Shelley Carroll

Shelley Carroll is a city councillor in Toronto, Canada. She represents Ward 33 Don Valley East, one of the two Don Valley East wards. She is also currently serving as the Chairperson of the Budget Committee.

Originally the operator of a day care centre, she first rose to prominence as head of the North York Parent Assembly and then the Toronto Educational Assembly. Both groups pushed for more funding to public education, and campaigned vigorously against the cuts by the Ontario provincial government of Premier Mike Harris.

In the 2000 municipal election, she was elected as a school board trustee, managing to oust the incumbent. The school board endured fierce battles over cuts to education, and Carroll became the leader of faction refusing to accept the Harris cuts implemented by Paul Christie. She mounted a campaign to oust chair Donna Cansfield, whom some described as a supporter of Christie's initiatives. The council was so evenly split, however, that Carroll and Cansfield were eventually made co-chairs. For her activism, she was awarded a Golden Jubilee Medal.

In the 2003 municipal election, she decided to run for city council when incumbent Paul Sutherland (politician) left to run in the provincial election. Her main opponent was former city councillor Rob Davis, a Progressive Conservative. Carroll is aligned with the Liberal Party, but backed David Miller, a New Democrat, for mayor in the election.

After the 2006 municipal election she was appointed to the important position of budget chair, replacing David Soknacki. Carroll served as Acting Deputy Mayor of Toronto, and was the lead elected official of the city on hand, in the immediate aftermath of the 2008 Toronto explosions.

External links

* [http://www.shelleycarroll.ca Shelley Carroll official website]
* [http://www.toronto.ca/councillors/carroll1.htm Shelley Carroll profile on City of Toronto website]
* [http://councillorcarrollupdates.blogspot.com Shelley Carroll's blog]