Robyn Doolittle at the Toronto Star obtained a copy of the Team Ford “cheat sheet” (or “recommended voting strategy” if you prefer) handed out on Wednesday morning. She produces only a low-resolution version in her article, but it’s clear that the strategy during this week’s regular meeting was to refer all items to committees to prevent the possibility of a filibuster strategy on the TCHC item.
MM5.1, a motion by Josh Matlow and seconded by Josh Colle regarding council salaries, was a recommended ‘No to waiving referral’ vote which is interesting only in the sense that Josh Colle has seemingly tried to play nice with the mayor’s office. (He ultimately voted in favour of dissolving the TCHC board on Wednesday night.)
Doolittle also indicates that some of the fence-sitting councillors are looking at forming their own voting bloc:
So far, this [middle] group has swung right, but that may be changing. These middle-of-the-road councillors have been organizing their own bloc, “the mighty middle,†in hopes of ending the voting pattern.
Right now Ford holds a majority. There are 15 on the hard left and 22 on the hard right. The mayor’s vote tips the scales. If the “mighty middle†comes together and even one of those Ford supporters drifts centre the bloc would be broken.
“Some of us are talking. Let’s just say we’re going to be more organized going forward,†said Councillor Josh Colle (Eglinton Lawrence).
via Ford hands out cheat sheet to his team – thestar.com.
Doolittle pegs the number of ‘middle’ councillors at seven, which I guess would be Colle, Matlow, Mary-Margaret McMahon, Ron Moeser, Ana Bailão, Chin Lee and Raymond Cho. I’d argue that Raymond Cho is pretty firmly on the opposition at this point.
Cho, Bailão & Matlow voted against the mayor on Wednesday night. Moeser was absent. The rest voted for.