Dropping Two City Councillors In The Name Of Efficiency

Private enterprise sees the effectiveness of such a move so maybe it it time to reduce the number of city councillors right across the board.

Film fest board bounces two Toronto councillors
January 18, 2007
Paul Moloney
city hall bureau

The Toronto International Film Festival is dropping the two Toronto councillors from its board of directors, arguing it has to be more efficient.

The festival, which received $319,230 in grants from the city last year, announced the change in a letter to council's striking committee, which picks councillors for spots on outside bodies such as the Art Gallery, National Ballet and Hockey Hall of Fame.

"The bigger you grow, the more efficient you have to get," festival associate managing director Allison Bain said in an interview.

The board will be cut to 25 members from 27 with the loss of the city councillors, Bain said. Seven years ago, the board had 38 members.

"We've been getting the board down to a far more workable model for governance," she said. "Our board composition draws from a lot of different areas of expertise in the private sector. We have banking expertise, human resources expertise, so we really do use our board to help us in governance."

But the decision came as a surprise to the councillors serving in unpaid positions, David Shiner and Frances Nunziata.

"There wasn't even the courtesy of a phone call," Shiner said yesterday, adding he thought the board was a manageable size.

"They continue to ask the city for assistance and now there really won't be a spokesperson for them on council."

Councillor Howard Moscoe said the festival has now lost an advantage.

"The council appointee to their board often becomes their advocate," Moscoe said. "When money is tight and budgets are tight and everyone is struggling for grants, I think they've made an unwise move."

Nunziata said she, too, was surprised by the board's decision.

"The City of Toronto has always been a supporter," Nunziata said.

"I don't understand why they wouldn't still ask for a city council representative, maybe not two, but at least one."

Shiner added that some hospital boards have dropped city councillors "but those boards don't come to the city for annual funding."

The festival also receives support from other levels of government, Bain said.

The City of Toronto's contribution totals just under 2 per cent of the festival's annual budget, she said.