TORONTO – Toronto’s top transit manager lost his job Tuesday, a high-profile casualty in a heated war between Mayor Rob Ford and city council over subway expansion.
A special Toronto Transit Commission meeting called by allies of Ford had only one item on the agenda – a vote to buy out Gary Webster’s contract and dismiss him.
Observers said Webster’s job was on the chopping block because he didn’t agree with the mayor’s plan to build new subways.
The nine-person commission voted 5-4 to dismiss Webster and begin the search for a new general manager.
“This is not how I expected it to end or how I wanted it to end, but clearly the choice has been made to replace me as the chief general manager and I accept that,” said Webster.
“I want it to be clear that I’m very proud of the Toronto Transit Commission, it’s a great organization.”
Ford would only say in a statement that he supported the commission’s decision, adding the time was “right for a new leader to take the reins at TTC.”
“Gary has served Toronto and the TTC well in his years of service,” said Ford.
“But, it’s time for the organization to look forward. The Commissioners tell me this. Councillors tell me this. The general public – and subway, streetcar and bus passengers – all tell me it’s time for change.”
TTC chairwoman Karen Stintz, who voted against the motion to fire Webster, called it a difficult day.
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“But I think the values that we share are shared by Gary Webster and those values will survive this decision,” she said.
“It is also important that we remind ourselves that this is a without-just-cause decision.”
Webster’s firing is a “clear demonstration of an abuse of power and an abuse of privilege,” said commission member Maria Augimeri.
“November will mark 30 years that I’ve been elected. I’ve never seen anything like this before,” said Augimeri, her voice rising and breaking with emotion.
“He was told what was expected of him. He came through.”
Webster, a civil engineer who had been at the TTC for 35 years, earned almost $282,000 in 2010. His current contract was to expire in March 2013 and it’s been estimated his termination could cost taxpayers up to $500,000.
Stintz said she couldn’t reveal any specifics about the payout.
Earlier this month, Ford and his allies lost a crucial transit battle when council voted 25-18 in favour of Stintz’s proposal of light-rail transit, instead of a subway.
The mayor insisted the vote was meaningless because the province would still go ahead with his subway plan, but Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty has said he must respect council’s decision on the future of the city’s transit.
Councillors voted for a plan to put light-rail lines on Eglinton Avenue and Finch Avenue West, and to study a subway extension on Sheppard Avenue.
The province is awaiting the results of that study.
McGuinty originally committed $8.15 billion in 2007 to a plan called Transit City, which called for more extensive light-rail on Eglinton, Sheppard, Finch and the Scarborough RT route. Transit City was almost entirely funded by the province, with the federal Conservatives chipping in $300 million.
But Ford declared his predecessor David Miller’s cherished transit project dead as soon as he took office in 2010, saying there would be no more tracks down the middle of Toronto streets.
“Well you know there was a Plan A under (former mayor) Miller, and then there was a Plan B under Mayor Ford and now we’ve been asked to consider a Plan C,” McGuinty said earlier Tuesday.
“So I can say that we’re running out of patience, I think the people of Toronto are running out of patience.”
Last March the premier and Ford announced a revamped, $12.6-billion transit project for the city that included light-rail and subway expansion.
The province vowed to contribute $8.4 billion to the plan.
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