Pantalone: "There is no conflict of interest - period" (2009)

Contract goes to insider 

Do you remember the selection process for a hotel at Exhibition Place?  Does Rocco Maragna ring a bell? Mr Maragna was part of the Board of Governors that would select the winning bid to build a hotel on the City-owned Exhibition grounds.  Mr Maragna voted in favour of HK Hotels in March of 2008 and was hired as the project`s architect a year later.  He remained on the Board until September of 2009.  Although he did declare a conflict of interest whenever the hotel project was discussed, he made presentations to the Board on behalf of HK Hotels while still on the Board.

Joe Pantalone, Deputy Mayor, strongly defended the deal. It probably helped that he and Maragna are good friends.  At Council, friends watch our for each other`s backs.  

Regardless of the merits of the project by the winning bidder and its architect, Mr Maragna should have resigned as soon as he entered into negotiations to design the hotel.  The fact that he didn't and remained on the Board a half year after being hired makes the whole deal seem stinky.  Legal or not it was certainly unethical. 

Regardless, Council decided to back Mr Maragna as architect for the $100 million project 36-4.  Friends backing friends backing friends.

Agreed with hiring of Rocco Maragna as architect of the hotel he voted for in 2008: Ashton, Augimeri, Bussin, Carroll, Cho, Davis, De Baeremaeker, Di Giorgio, Filion, Fletcher, Giambrone, Hall, Heaps, Holyday, Jenkins, Kelly, Lee, Lindsay, Luby, Mammoliti, McConnell, Mihevc, Milczyn, Miller, Moeser, Moscoe, Palacio, Pantalone, Parker, Perks, Perruzza, Rae, Saundercook, Stintz,
Thompson, Vaughan, Walker

Against: Ford, Minnan-Wong, Nunziata, Ootes