Bevilacqua prioritizes transit, environment
Name value offers boost in regional council race
Vaughan’s municipal 2018 election was a night for the incumbents with every ward being claimed by the person in power the previous term.
Maurizio Bevilacqua won the mayoral race by a huge margin, seizing 70 per cent of the vote, to beat Frank Miele and Savino Quatela.
Bevilacqua, who clinched his third term as mayor, named a raft of issues he expects will define the next four years, including transit, the environment, economic development and housing. About more specific and pressing issues such as cannabis, he said he doesn’t want to make any decisions before an upcoming staff report and pub- lic consultation on the issue.
“It’s about consulting with people … It’s about what people can tolerate,” he said.
On the issue of the targeted murders in Vaughan, he reiterated his comments calling the city one of the safest places to live.
“Resources are being deployed by local, national and international police authorities,” he said. “There’s a lot being done, people feel safe in our community.”
The fight for three regional council seats involved some new faces in a tight four-way race that saw Mario Ferri, Gino Rosati and former mayor Linda Jackson claim victory, beating out challengers Eliana Di Biase, Richard Lorello, Fred Winegust, Sunder Singh, Jacob Joel Ginsberg, Frank Scarlato, Mubarak Ahmed and Skanda Singarajah.
Ferri, who garnered 23,323 votes and retains his post as deputy mayor, said he’s excited with his victory citing traffic, taxes and housing as the three top concerns for the next council.
“My plan is to widen roads and to make sure there are places for young people to live in Vaughan,” he said.
The regional council race drew particular interest due to some of the candidates’ ties to past politicians and, in Jackson’s case, her days in power.
Di Biase’s husband, Michael, served on council for decades including a stint as mayor from 2002 to 2006.
Linda Jackson defeated him in 2006 by just 90 votes. Linda Jackson’s mother, Lorna, was a long-serving mayor of Vaughan.
For his part, Michael Di Biase resigned after the city’s integrity commissioner alleged that he sexually harassed a Vaughan employee. Di Biase has repeatedly denied the allegations.
In Ward 1, incumbent Marilyn Iafrate claimed nearly 55 per cent of the vote.
In Ward 2, long-time councillor Tony Carella took 33 per cent of the vote. Ward 3 saw Rosanna DeFrancesca with more than 61 per cent of the vote.
Sandra Yeung Racco garnered just shy of 50 per cent of the vote in a three-way race in Ward 4. Ward 5 saw Alan Shefman take 55.54 per cent of the vote to defeat Allan Goldstein.
Voter turnout was 27 per cent, down from 30.28 in 2014.