Preceded by New Riding Spouse(s) Deborah Morrish Succeeded by Riding abolished Name Tom Jakobek | Preceded by Pat Sheppard Succeeded by Riding abolished | |
Tom Jakobek for Mayor Toronto 2003
Tom Jakobek (born c. 1959) is a former member of the Toronto City Council. He was first elected to council in 1982 after first serving as a school trustee since 1980. He remained a city councillor until 2000.
Contents
- Tom Jakobek for Mayor Toronto 2003
- Tom Jakobek 2003 Toronto Mayoral Candidate
- Background
- Politics
- Mayoral race 2003
- Later life
- References
Tom Jakobek 2003 Toronto Mayoral Candidate
Background
Jakobek holds degrees from the University of Toronto. Certificate in Public Administration (CPA), 1981. Honours Bachelor of Arts, B.A., 1982. Masters of Health Science, MHSC, 2002.
Jakobek is the son-in-law of former veteran Scarborough councillor Ken Morrish.
Politics
Jakobek was for many years a bulwark of the council's right-wing. He became city budget chief in 1990, and held the position for the next ten years despite an attempt by Barbara Hall and others to oust him in 1994. In this capacity, he delivered nine consecutive budgets with no tax increases. Following the city's amalgamation in 1997, Jakobek emerged as a prominent ally of new mayor Mel Lastman. In 2000, he retired from politics in disgrace after an investigation found "he lied, prevaricated, stalled, obfuscated and lied some more, all of which was a strategy to obstruct any investigation of his dealings with MFP". He later served briefly as a vice-president at Toronto East General Hospital.
Mayoral race, 2003
He ran for Mayor of Toronto in 2003 following Lastman's retirement, but garnered barely 5,000 votes across the entire city, less than one per cent of the total votes cast. His candidacy was hurt by allegations of improper conduct in a computer leasing deal between the City of Toronto and MFP Financial Services. In prior testimony at the Toronto Computer Leasing Inquiry, Jakobek had admitted to lying about his involvement in a controversial computer leasing deal between the city and MFP.
Later life
In 2008, Jakobek and his family appeared in the Canadian reality TV show Spoiled Rotten on Slice, which showcased the family's lavish lifestyle. The show was panned by Globe and Mail TV critic John Doyle, who characterized the show as being "so appalling that normal people will just want to turn it off."