Jon Burnside is back as councillor for Ward 16 Don Valley East, and his priorities include public safety, responsible City budgeting and a new vision for the Ontario Science Centre.

Coun. Burnside won the councillor seat with 71.35% of the vote. On Nov. 15, he’ll begin his second term in this ward — and third on city council since he represented the former (and overlapping) Ward 26 from 2014 to 2018. In this year’s race, Sinan Erdemir came in second with 12.23% and Stacey Moffatt third with 8.48%.

The Green Line reached out to Burnside to learn more about his priorities for the next four years. He declined to respond at this time, so we compiled promises and priorities shared during his campaign this election season. Here’s what you can look forward to:

• Transparency and responsible fiscal management: Burnside says the City should prioritize core responsibilities, including road maintenance, parks and emergency services, and stop taking on provincial and federal duties.
• A future for the Ontario Science Centre: Burnside says he will advocate for a new vision for the site that addresses local concerns and creates opportunities for education and recreation.
• Public safety: Burnside says the City’s police leadership should do better in meeting the needs of Torontonians “with the resources now available to a well-funded police service,” according to his re-election website.
• TTC service: Burnside says the TTC must fulfill its mandate as a safe, reliable and efficient public transit system.

Here’s how Burnside responded to election pledges shared by local organizations and advocacy groups:

• Burnside didn’t respond to the Community-led Planning Pledge to fund community-led planning and center community voices. 
• He didn’t sign or respond to TTC Riders’ pledge to push for more reliable, affordable, accessible, frequent, fast, and safe public transit.
• He didn’t respond to Cycle Toronto’s pledge to improve cycling infrastructure in the city.
• He didn’t respond to demands raised by Toronto ACORN to give RentSafeTO teeth, stand up to Ontario and tackle heat and affordability. You can check the details here.
• He didn’t sign the Toronto Environmental Alliance’s pledge to commit to voting for a maximum temperature bylaw, plant trees in hot neighbourhoods, cut single-use trash at big events, pause approvals for big AI data centres and cut emissions.

What priorities would you like The Green Line to track and report on in the coming year? Leave a comment on this page.