THE CITY: Ugly old Toronto Council will show its true face on Ombudsman decision

As a branding, or rather a re-branding exercise, it’s been a success.

But here is the thing about branding: it is not in fact the same thing as reform. Underneath all those smiles and handshakes, the old ugly Toronto Council still seethes.

Case in point: the tenuous tenure of Toronto’s Ombudsman, Fiona Crean.

Crean has, over the course of her time at city hall, been properly about reform. Her office was established in the City of Toronto Act, under David Miller – as a direct result of the MFP computer leasing scandal and public inquiry that showed just how dirty city politics could get.

The Ombudsman, along with the Integrity Commissioner, Lobbyist Registrar and pre-existing Auditor General, were intended to guard against that kind of thing happening again. And of the four, Crean and to a lesser extent the Integrity Commissioner were put in place to make sure that the city’s and council’s engagement with the public, and public service, was fair and above-board.

Crean has done a good job at that. Over the course of her time at city hall, her office has investigated Toronto Water’s dealings with the public, Toronto Community Housing’s practice of evicting fragile senior tenants, the Toronto Transit Commission’s approach to land expropriation and community council and numerous other municipal failings that have dutifully been corrected.

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She’s also investigated some complaints that have gone against various political agendas, and in one notable case, strayed into the political realm directly, when in 2012 she reported out on the 2011 public appointments process.

Following that report, which indicated that the mayor’s office had exercised undue influence among committee members to stack local boards, she very nearly found her potentially 10-year appointment cut short. The mayor’s office pushed hard for her contract not to be renewed, and finally as a kind of compromise he and council extended her contract two years.

Since then, Crean has continued to upset applecarts.

An investigation into TCHC management resulted in the resignation of Gene Jones, the CEO who was a favourite of Mayor Ford’s. She has continued to publicize her investigations, sometimes offering up catchy titles to the reports to ensure that the public is aware of the work that she’s done.

This week, her reappointment is coming up again. Under the rules of the City of Toronto Act, she requires 30 votes on council – two-thirds of the entire council. The matter came up at last month’s meeting, and was deferred until this meeting after supporters of Crean did a count and realized they didn’t have anywhere close to 30 votes – in fact, based on the deferral vote, they barely had a majority.

Councillors opposing the reappointment have coolly suggested that it is simply time for a change – that although Crean has fulfilled her mandate to the letter, a change in the Ombudsman’s office is, well, just a good thing.

That would hold more water, had any of those councillors voted to renew the Auditor General’s office by not extending long-serving AG Jeff Griffiths in 2011. The renewal then was unanimous.

Whatever happens with Crean’s reappointment, it won’t be unanimous. Crean has, through fulfilling her mandate, embarrassed and thwarted far too many of the nice, virtuous post-Ford Toronto Council. Branding can only carry you so far.

David Nickle is Metroland Media Toronto’s City Hall reporter.