians.
“I literally lived the budget and gave up a lot of things – I gave up birthdays, I gave up holidays, I gave up all kinds of things – and I did it for the benefit of the people of Toronto.”
“That was my motivation.”
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Mike Del Grande should be the Toronto’s Mayor. Toronto needs an intelligent mayor not a pure politician!
Good riddance Mike, you did a lousy job of trying to save money for Torontonians , WE DON’T Need to save money we want our taxes to be rise by 5% every year so we can have pet projects, pay Unions More, have more Unions employees sitting around and getting paid for doing nothing.
When are we going to wake up and STOP electing Union and special group Councilors?
This city is going down the toliet.
Mike we all will miss you,I know you did a terrific job, but since no one will back you up, its hard to do your JOB.Like i made a comment, after the increase of 12 million dollars, you should have increased the taxes by 0.1 for every Million dollars that the Councilors put back in.
I think Del Grande did a phenomenal job. He stuck to his guns and principles, and didn’t wafer like the rest of council. But he needs a break, and deserves it. I’d vote for him as mayor. Ford needs to go.