Betty Disero
Encyclopedia
Betty Disero is a former city councillor in Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
. She was elected to the Toronto City Council
in 1985, and served until her resignation in 2003.
immigrants who moved to Toronto from the town of Pescara
. She took courses at York University
, and graduated in computer studies from Humber College
in 1979.
Disero is a member of the Liberal Party
, and worked as a campaign manager for Member of Provincial Parliament Tony Ruprecht
prior to running for office herself. She was elected in 1982 as a Catholic
trustee on the Toronto Board of Education.
Charles Caccia
. She was generally associated with the council's right-wing.
Disero was appointed to several important city commissions following her election. She was appointed to the Board of Directors of St. Michael's Hospital
in January 1986 as a city representative, and was appointed to the city's three-member budget review group later in the same year. Disero was subsequently appointed to the Toronto Harbour Commission in 1987. She sort the chairmanship of the city-services commission in late 1987, but was defeated.
In March 1988, Disero brought forward a controversial six-month freeze on new rooming houses for the city. Disero argued that she was not opposed to rooming houses as such, but was trying to combat abuses in the system. She also argued that she was trying to prevent neighbourhoods from being turned into ghettos. Critics argued that the freeze was an unwarranted overreaction, and made it even more difficult for the city's homeless to find affordable housing. Toronto Mayor Art Eggleton
described it as "a completely unjustified panic move". Following criticism from the provincial government, council partially overturned the freeze in May 1988. Disero later supported separate efforts to address abuses within the system.
Disero was re-elected without opposition in 1988. In 1990, she opposed plans by the Supportive Housing Group to build affordable housing on McCormack Street. She argued that the proposed project was "too large and incompatible with the neighborhood".
She initially voted for a declaration of Toronto Gay Pride
Day in 1989, but later indicated that she did so only on procedural grounds, to reopen debate at a subsequent meeting. She voted against the declaration when the issue was reconsidered. In later years, she took steps to improve her relationship with Toronto's gay community.
Disero supported expansions to the Toronto's Island Airport, including increased flights and a new passenger terminal. These plans were opposed by a local group called the Metropolitan Toronto Waterfront Coalition, and by rival councillor Jack Layton
who called for Disero's impeachment. The city initiated several legal challenges before expansion was permitted in June 1990. In January 1991, the city signed a contract for expansion with Castlepoint Development Corp.
Disero resigned as THC head on July 10, 1990, but remained a member of the commission. She initially opposed plans for Toronto to purchase lands owned by the Harbourfront foundation, but changed her mind on the issue in 1991. In 1994, she supported THC reforms brought forward by Mayor June Rowlands
, including hiring an independent financial auditor and changing its name to the Toronto Port Authority.
In 1991, she brought forward a motion to have Toronto Island residents pay new rents, back rents and utility fees previously covered by the city. Critics argued that these measures would result in the death of the community. Former Member of Provincial Parliament Richard Johnston
strongly criticized this suggestion in a report on the Islands released later in the year.
Disero endorsed a fixed link between Toronto and the Islands in late 1992. In 1995, she opposed a plan to build new houses on Islands property.
but dropped out to back June Rowlands
after her campaign failed to gain momentum. While in the race, she described herself as a middle-of-the-road candidate who could avoid left-wing and right-wing extremes. She also unveiled a "vision of Toronto's port industrial area" that included "an industrial development proposal on more than 214 hectares of public land". She also supported leasing unused lands to developers. She supported Sunday shopping
, and criticized a report which called for fewer cars in Toronto to reduce pollution.
After leaving the mayoral race, Disero campaigned for re-election for council in Toronto's twelfth ward. This created tensions with Fred Dominelli
, a supporter who had already declared himself a candidate to succeed her. Dominelli claimed that Disero "stabbed him in the back" with her late decision to seek re-election. Disero won re-election without difficulty.
to privatize two terminals at Toronto Pearson International Airport
. During this period, she pulled away from the right-wing of council and became known as a pragmatic centrist.
Disero almost lost her council seat in 1992 following a private legal challenge from academic David Rayside
, who argued that she had overspent in her 1991 campaign. The controversy centred on whether or not expenses from Disero's abortive mayoral campaign should have counted toward her spending limit for council: Rayside argued that her publicity expenses in the mayoral race gave her an unfair advantage over other Ward 12 candidates. Presiding justice Alvin Rosenberg initially ruled against Disero, and declared her council seat vacant on April 7, 1992. The justice wrote in his decision, "Although no bad faith is implied on the part of Disero, the result of her change of offices cannot allow her to spend more money than other candidates are entitled to spend and thus give her an unfair advantage". Disero was granted a stay on April 15, which allowed her to retain her seat during the appeals process. On June 19, an Ontario Division Court Tribunal overturned Rotenberg's decision and allowed Disero to keep her seat.
In December 1991, Disero unsuccessfully tried to overturn a bylaw which permitted the construction of publicly-financed alternative housing with fewer parking spaces than were required for market condominiums. In the same month, she brought forward a motion to approve a land-development trade involving harbourfront and railway lands. Although the motion passed easily, critics argued that they were not given access to the full details.
Disero was a frequent rival to budget chief Tom Jakobek
in this period, and joined with Barbara Hall
and other members of the council's left-wing to remove him from his position in 1992. In seeking his dismissal, Hall argued that Jakobek had exercised undue influence to push a questionable $100,000 orchestra grant through council. Jakobek responded by suggesting that Disero responsible for the grant, a charge she denied. An official report in 1993 exonerated Jakobek from accusations of illegal activity, but did not provide full resolution to the controversy.
Disero advocated significant budget cuts for Toronto in 1993, to counteract the effects of a serious economic downturn across the country. She said that the city needed to impose significant wage cuts, or introduce unpaid leave days, in order to remain solvent.
In the early 1990s, right-wing journalist Judi McLeod lodged a formal complaint with the police accusing Disero of being linked to the Mafia
, and of holding a conflict of interest
in her role as vice-chairman of the Toronto Harbour Commission due to a personal relationship. The police investigated and found no evidence of any wrongdoing. In 1994, Toronto Life
magazine reported that McLeod was harassing Disero at her private residence.
In 1994, Disero co-sponsored a resolution which would have allowed police to disperse crowds of more than three people who were seen as ""accosting, frightening, intimidating, obstructing or threatening" to others on the street. Disero argued that the measure would reduce illegal activity, while others argued it would lead to abuse. Council rejected the motion.
She considered running for Oakwood
in the 1995 provincial election
, but later stood aside to allow Mike Colle
to win the Liberal nomination.
to amalgamate the City of Toronto with neighbouring municipalities. Disero argued that the plebiscite could damage the city's position if the turnout was low, or if it showed little opposition to the Harris government's plan. She also argued that it was too expensive.
The City of Toronto was amalgamated in 1997, and Disero campaigned for a seat on the new city council in the two-member Davenport ward. She was elected to the first position, and was appointed chair of the Works and Utilities Committee in January 1998. One of her priorities was attempting to resolve the city's waste disposal problem. She recommended that the city consider incineration as an option.
Disero was an early supporter of market value property tax reform, which was opposed by most other Toronto councillors during the 1980s. Following some initial reluctance, she voted in favour of Mel Lastman
's five-year phase-in plan in 1998.
Disero was re-elected without difficulty in the 2000 municipal election, after receiving endorsements from Mayor Mel Lastman
and the Toronto Police Association
. She was appointed chair of the Works Committee in December 2000. She was also appointed to the newly-formed Waterfront Reference Group on June 26, 2001. In 2002, she supported reducing the number of city councillors from 44 to 22.
recycling program in her capacity, and announced the launch of a green box
program in September 2001.
In early 2002, Disero indicated that the city was considering a plan to turn the city's garbage into steam energy. Critics, including Jack Layton, argued that that city seemed to be embarking on a major project without due consultation. Layton also question the scientific merits of the proposal, arguing that the combustion process may not be environmentally sound.
on June 24, 2002, defeating sitting chair Brian Ashton
by a 6-3 vote. She immediately announced plans to make the TTC more financially accountable. Some described her appointment as a shift to the right for the body. Soon after her appointment, she recommended that cheery messages such as "Welcome aboard" and "Have a nice day" be piped through TTC speakers to improve morale among passengers. Some argued that this was a diversion from the TTC's funding problems.
Disero supported a streetcar right-of-way for St. Clair Avenue, and the creation of new bus-only lanes within the city. She also supported increased transit services throughout the Greater Toronto Area
. In October 2002, she supported an increase in bulk ticket and token prices by 10 cents and Metropasses by $5.25 a month. Disero argued that the hikes were necessary to combat the TTC's financial difficulties. She rejected plans for a more significant increase. She criticized a 2003 grant from the provincial government of Ernie Eves
as insufficient for the TTC's needs.
won the Ward 17 council seat in the 2003 municipal election.
Disero has continued to support gasification techniques for disposing urban waste. Some have suggested that she may return to municipal politics in the future.
Electors could vote for two candidates in the 1997 election.
The percentages are determined in relation to the total number of votes.
Results taken from the Globe and Mail, 14 November 1985. The final official results were not significantly different.
Results taken from the Globe and Mail, 9 November 1982. The final results were not significantly different.
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. She was elected to the Toronto City Council
Toronto City Council
The Toronto City Council is the governing body of the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Members represent wards throughout the city, and are known as councillors....
in 1985, and served until her resignation in 2003.
Early life and career
Disero's parents were ItalianItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
immigrants who moved to Toronto from the town of Pescara
Pescara
Pescara is the capital city of the Province of Pescara, in the Abruzzo region of Italy. As of January 1, 2007 it was the most populated city within Abruzzo at 123,059 residents, 400,000 with the surrounding metropolitan area...
. She took courses at York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
, and graduated in computer studies from Humber College
Humber College
Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning is a polytechnic college in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Humber offers more than 150 programs including: bachelor’s degree, diploma, certificate, post-graduate certificate and apprenticeship programs, across 40 fields of study. Humber serves...
in 1979.
Disero is a member of the Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
, and worked as a campaign manager for Member of Provincial Parliament Tony Ruprecht
Tony Ruprecht
Tony Ruprecht is a former Canadian politician. His first elected position was as an alderman in the old Toronto City Council, in the late 1970s. He became a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in 1981, and served in premier David Peterson's cabinet as minister without portfolio from...
prior to running for office herself. She was elected in 1982 as a Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
trustee on the Toronto Board of Education.
First two terms
In 1985, Disero defeated veteran politician Joseph Piccininni to win election to the Toronto City Council. Her campaign was assisted by members of the provincial and federal Liberal parties, including Tony Ruprecht and Member of ParliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
Charles Caccia
Charles Caccia
Charles L. Caccia, PC was a Canadian politician.Caccia was a Liberal member of the Canadian House of Commons. He represented the Toronto riding of Davenport between 1968 and 2004.Caccia was born in 1930 in Milan, Italy...
. She was generally associated with the council's right-wing.
Disero was appointed to several important city commissions following her election. She was appointed to the Board of Directors of St. Michael's Hospital
St. Michael's Hospital (Toronto)
St. Michael's Hospital is a teaching hospital and medical centre in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was established by the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1892, with the founding goal of taking care of the sick and poor of Toronto's inner city. The hospital provides tertiary and quaternary services...
in January 1986 as a city representative, and was appointed to the city's three-member budget review group later in the same year. Disero was subsequently appointed to the Toronto Harbour Commission in 1987. She sort the chairmanship of the city-services commission in late 1987, but was defeated.
In March 1988, Disero brought forward a controversial six-month freeze on new rooming houses for the city. Disero argued that she was not opposed to rooming houses as such, but was trying to combat abuses in the system. She also argued that she was trying to prevent neighbourhoods from being turned into ghettos. Critics argued that the freeze was an unwarranted overreaction, and made it even more difficult for the city's homeless to find affordable housing. Toronto Mayor Art Eggleton
Art Eggleton
Arthur "Art" C. Eggleton, PC is a former Canadian Cabinet minister and Mayor of Toronto, and is currently a Senator representing Ontario.-City council:...
described it as "a completely unjustified panic move". Following criticism from the provincial government, council partially overturned the freeze in May 1988. Disero later supported separate efforts to address abuses within the system.
Disero was re-elected without opposition in 1988. In 1990, she opposed plans by the Supportive Housing Group to build affordable housing on McCormack Street. She argued that the proposed project was "too large and incompatible with the neighborhood".
She initially voted for a declaration of Toronto Gay Pride
Gay pride
LGBT pride or gay pride is the concept that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people should be proud of their sexual orientation and gender identity...
Day in 1989, but later indicated that she did so only on procedural grounds, to reopen debate at a subsequent meeting. She voted against the declaration when the issue was reconsidered. In later years, she took steps to improve her relationship with Toronto's gay community.
Harbour Commissioner
Disero was named chair of the Toronto Harbour Commission in January 1989. She opposed Mayor Eggleton's plan to sell THC-owned land to Dover Elevator Corp. Canada Ltd. below market value, arguing that the planned sale appeared to contravene the Ontario Municipal Act. Others criticized her position. The deal was abandoned in April 1989. Disero was also critical of a plan submitted by David Crombie in late 1989 for THC reform.Disero supported expansions to the Toronto's Island Airport, including increased flights and a new passenger terminal. These plans were opposed by a local group called the Metropolitan Toronto Waterfront Coalition, and by rival councillor Jack Layton
Jack Layton
John Gilbert "Jack" Layton, PC was a Canadian social democratic politician and the Leader of the Official Opposition. He was the leader of the New Democratic Party from 2003 to 2011, and previously sat on Toronto City Council, serving at times during that period as acting mayor and deputy mayor of...
who called for Disero's impeachment. The city initiated several legal challenges before expansion was permitted in June 1990. In January 1991, the city signed a contract for expansion with Castlepoint Development Corp.
Disero resigned as THC head on July 10, 1990, but remained a member of the commission. She initially opposed plans for Toronto to purchase lands owned by the Harbourfront foundation, but changed her mind on the issue in 1991. In 1994, she supported THC reforms brought forward by Mayor June Rowlands
June Rowlands
June Rowlands was the 60th mayor of Toronto, Ontario, and the first woman to hold that office. She had previously been a long time city councillor, unsuccessful federal candidate, and chair of the Metropolitan Toronto Police Commission....
, including hiring an independent financial auditor and changing its name to the Toronto Port Authority.
In 1991, she brought forward a motion to have Toronto Island residents pay new rents, back rents and utility fees previously covered by the city. Critics argued that these measures would result in the death of the community. Former Member of Provincial Parliament Richard Johnston
Richard Johnston
Richard Frank Johnston is a retired Canadian politician, educator and administrator.-Background:Johnston was educated at Trent University and worked there as an administrator and counsellor...
strongly criticized this suggestion in a report on the Islands released later in the year.
Disero endorsed a fixed link between Toronto and the Islands in late 1992. In 1995, she opposed a plan to build new houses on Islands property.
1991 mayoral campaign
Disero ran for the position of Mayor of Toronto in the 1991 municipal electionToronto municipal election, 1991
The 1991 Toronto municipal election was held on November 12, 1991 to elect councillors in Metropolitan Toronto, Canada, and mayors, councillors and school trustees in Toronto, York, East York, North York, Scarborough and Etobicoke....
but dropped out to back June Rowlands
June Rowlands
June Rowlands was the 60th mayor of Toronto, Ontario, and the first woman to hold that office. She had previously been a long time city councillor, unsuccessful federal candidate, and chair of the Metropolitan Toronto Police Commission....
after her campaign failed to gain momentum. While in the race, she described herself as a middle-of-the-road candidate who could avoid left-wing and right-wing extremes. She also unveiled a "vision of Toronto's port industrial area" that included "an industrial development proposal on more than 214 hectares of public land". She also supported leasing unused lands to developers. She supported Sunday shopping
Sunday shopping
Sunday shopping refers to the ability of retailers to operate stores on Sunday, a day that Christian tradition typically recognizes as the Sabbath, a "day of rest". Rules governing shopping hours, such as Sunday shopping, vary around the world but some European nations continue to ban Sunday shopping...
, and criticized a report which called for fewer cars in Toronto to reduce pollution.
After leaving the mayoral race, Disero campaigned for re-election for council in Toronto's twelfth ward. This created tensions with Fred Dominelli
Fred Dominelli
Fred Dominelli is a municipal politician in Toronto, Ontario.On May 22, 2003, City Council appointed Dominelli as an interim councillor to fill the vacancy in Ward 17 that was created when Betty Disero resigned her seat. Dominelli served as councillor until the 2003 municipal election in November,...
, a supporter who had already declared himself a candidate to succeed her. Dominelli claimed that Disero "stabbed him in the back" with her late decision to seek re-election. Disero won re-election without difficulty.
Early 1990s
Disero was appointed to chair Toronto's economic development committee after the 1991 election. She became involved with the arts community, and played an active role in promoting Toronto's film industry. She also opposed plans by the federal government of Brian MulroneyBrian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
to privatize two terminals at Toronto Pearson International Airport
Toronto Pearson International Airport
Toronto Pearson International Airport is an international airport serving Toronto, Ontario, Canada; its metropolitan area; and the Golden Horseshoe, an urban agglomeration that is home to 8.1 million people – approximately 25% of Canada's population...
. During this period, she pulled away from the right-wing of council and became known as a pragmatic centrist.
Disero almost lost her council seat in 1992 following a private legal challenge from academic David Rayside
David Rayside
David Morton Rayside is a Canadian academic and activist. He is a professor of political science at the University of Toronto, and was the director of the university's interdisciplinary program in sexual diversity studies from 2004 to 2008....
, who argued that she had overspent in her 1991 campaign. The controversy centred on whether or not expenses from Disero's abortive mayoral campaign should have counted toward her spending limit for council: Rayside argued that her publicity expenses in the mayoral race gave her an unfair advantage over other Ward 12 candidates. Presiding justice Alvin Rosenberg initially ruled against Disero, and declared her council seat vacant on April 7, 1992. The justice wrote in his decision, "Although no bad faith is implied on the part of Disero, the result of her change of offices cannot allow her to spend more money than other candidates are entitled to spend and thus give her an unfair advantage". Disero was granted a stay on April 15, which allowed her to retain her seat during the appeals process. On June 19, an Ontario Division Court Tribunal overturned Rotenberg's decision and allowed Disero to keep her seat.
In December 1991, Disero unsuccessfully tried to overturn a bylaw which permitted the construction of publicly-financed alternative housing with fewer parking spaces than were required for market condominiums. In the same month, she brought forward a motion to approve a land-development trade involving harbourfront and railway lands. Although the motion passed easily, critics argued that they were not given access to the full details.
Disero was a frequent rival to budget chief Tom Jakobek
Tom Jakobek
Tom Jakobek is a former member of the Toronto City Council. He was first elected to council in 1982 after serving as a school trustee, and remained a member until 2000....
in this period, and joined with Barbara Hall
Barbara Hall
Barbara Hall is a Canadian lawyer, public servant and former politician. She was the 61st mayor of Toronto, the last to run before amalgamation. She was elected mayor of the pre-amalgamation City of Toronto in 1994, and held office until December 31, 1997...
and other members of the council's left-wing to remove him from his position in 1992. In seeking his dismissal, Hall argued that Jakobek had exercised undue influence to push a questionable $100,000 orchestra grant through council. Jakobek responded by suggesting that Disero responsible for the grant, a charge she denied. An official report in 1993 exonerated Jakobek from accusations of illegal activity, but did not provide full resolution to the controversy.
Disero advocated significant budget cuts for Toronto in 1993, to counteract the effects of a serious economic downturn across the country. She said that the city needed to impose significant wage cuts, or introduce unpaid leave days, in order to remain solvent.
In the early 1990s, right-wing journalist Judi McLeod lodged a formal complaint with the police accusing Disero of being linked to the Mafia
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
, and of holding a conflict of interest
Conflict of interest
A conflict of interest occurs when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in the other....
in her role as vice-chairman of the Toronto Harbour Commission due to a personal relationship. The police investigated and found no evidence of any wrongdoing. In 1994, Toronto Life
Toronto Life
Toronto Life is a monthly Canadian magazine about entertainment, politics and life in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Toronto Life also publishes a number of annual special interest guides about the city, including Home Decor, Stylebook, Eating & Drinking, Real Estate and Weddings. Established in 1966,...
magazine reported that McLeod was harassing Disero at her private residence.
In 1994, Disero co-sponsored a resolution which would have allowed police to disperse crowds of more than three people who were seen as ""accosting, frightening, intimidating, obstructing or threatening" to others on the street. Disero argued that the measure would reduce illegal activity, while others argued it would lead to abuse. Council rejected the motion.
She considered running for Oakwood
Oakwood (electoral district)
Oakwood was a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada. It was created for the 1975 provincial election, and was retained until redistribution in 1999. It was abolished into Davenport, Eglinton—Lawrence, York South—Weston and St. Paul's...
in the 1995 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1995
The Ontario general election of 1995 was held on June 8, 1995, to elect members of the 36th Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, Canada...
, but later stood aside to allow Mike Colle
Mike Colle
Michael Colle is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, representing the riding of Eglinton—Lawrence for the Ontario Liberal Party.-Background:...
to win the Liberal nomination.
After amalgamation
In 1997, she was part of a small minority of Toronto councillors to vote against a plebiscite on plans by the provincial government of Mike HarrisMike Harris
Michael Deane "Mike" Harris was the 22nd Premier of Ontario from June 26, 1995 to April 15, 2002. He is most noted for the "Common Sense Revolution", his Progressive Conservative government's program of deficit reduction in combination with lower taxes and cuts to government...
to amalgamate the City of Toronto with neighbouring municipalities. Disero argued that the plebiscite could damage the city's position if the turnout was low, or if it showed little opposition to the Harris government's plan. She also argued that it was too expensive.
The City of Toronto was amalgamated in 1997, and Disero campaigned for a seat on the new city council in the two-member Davenport ward. She was elected to the first position, and was appointed chair of the Works and Utilities Committee in January 1998. One of her priorities was attempting to resolve the city's waste disposal problem. She recommended that the city consider incineration as an option.
Disero was an early supporter of market value property tax reform, which was opposed by most other Toronto councillors during the 1980s. Following some initial reluctance, she voted in favour of Mel Lastman
Mel Lastman
Melvin Douglas "Mel" Lastman , nicknamed "Mayor Mel", is a former businessman and politician. He is the founder of the Bad Boy Furniture chain. He served as the mayor of the former city of North York, Ontario, Canada from 1972 until 1997. At the end of 1997, North York, along with five other...
's five-year phase-in plan in 1998.
Disero was re-elected without difficulty in the 2000 municipal election, after receiving endorsements from Mayor Mel Lastman
Mel Lastman
Melvin Douglas "Mel" Lastman , nicknamed "Mayor Mel", is a former businessman and politician. He is the founder of the Bad Boy Furniture chain. He served as the mayor of the former city of North York, Ontario, Canada from 1972 until 1997. At the end of 1997, North York, along with five other...
and the Toronto Police Association
Toronto Police Association
The Toronto Police Association , founded in 1944, is a labour organization representing the approximately 5,500 uniformed and 2,500 civilian members of the Toronto Police Service in Toronto, Canada...
. She was appointed chair of the Works Committee in December 2000. She was also appointed to the newly-formed Waterfront Reference Group on June 26, 2001. In 2002, she supported reducing the number of city councillors from 44 to 22.
Waste disposal policy
She was also appointed co-chair of Task Force 2010, which examined options to divert the city's waste to recycling and composting programs. She argued that the cost of waste management could more than double in ten years, and called for greater investment from the federal and provincial governments. The task force held a series of public meetings, and in June 2001 submitted a report to divert all residential garbage to recycling and composting by 2010. Disero supported expansions to the blue boxBlue box
An early phreaking tool, the blue box is an electronic device that simulates a telephone operator's dialing console. It functioned by replicating the tones used to switch long-distance calls and using them to route the user's own call, bypassing the normal switching mechanism...
recycling program in her capacity, and announced the launch of a green box
Green box
Green box is a rigid plastic container used to collect materials such as cardboard, plastics, newspapers and other materials. They were first used in North York, Ontario to supplement the Blue Box in the recycling programs in the late 1980s and 1990s.Timmins, Ontario unlike much of the rest of...
program in September 2001.
In early 2002, Disero indicated that the city was considering a plan to turn the city's garbage into steam energy. Critics, including Jack Layton, argued that that city seemed to be embarking on a major project without due consultation. Layton also question the scientific merits of the proposal, arguing that the combustion process may not be environmentally sound.
Transit Commission Chair
Disero was selected as chair of the Toronto Transit CommissionToronto Transit Commission
-Island Ferry:The ferry service to the Toronto Islands was operated by the TTC from 1927 until 1962, when it was transferred to the Metro Parks and Culture department. Since 1998, the ferry service is run by Toronto Parks and Recreation.-Gray Coach:...
on June 24, 2002, defeating sitting chair Brian Ashton
Brian Ashton (politician)
Brian Ashton was a city councillor in Toronto, Canada, representing Ward 36 Scarborough Southwest. He did not run for re-election in the 2010 municipal election and was succeeded by Gary Crawford.-Career:...
by a 6-3 vote. She immediately announced plans to make the TTC more financially accountable. Some described her appointment as a shift to the right for the body. Soon after her appointment, she recommended that cheery messages such as "Welcome aboard" and "Have a nice day" be piped through TTC speakers to improve morale among passengers. Some argued that this was a diversion from the TTC's funding problems.
Disero supported a streetcar right-of-way for St. Clair Avenue, and the creation of new bus-only lanes within the city. She also supported increased transit services throughout the Greater Toronto Area
Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area is the largest metropolitan area in Canada, with a 2006 census population of 5.5 million. The Greater Toronto Area is usually defined as the central city of Toronto, along with four regional municipalities surrounding it: Durham, Halton, Peel, and York...
. In October 2002, she supported an increase in bulk ticket and token prices by 10 cents and Metropasses by $5.25 a month. Disero argued that the hikes were necessary to combat the TTC's financial difficulties. She rejected plans for a more significant increase. She criticized a 2003 grant from the provincial government of Ernie Eves
Ernie Eves
Ernest Lawrence "Ernie" Eves was the 23rd Premier of the province of Ontario, Canada, from April 15, 2002, to October 23, 2003.-Beginnings:...
as insufficient for the TTC's needs.
After politics
Disero unexpectedly resigned from council on March 14, 2003. She subsequently created the firm Boomer Consulting, named after her dog. She also returned to City Hall in 2003 as business development officer for Light Heat Cool Ltd., a new-technology waste-disposal firm. Her longtime assistant Cesar PalacioCesar Palacio
Cesar Palacio is a Toronto city councillor for Ward 17 Davenport . He is the first Hispanic person to be elected to Toronto's City Council.-Biography:...
won the Ward 17 council seat in the 2003 municipal election.
Disero has continued to support gasification techniques for disposing urban waste. Some have suggested that she may return to municipal politics in the future.
Electoral record
| Candidate | Total votes | % of total votes |
|---|---|---|
| (x)Betty Disero | 8,711 | 83.33 |
| Romolo Cimaroli | 1,743 | 16.67 |
| Total valid votes | 10,454 | 100.00 |
| Candidate | Total votes | % of total votes |
|---|---|---|
| (x)Betty Disero | 10,747 | 28.86 |
| Dennis Fotinos | 7,587 | 20.38 |
| Rob Maxwell | 6,858 | 18.42 |
| John Doherty | 5,096 | 13.69 |
| Tony Letra | 4,788 | 12.86 |
| Dale Ritch | 1,111 | 2.98 |
| Jennifer Bauer | 1,049 | 2.82 |
| Total valid votes | 37,236 | 100.00 |
Electors could vote for two candidates in the 1997 election.
The percentages are determined in relation to the total number of votes.
| Candidate | Total votes | % of total votes |
|---|---|---|
| (x)Betty Disero | 6,360 | 68.41 |
| Fred Dominelli Fred Dominelli Fred Dominelli is a municipal politician in Toronto, Ontario.On May 22, 2003, City Council appointed Dominelli as an interim councillor to fill the vacancy in Ward 17 that was created when Betty Disero resigned her seat. Dominelli served as councillor until the 2003 municipal election in November,... |
2,937 | 31.59 |
| Total valid votes | 9,297 | 100.00 |
| Candidate | Total votes | % of total votes |
|---|---|---|
| (x)Betty Disero | acclaimed |
| Candidate | Total votes | % of total votes |
|---|---|---|
| Betty Disero | 5,096 | 45.98 |
| (x)Joseph Piccininni | 3,835 | 34.60 |
| Judy DeSousa | 1,871 | 16.88 |
| Nick Alfarano | 282 | 2.54 |
| Total valid votes | 11,084 | 100.00 |
Results taken from the Globe and Mail, 14 November 1985. The final official results were not significantly different.
| Candidate | Total votes | % of total votes |
|---|---|---|
| Betty Disero | 3,341 | 37.51 |
| Steve Horodecky | 2,787 | 31.29 |
| (x)Mary R. Cortese | 2,778 | 31.19 |
| Total valid votes | 8,906 | 100.00 |
Results taken from the Globe and Mail, 9 November 1982. The final results were not significantly different.