A former assistant to Councillor Ron Moeser and City of Toronto staff member has been appointed as the councillor for Ward 44 after Moeser died from cancer earlier this year.
Jim Hart received 27 out of 40 votes during a special Toronto City Council meeting Wednesday. Former councillor and Toronto mayoral candidate David Soknacki came second and received nine votes.
Moeser died more than a year after he was diagnosed with cancer. He represented Ward 44, the south-east corner of Scarborough, since the City of Toronto amalgamated in 1998. He also served as a City of Scarborough councillor prior to amalgamation.
READ MORE: Veteran Toronto City Councillor Ron Moeser dies of cancer
Toronto council opted to appoint a councillor to serve the balance of the term versus holding a byelection, which finishes at the end of November 2018.
Hart previously served as the General Manager of Parks, Forestry and Recreation for the City of Toronto before joining Moeser’s office as an assistant.