TTC GM fired at Toronto Transit meeting

As was widely expected, TTC general manager Gary Webster was fired at a special transit meeting on Tuesday.

The motion to terminate Webster passed by a vote of 5-4 at city hall.

Webster took the news in stride. “This is not how I expected this to end, or certainly how I wanted it to end. But clearly the choice has been made to replace me as the chief general manager and I accept that.”

The motion calls for an immediate search for his replacement. TTC Chief Operating Officer Andy Byford will take on the GM’s duties until a permanent replacement is found.

Many believe Webster’s dismissal stems from his vocal opposition to Mayor Rob Ford’s vision for subway expansion, which was defeated in council in favour of an LRT plan.

“I support the Commission’s decision on the departure of Mr. Webster,” said Mayor Ford in a statement Tuesday.  “Gary has served Toronto and the TTC well in his years of service.  He was an important element in the organization’s many successes to date and can proudly point to a list of accomplishments.

But, it’s time for the organization to look forward.  The Commissioners tell me this.  Councillors tell me this.  The general public – and subway, streetcar and bus passengers all tell me it’s time for change,”

The five commissioners who called for the in-camera meeting and voted in favour of Webster’s termination are seen as allies of Mayor Rob Ford.  They are Norm Kelly, Denzil Minnan-Wong, Cesar Palacio, Vincent Crisanti and Frank Di Giorgio.

Board member Maria Augimeri vehemently defended Webster, saying, “You can rely on him to for intelligence and decency and hard work. What are you thinking?”

TTC chair Karen Stintz, who voted against the motion, told CityNews on Tuesday it could cost at least $500,000 to buy out Webster’s contract because “there is no cause to fire him.”

Webster’s contract is up next year and “there’s a question as to why he’s being replaced now, especially at a time when we’ve met our budget target and implemented a number of customer service initiatives,” Stintz said at city hall.

“I think the frustration is also about the instability this creates at the TTC and the province is looking for a partner they can work with to get shovels in the ground.”

Premier Dalton McGuinty echoed her concerns Tuesday.

“I think Toronto citizens are impatient…The time for talk is coming to an end,” he said at Queen’s Park.

At a Feb. 8 transit meeting, Webster, a bureaucrat who has served at city hall for 35 years, said that on Finch, a light rail transit (LRT) plan made more financial sense. Ford had pushed for subways on the route but Webster said LRTs are an “appropriate mode for the demand.”

Stintz had called for that meeting and was asked Tuesday if she might be next on the chopping block.

“This meeting is not about the chair. Only the council can make a decision about the chair. This meeting is about personnel matters related to the TTC.”

Coun. Giorgio Mammoliti said cancelling Webster’s contract “is leadership at its best.”

“People in Toronto want to see a mayor that perhaps will signal it’s time for change,” he added.

Not everyone agrees.

“The guy who should be fired is the one who said the private sector would build the Sheppard subway at no cost to the City,” former Toronto Mayor David Miller tweeted.

“Gary always stood his ground, even when I didn’t like his advice – especially when I didn’t like his advice. That’s what you need.”

The Toronto Star reported Monday that other managers may be let go as well. Di Giorgio told the newspaper that “three, four, five” managers may be removed for not “respecting the office of the mayor.”

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Mayor Rob Ford’s full statement:

I support the Commission’s decision on the departure of Mr. Webster.  Gary has served Toronto and the TTC well in his years of service.  He was an important element in the organization’s many successes to date and can proudly point to a list of accomplishments.

But, it’s time for the organization to look forward.  The Commissioners tell me this.  Councillors tell me this.  The general public – and subway, streetcar and bus passengers all tell me it’s time for change.

The TTC was once recognized worldwide as an example of public transit excellence.  It’s time for the TTC to modernize, to review its mission and mandate, to revisit its structure and move forward with a vision that will serve Toronto to the end of this century and sets an example for the world to follow.

It’s time for the TTC to focus on operational excellence and to become, once again, a world leader that connects people with their jobs, homes, families and recreation – rapidly, affordably, conveniently, comfortably, reliably and safely.  As it achieves this aim, customer satisfaction and cost-efficiency will grow rapidly.

It’s time for the TTC to become so good at what it does, that customers choose to spend their money on transit rather than drive their cars.

The timing is right for major change at the TTC.  We are beginning the process of renewing the structure of the Commission by introducing skills-based board members to augment the politicians directing the organization.  The TTC is entering a period of significant capital growth.  A major reassessment of customer service needs has begun.

The time is right for a new leader to take the reins at TTC and lead the organization through this period of major change.