Rachel Chernos Lin

"Could this create a less affordable electricity situation for residents in the area or for Torontonians, if this happens, because they do cause huge draws on that infrastructure." Councillor @rchernoslin highlights for @MooreintheAM how AI data centres impact local communities.

Bill 101 becomes law today. As a result, I have decided not to seek a 3rd term as @tdsb trustee. This is the 2nd time @fordnation is involved with Toronto municipal elections. The uncertainty as to when Ministry supervision ends will play a major role in Ontario’s democracy! On April 13th, when introducing Bill 101, Minister Calandra indicated his intention to continue supervision across all eight school  boards. A month earlier, on March 11th, he suggested that supervision could last as long as ten years! Let me be clear: the Minister is exerting full control over this process, supported by supervisors of his choosing. Minister Calandra’s Bills 33 and 101, provide him extraordinary authority and drastically reduce the role of trustees. If the Minister still needs a decade before returning trustees to their elected positions, one has to truly wonder if he may not be the right person for the job? Recent discussions have highlighted that trustees currently appoint Directors of Education and, under Bill 101, would appoint Chief Executive Officers. However, this may not apply to boards under prolonged supervision. If supervision continues for years, elected trustees will have no meaningful role in implementing these governance changes—not to mention, ever having the ability to remove a CEO.  As of May 1st, the municipal election process got underway—including trustee races in eight boards. Candidates are being asked to step forward without knowing whether they will ever be allowed to do the job. That should be totally unacceptable! This uncertainty may discourage strong candidates from running, knowing they could be elected but not permitted to fulfill their duties. It also places a financial burden, as candidates for trustee already have no access to municipal rebate programs. The added uncertainty will likely inhibit donors and volunteers from stepping up to help in the democratic process.  School board trustees already struggle with low voter turnout and questions about their relevance. What could reinforce that perception more than an election where voters are unsure whether the individuals they elect will actually be allowed to perform their duties.  What’s perhaps even more outrageous about long term supervision, is that Minister Calandra has justified his need to take over these school boards on two grounds: financial oversight and so-called dysfunctional governance. Bill 101 removes budget authority from trustees and hands it to CEOs. And the Ministry has always had the power to require governance training he deem appropriate, something he has not done.  So the question remains: what justifies continuing to sideline elected representatives indefinitely? With the changes the Province has made to the governance structure of school boards, why on earth would the newly elected school boards require provincial supervision? For years to come and with no end in sight? It’s time for decisive action. Trustees should be immediately reinstated in a meaningful, partial capacity. Premier Ford and Minister Calandra must commit—clearly and publicly—that provincial supervision will end no later than November 15th, when newly elected trustees take office. The undermining of the role of duly elected representatives must stop. The role of a school board trustee is extremely important and we need capable, committed individuals willing to step forward. Those candidates—and the volunteers and donors who support them—deserve to know that their efforts will not be in vain. Most importantly, the public deserves confidence in a fair and functional democratic process—one that ensures elected representatives can do the jobs they were elected to do, support student success, represent their communities and strengthen public education. That confidence cannot exist without clarity. And that is why this uncertainty must end. #onpoli #onted

Councillor James Pasternak (@PasternakTO) and Councillor Rachel Chernos Lin (@rchernoslin) join @gregbradyx to talk about another Thorncliffe Park condo fire, opening park washrooms, FIFA World Cup fan festival tickets, and more 🔊LISTEN LIVE: 640toronto.com

Thank you @TPS33Div and its Community Police Liaison Committee for organizing tonight's Crime Prevention Expo. We all deserve to feel and be safe, living free from fear. Thank you everyone for sharing your insights, tools, and approaches for combatting crime.