Mayor Rob Ford will try to patch up a hole in his executive committee this week.
With the appointment of Councillor Frank Di Giorgio as budget chief, Ford now has an open seat on the 13-member committee.
The striking committee meets Wednesday to figure out who to add to the mayor’s inner circle of councillors.
Ford’s office wouldn’t comment on who the mayor is considering to add to the committee.
Councillor Ana Bailao said last week “it would be great to see another woman” on the committee but stressed she wouldn’t join the committee – she’s focused on affordable housing issues and her ward right now.
“I would really like to see another woman,” she said. “I think it is important also to have different views so I would definitely take this opportunity to reach out to other councillors that sometimes are not always on the same page but I think it is very healthy to bring different views into the executive.”
Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday – who chairs the striking committee – said he’s looking for a councillor who would be “realistic, reliable, fiscally responsible.”
“I don’t know if Councillor (Mike) Del Grande would be interested in coming on the executive (as an at-large member),” Holyday said. “I’d hope he’d consider it.”
Councillor Jaye Robinson, the lone female councillor on the committee, said she’d like to see Del Grande come back on the mayor’s executive.
“I think if he could stay on executive it would just be a huge asset,” she said.
“Outside of that, I’m not sure. It would be nice to get another newbie, another new councillor on executive.”
Del Grande – who lost his place on executive when he resigned as budget chief last month – said he’s “happy” in his current role as the Ward 39, Scarborough-Agincourt councillor.
Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti wouldn’t rule out a return to executive committee – but wasn’t asking for it either. Mammoliti quit the committee late last year.
“It would not be a bad thing to look for (the mayor) to be looking at someone that is willing to work with him from the middle,” he said. “Of course when that happens then the left feels empowered and they use that person as their little tool and then the little tool feels compelled to go against the mayor.
“The mayor is caught between a rock and a hard place. You really do need someone who is loyal to the agenda, I would imagine at the end of the day and not somebody who will be used as a tool for the left.”
