Karygiannis out as city councillor after Supreme Court decision

By News staff

Three strikes and Jim Karygiannis is out as a Toronto city councillor.

The former Ward 22 councillor was embroiled in a back-and-forth legal battle over election spending that came to an end Thursday after the Supreme Court decided against hearing his last-chance appeal.

In a release, the City of Toronto said council will consider a report at the end of the month on how to fill the vacant seat.

“The Supreme Court of Canada today announced it would not hear the appeal by Mr. Karygiannis. By virtue of today’s decision by the Court, Mr. Karygiannis is no longer a City Councillor for Ward 22,” the City said.

“A report will go to City Council on September 30 with the option for Council to either appoint or direct a by-election to fill the seat.”

The saga began when Toronto resident Adam Chaleff ordered an audit on Karygiannis’ 2018 election spending. The audit found that he exceeded the allowable spending amount by more than $25,000, leading to his removal as councillor last November.

But Karygiannis argued it was a “clerical error” in paperwork and a Superior Court judge gave him the benefit of the doubt, ruling that it would be “unfair” to subject Karygiannis “to the extreme punishment of forfeiture of offence, when there was an inadvertent error made …”

Karygiannis was ousted for the second time in June after the Court of Appeal overturned his reinstatement.

But he was back in office once again after he was granted a stay on that decision while he tried to have his appeal heard by the Supreme Court of Canada.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court denied his request, exhausting his legal options and ending his tenure at City Hall.

While acknowledging the need to quickly fill the seat, Mayor John Tory also tipped his hat to Karygiannis for years of public service.

“I’m very seized at the fact that those people in that part of Scarborough need representation … so we’ll move as quickly as we can to deal with that.”

“Councillor Karygiannis has given a big part of his life to public service and you’re always sorry to see these things happen but the law has to be upheld and be respected and the courts have made a decision — it wasn’t mine but it was the decision of the courts — and so I would just say to him, thank you for many years of public service.”

Tory added that the ousting precludes Karygiannis “from running in at least one future election.”

Karygiannis released a brief statement on his website, thanking his constituents and saying he was “leaving politics.”

“After 32 years serving as your Member of Parliament and your Toronto City Councillor, I am leaving politics. It has been an honour and privilege to serve the people of Scarborough-Agincourt. I want to thank them for the trust they have shown me.

“I want to thank my family –- my wife, daughters, sons-in-law and granddaughter –- for their love and support over the years.”

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