Municipal Election: October 25, 2010

OFFICIAL ELECTION RESULTS: Results of Mississauga's Trustee, Councillor and Mayoral contests are posted on the City's VOTE 2010 Election Results webpage. Click for a MAP of all the Municipal Wards in Mississauga (Port Credit is in Ward 1). Click for the Detailed Poll by Poll Results Report (54p PDF) -- Ward 1 councillor candidates' individual poll results on p21.

► Ward 1 Councillor-elect Jim Tovey was sworn in on December 1, 2010.

► WARD 1 RECOUNT: On November 24, 2010, Council unanimously passed a Motion for a Recount of the Ward 1 councillor election results. The City Clerk has posted details of the recount (click to view), which took place on December 7, 2010 in the Great Hall at City Hall. NOTE: Results will not be made official for 16 days following the recount (i.e. just before Christmas). THE RESULTS OF THE ELECTION ARE UNCHANGED. Press Release.

● Mississauga News article (Dec. 7, 2010): No change after Ward 1 recount. Excerpt: "The vote recount for Mississauga's Ward 1 has confirmed that Jim Tovey defeated incumbent councillor Carmen Corbasson.... Votes from all 11 polling stations across Ward 1 were re-tabulated, as well as six ballot boxes from advance polling stations. The recount used 17 voting machines, the same number that were used for all the ballot boxes in the ward for the election. Crystal Greer, Mississauga's city clerk, said the outcome of the recount validates the process that was followed for the election."

● Mississauga News article (Dec. 3, 2010): Recount on Tuesday. Excerpt: "It's expected to cost about $25,000, plus other staff costs."

● Mississauga News article (Nov. 24, 2010): Council approves Ward 1 recount. Excerpt: "City Council has approved a recount in Ward 1, where 16-year councillor Carmen Corbasson was ousted by newcomer Jim Tovey by 129 votes in last month’s municipal election. In a final act of solidarity, following a tumultuous four years, Council closed ranks today ... at its last meeting and unanimously agreed to the recount, requested by outgoing Ward 6 Councillor Carolyn Parrish."

● Toronto Star article (Nov. 24, 2010): Parrish asks for ballot recount for ally.

● Mississauga News article (Oct. 25, 2010): Ward 1 has new councillor. Excerpt: "A community activist who promised to bring a new vision to Lakeview, and to Mississauga, has won an upset victory in Ward 1. Jim Tovey has defeated Carmen Corbasson to win a seat on City Council. Corbasson took over as Ward 1 councillor in 1994 after serving as the secretary of former Ward 1 councillor Harold Kennedy. Tovey collected 5,246 votes to Corbasson's 5,117, a margin of 129 votes. Kwaku Owusu had 191 votes."

Click for MIRANET's summary of media articles about the Mayoral Race. Mayor Hazel McCallion was returned for a 12th term with 76.4% of the vote.

► WHY SHOULD YOU VOTE? Elections are about OUR participation. A chance to be "present and accounted for". While TOPCA is non-partisan, we are encouraging all our neighbors to vote! When you vote, you have a direct influence in the choice of our city’s leaders and future direction. When you vote, you’ll have more credibility at City Hall if you have a request or complaint. When you vote, you are teaching our young people an important lesson in democracy and citizenship. Elections are about us -- we're voting to affirm our place in the public process. More votes = More accountability to the electorate. Click for MIRANET editorial: WHY BOTHER TO VOTE?

● Mississauga News article (Oct. 26, 2010): Voter turnout surpasses 30 per cent. Excerpt: "Voter turnout last night in Mississauga was the highest in more than two decades — and perhaps ever — according to the City clerk's office. The 143,501 people who cast their ballots in the municipal election represent 34.3 per cent of eligible voters. It marks a 10 per cent increase, or 32,500 voters, from the 2006 municipal election, when 24.7 per cent of eligible voters cast a ballot, said City clerk Crystal Greer. 'I think there was a lot of interest in the community,' she added."

ISSUES: Click here for TOPCA's Key Issues in this Election.

MISSISSAUGA MAYORAL DEBATE: Sponsored by MIRANET.
Click here for Mayoral Debate video, photos, questions, platforms and media. Complete listing of Mayoral Candidates may be found at VOTE 2010.

PORT CREDIT DEBATE - WARD 1 COUNCILLOR CANDIDATES:
Tuesday, October 19 @ 7:00 p.m. CLARKE HALL, 161 Lakeshore Road West (map). Click here for FLYER. Sponsored by: Port Credit residents' associations: TOPCA, PCVRA and CCPCRA. This was a public meeting focusing on Port Credit civic issues. Candidates Carmen Corbasson and Jim Tovey and subsequently Kwaku Owusu accepted the challenge and squared off to debate topics presented by a citizen panel of RA reps, followed by moderated Q & A from the public microphone. Click here for DEBATE RULES. Click here for PHOTO ALBUM (7p PDF). Click here for all the QUESTIONS.

● Mississauga News article (Oct. 19, 2010): Ward 1 debate no brawl in the Hall. Excerpt: "Apart from a brief banter about the Mississauga Judicial Inquiry, tonight's Ward 1 councillor debate was civil, polite and an exchange of ideas about Port Credit. Organized ... at Clarke Memorial Hall, the debate drew some 200 residents."

Candidates registered for the position of COUNCILLOR in Ward 1:
Carmen Corbasson (campaign website)
Kwaku Owusu (e-mail)
Jim Tovey (campaign website) ELECTED

Candidates registered for the position of TRUSTEE in Ward 1:
► Public Board
Janet McDougald (e-mail) ACCLAIMED
Rosaria Nogueira DISQUALIFIED (but will appear on ballot)

► Separate (Catholic) Board
Mario Pascucci (e-mail) ELECTED
Pat Bradbury (campaign website)

● Mississauga News editorial (Oct. 22, 2010): Trustee votes crucial. Excerpt: "The City of Mississauga collects residential taxes on behalf of itself, the Region of Peel and the Province. The Provincial portion of tax bills, which is collected for education uses, comprises a full 25 per cent, a not insignificant amount. ... While the Province establishes the bulk of the core curriculum and the benchmarks that need to be met, local boards of education play a major part in determining the culture, spirit and implementation of the Province’s mandate in our schools. ... Trustees who are successful in this election campaign will play a crucial role in the lives of the children — your children — in this community and the quality of education they’ll receive."

TOPCA ELECTION POLICY: As stated in Article 2 of TOPCA's Constitution, TOPCA has a policy of being non-political. At the July 8, 2010 meeting of the Executive, the following Motion was passed unanimously:
"That TOPCA will not declare support for Mayoral or Ward Council or School Board candidates in the October 25 municipal election and that Executive members who do campaign for a candidate are to take a leave of absence during the election campaign."

TOPCA's KEY ISSUES IN THIS ELECTION:
1. Establishing a Port Credit Urban Design Panel for Lakeshore Road developments.
2. Silting of the Port Credit Harbour (need for dredging and changes in water run-off management upstream).
3. Parking strategy to enable appropriate mainstreet development per Port Credit Directions Report.
4. Lakeshore Corridor traffic -- easing with pedestrian/cycling bridge over the Credit River at the CNR (to the GO Station).
5. Appropriate redevelopment of the landmark Post Office property
6. Waterfront visioning for the Imperial Oil and Marina lands (Note: Inspiration Lakeview is underway).
7. Community benefits from developers.
8. Preservation of heritage buildings through adaptive re-use.
9. GO Station parking expansion / mixed use redevelopment.
10. Proactively attracting developers who have successfully built the kind of infill redevelopment described in the Port Credit Directions Report.

MEDIA LINKS:
Mississauga News article (Aug 16, 2010): Candidates call for campaign reform

Mississauga News article (May 8, 2010): Tovey steps in, Duquette out

Mississauga News article (Jan. 6, 2010): Corbasson to run

Municipal Election: October 25, 2010

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