Toronto’s mayoral race officially kicked off Monday and Rocco Rossi was the first candidate to throw his hat in the ring.
Rossi, the 47-year-old former national director of the federal Liberal Party and head of the Ontario Heart and Stroke Foundation, made his candidacy official by filing his papers at City Hall.
"Leadership has to start at the top and so I'm prepared, on Day One, to take a ten per cent cut in the mayor's salary," Rossi told reporters on Monday.
"This is not going to solve the fiscal crisis on its own, but unless City Council, unless the mayor is prepared to lead by example, you're not going to get the necessary action that follows."
Rossi, who’s never run for public office, headed up John Tory’s failed
2003 mayoral campaign. Tory, who many expect will run again, still says
he’s considering his options.
If elected, Rossi has vowed to maintain his salary freeze for the four-year term and sell off Toronto Hydro.
"We're going to stop just talking about selling assets; we're going to sell assets," he promised.
Rossi, who has worked for both the federal Liberal and the provincial Progressive Conservative parties, did not say where his allegiances lie.
“Call me a blue Liberal or a red Tory, but call me effective and call me mayor,” he said in December when he announced his candidacy for the mayor’s seat.
Another prominent Liberal is vying for Toronto’s top job. Former Ontario cabinet minister George Smitherman is also expected to file his candidacy papers at City Hall this week.
On Monday, he resigned as MPP for Toronto-Centre.
City councilllor Giorgio Mammoliti is also expected to officially enter the race in the coming days.