Gloves Off In Vaughan Mayor’s Race
Posted October 15, 2010 8:05 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
One of the most scandal-plagued and nasty council terms in Vaughan ends October 25, when Vaughan residents vote to keep or toss out the current mayor.
Linda Jackson is up on municipal charges for incorrect spending during the last election. Midway through her term, councillors staged a rebellion and tried to have her turfed from the job. She claims they have treated her unfairly.
“I’ve been maligned,” Jackson said. “I’ve been slandered. They’ve picked on me. But I’m stronger and I’m moving forward and I’m not going anywhere.”
Her opponents, Mario Racco and Maurizio Bevilacqua, believe Vaughan wants change, and said as much during a debate at Omni Television on Friday.
Bevilacqua is the perceived heavyweight in the election. He has been the liberal MP in Vaughan for the last 22 years and says he can bring the change local residents seek.
“That’s why I came back from Ottawa, because people in the city wanted me to come back to bring stable governance,” he said.
“For me it’s not a personality contest. You run on your record. You run on your name.”
Besides corruption, the big issues in Vaughan – one of Canada’s fastest-growing municipalities – are development, traffic and transit.
