Time for TTC to look forward, mayor says of Webster's ouster

Webster out. TTC chief general manager Gary Webster, left, confers with TTC communications staff Brad Ross prior to the start of the meeting. The commission, in the background, prepares to meet. Staff photo/DAVID NICKLE

Webster stayed away from the commission meeting through the afternoon while commissioners hashed out details of his dismissal in private.

At the end, he offered a brief statement.

"I just want to say very clearly that this is not how I expected this to end or how I wanted this to end," he said. "The choice has been made to replace me as Chief General Manager and I respect that. I'm very proud of the transit service and it's a great organization. It's got excellent employees we do a great job every day, and that's not going to change. Tomorrow morning the service is going to be out in the street and it's going to be good - and under Andy's leadership, it's going to be even better."

"Andy" is Andy Byford, the TTC's chief operating officer and deputy chief general manager. He will be taking over Webster's role on an interim baseis.

"The commission has spoken, we move on - I understand what the decision of the commission has been," said Byford. "My focus will be on the day to day running of the TTC."

The meeting had been called by five commissioners closely allied with Mayor Rob Ford - Denzil Minnan-Wong, Norm Kelly, Vincent Crisanti, Cesar Palacio and Frank Di Giorgio. The move closely followed a historic vote by Toronto Council that rejected Mayor Ford's transit plan that involved burying the Eglinton-Scarborough Crosstown light rail line through Scarborough and building a subway along Sheppard Avenue into Scarborough.

At the meeting, Webster advised council that light rail was a better solution for transit in suburban corridors like Sheppard and Eglinton.

While most of the TTC meeting was held in private, after the item came to a vote several commissioners spoke publicly. Di Giorgio said that his decision to fire Webster was not based on his competence, but his inability to reflect the views and agenda of the mayor.

"In a bureaucracy, excellence is defined differently," she said. "It's the ability to work consistently with the vision of the mayor."

The meeting was an emotional one. Both the chair, Karen Stintz, and vice-chair Peter Milczyn didn't support the motion to fire Webster.

Milczyn said that Webster had been effective in modernizing and innovating at the TTC, which he described as a conservative organization.

"Over the last few years, change has happened and the chief general manager assisted with this," he said.

Stintz, meanwhile, said that she had not heard a case for the timing of firing Webster, which will cost taxpayers approximately $500,000. His contract was set to expire in July, 2013, and Stintz went into the meeting wondering the reason for the timing now.

"Coming into the meeting I had questions of 'why now' and 'what next,'" she said. "What next is we need to search for a new CGM. The why now is not answered."

Commissioner Maria Augimeri made a more emotional plea.

"Today is a clear demonstration of an abuse of power and privilege," she asaid. "I've never seen anything like this before. I've been a councilllor for 30 years. He was told what was expected of him and he did it, and he exceeded it. You're kicking success out the door. What are you thinking?"

There were no deputations allowed at the meeting, but at its conclusion Stintz offered an open-mike session in an adjoining committee room at city hall where supporters of Webster spoke out against the decision.

Mayor Ford waited until Wednesday morning to speak out on the matter. In a written statement, Ford expressed his support for the decision by the commission.

"I support the Commission's decision on the departure of Mr. Webster. Gary has served Toronto and the TTC well in his years of service. He was an important element in the organization's many successes to date and can proudly point to a list of accomplishments," said Ford.

"But, it's time for the organization to look forward. The Commissioners tell me this. Councillors tell me this. The general public - and subway, streetcar and bus passengers all tell me it's time for change."