Crackdown on cronyism
Councillors call for ban on politicians backing pals for jobs Some seek bylaw prohibiting them from recommending anyone
Some Toronto city councillors are calling for a ban on politicians recommending friends or relatives or even constituents for jobs at city hall. The suggestion comes as city officials are investigating whether questionable hiring practices took place in the municipal and licensing standards department. Two senior bureaucrats — department head Pam Coburn and her secondin- command Joseph Carnevale — were put on paid leave last Monday pending an investigation by auditorgeneral Jeff Griffiths and the legal department.
At the heart of this latest scandal at city hall is the allegation that loose hiring rules — especially around temporary contracts — allows managers to hire their friends, neighbours and family members of politicians. A letter from a whistle- blower, which is part of the ongoing probe, points out that Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone has three relatives in Coburn’s department.
While Pantalone ( Ward 19, TrinitySpadina) said he didn’t have anything to do with the hirings, some councillors think it’s time to put a stop to the possibility of undue influence.
“ I’d rather we pass a bylaw that would stop any councillors from having the ability to refer anybody to any jobs. Anyone. It just makes it much easier,” said Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti ( Ward 7, York West).
“ I don’t believe anybody should be forcefully trying to get someone on staff in the bureaucracy. I just don’t think that’s right.” Some politicians say they will write letters of reference for constituents looking for work, but Councillor Brian Ashton thinks that practice should also be banned.
“ We’re inundated with requests looking for references. If you can simply state it’s contrary to policy, it would help us. I think the mayor has the obligation to determine if there are new policies that would avoid preferential hiring,” said Ashton ( Ward 36, Scarborough Southwest). When first asked about whether councillors should be allowed to put in a good word for a relative, Mayor David Miller said he didn’t have a problem with that. But a day later, he said he forwarded the matter to integrity commissioner David Mullan for guidance on what councillors should and should not do when it comes to hiring matters.
Coburn, 45, who has a 27- year career with the city, says she expects to go ahead with a planned news conference this morning to clear her name. Her lawyer, Murray Klippenstein, who represents the Dudley George family at the Ipperwash inquiry, faxed a letter to Miller and city councillors advising them of the news conference, to be held at the entrance to city hall.
Meanwhile, city manager Shirley Hoy says the city’s internal investigation is continuing and hopes to receive a report early this week. Coburn says she’s still optimistic she will be reinstated in her $ 140,000- ayear post because she says she has done nothing wrong. Even if that doesn’t happen, she says she’s determined to defend herself against a whistle- blower’s allegations that she has been hiring personal friends or the friends and relatives of politicians. She says media reports on the weekend claiming she has helped friends, neighbours and even local grocery store clerks get jobs in the city’s licensing department are “ just atrocious.” She also denies allegations that her close friendship with Joseph Carnevale, 33, the department’s director of investigations, was behind his quick rise from a temporary licensing officer last year to the number two job today.
“ My lawyer and I feel that because of all the media attention and the things that have been said about me, that I have to get my story out,” she said.
Carnevale said he had no plans to attend Coburn’s news conference. When the Toronto Star published a survey of councillors on Saturday, the article said all councillors were asked whether they had any relatives employed by the city. In fact, not everyone was asked that question, so some councillors are clarifying the record.
Councillor Maria Augimeri ( Ward 9, York Centre) said yesterday her brother Al works as a janitor at Amesbury arena in North York.
“ He was hired by the former city of North York when I wasn’t a North York councillor, in the ’ 90s,” she said, noting she was a Metro councillor at the time and she did not have any say in the matter. The question of nepotism and favouritism has surfaced before at city hall. Prior to 2000, it was not unusual to have spouses working in councillors’ offices or immediate family members working for other councillors. But Councillor David Soknacki ( Ward 43, Scarborough East) put a stop to the
practice to ensure the city mirrored
similar policies already in place at the
provincial and federal governments.
However, there are no rules when it
comes to family members of Toronto
politicians working for the city. The
former North York had a strict policy
of “ no immediate relative of a member of North York city council may be hired by the city.”
Other Canadian cities have similar restrictions including Ottawa where city staff — as well as councillors — cannot hire their child, parent or spouse.
In an ironic twist, a union grievance by an employee over hiring practices within the city’s municipal licensing and standards department is headed for an arbitration hearing this week.
Bill Adams, the city’s employee relations chief, said the timing is only coincidental, noting there are many grievances going on with the city and it often takes up to two years to get to a hearing.