Giorgio Mammoliti - Municipal Politics

Municipal Politics

On city council, he was noted for his unsuccessful attempt to lure a National Hockey League team to North York. When North York and other municipalities were merged to form the new City of Toronto in 1997, Mammoliti was elected to the Toronto City Council. At around the same time, he quit the NDP and joined the Liberal Party (this decision did not affect his standing on council, as all Toronto councillors are elected as independents). On council, his highest profile role was as the chair of the Toronto Zoo.

Mammoliti has represented Ward 7 – York West for the past 15 years, in which he served as Chair of the Affordable Housing Committee, Chair of the Toronto Zoo Board, Co-Chair of Canada Municipalities Housing Action Network – Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), Chair of the City's International Committee, as well as a member of Toronto's Executive Committee.

He also attracted attention due to a bitter dispute with fellow councillor Rob Ford. The two represent neighbouring wards and generally represented the right-wing, but were frequently in conflict, generally over Ford's fiscal conservatism, and particularly over Mammoliti's office budgets. In one argument, Ford reportedly called Mammoliti "Gino Boy", which was taken as an anti-Italian slur. As a result of Ford's comment, Mammoliti filled a human rights complaint against Ford. Mammoliti's son Michael filed his papers to run against Ford in the 2003 municipal election but withdrew at the last moment. In 2007, he called for an investigation of Ford and Doug Holyday after they filed total expenses of $0 and $1,471 in 2006, respectively.

Mammoliti is generally considered a right-leaning and socially conservative member of council. He was an outspoken supporter of Toronto Police Chief Julian Fantino, and spearheaded an unsuccessful effort to pressure the Toronto Police Services Board to renew Fantino's contract. In the 2003 election, he supported John Tory's bid to become Mayor of Toronto.

In March 2011, Mammoliti reiterated his desire to open legal brothels on the Toronto Islands, as it would discourage prostitutes from opening illegal brothels in his ward. Mammoliti claimed that prostitution was already occurring at Hanlan's Point, a clothing optional beach. Some residents of the island are opposed to the idea, and some Toronto Police officers say Mammoliti's claims of ongoing prostitution on the beach are unfounded.

On July 28–29, 2011, the executive committee of Toronto City Council heard deputations by 169 Torontonians on the hundreds of millions of dollars in budget cuts suggested by KPMG consultants. Mammoliti claimed there were "very few" worthwhile deputations and described the event as a "socialist party".

In response to the late July executive committee meeting, Mammoliti launched a “Save the City...Support the Ford Administration” Facebook group in August 2011. He indicated that he created the group so that the "taxpayer" would have an opportunity to comment on how municipal taxes should be spent in Toronto and stated: “If you smell like someone who can be a part of the Communist Party you’re not going to be welcome on the site." On August 11, 2011 Mammoliti suggested the "communist movement" hides in the NDP and added that he wants to "weed out the communists in this city."