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Tuesday, October 26, 2010
election.BEAT | Two-Term Councillor Jenkins Defeated in Ward 25
Ward 25 candidate Jaye Robinson has defeated incumbent Cliff Jenkins in a close race.
This wasn’t the first time the two have gone head to head. The last time Robinson challenged Jenkins in 2003, she lost on a recount by a mere 80 votes – after initial results had her winning by a hair.
But she hadn’t prepared to win.
“I wrote the wrong speech!” she told the Sun, admitting that she hadn’t written a victory speech. She chalked it up to her past experience running against an incumbent.
“The odds are against you,” she noted.
But last night, the odds were hers to beat.
Over 200 supporters gathered at The Burger Cellar on Yonge Street to celebrate her victory.
“This campaign was a story of civic engagement,” she said in a hastily-written victory speech, where she thanked her staff and volunteers. “I know all of you are as passionate about our community as I am.”
Campaign volunteer Peter Sisam had been knocking doors all day, and noted her strength as a team player in drawing his support.
“On the campaign trail, people would ask her who she’d support for mayor,” he said. “And she would say, ‘It doesn’t matter.’ That’s because she can work with anyone, and that’s what matters.”
Speaking to the Sun, Robinson criticized the previous council as fractious and divisive.
“Sideline the petty bickering! Residents are really fed up,” she said, adding her hopes that the new council will be more cooperative.
She noted that alienation from politics is a large problem among voters who feel that councillors are not working collaboratively.
She said she is “absolutely” willing to work with mayor-elect Rob Ford, although she had not endorsed any mayoral candidate during the campaign.
As a former senior manager for the city’s economic development, she said the city’s expenses are an important issue.
She said her top priority will be fiscal responsibility, and criticized City Council on its past spending practices.
“We’ve lacked long term vision around the fiscal position of the city,” she commented.
Robinson said she will consider repealing the Land Transfer and Vehicle Registration taxes.
“Those are unfair taxes,” she said. “They shouldn’t have had to be paid in the first place.”
A line-by-line review of the budget, added Robinson, is necessary to reduce waste and duplication.
Robinson is credited with her role in creating Nuit Blanche, a downtown art celebration, as well as the seasonal food events Summerlicious and Winterlicious.
She decided to produce Nuit Blanche in 2006 instead of running for council. In that race, Cliff Jenkins took more than half of the vote.
Last night, Jenkins had little to say about Robinson except that she had run a “vigorous campaign.”
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