Stintz says Moeser a 'great' councillor, but wants him to go

Karen Stintz says she worked alongside Ron Moeser on council for more than a decade and thinks he's been "a great councillor, a great person," but also thinks someone else should take on his job this fall.

Moeser is the longtime councillor for Ward 44 Scarborough East. He waited until the last day possible to formally file his papers to run for re-election.

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But Stintz, up until now the three-term councillor for Ward 16 Eglinton-Lawrence, points to his attendance record over the past term as a partial indication of why she believes he should go.

"The incumbent councillor had an absence rate of over 50 per cent," she told CBC News on Tuesday.

Acknowledging that Moeser had dealt with illness, Stintz said "it's expected that you're going to show up."

Backing Jennifer McKelvie as her preferred candidate in Ward 44, Stintz says her concerns about Moeser aren't limited to his attendance record at city hall.

"It's the absenteeism, but it's also the issues in the community he wasn't addressing," she said.

McKelvie told CBC News she is seeking to be the next councillor in the ward because it needs better representation.

"We deserve better than a failed councillor and candidates that consistently fail to replace him. I'm the change our community deserves," she said Tuesday.

Stintz said McKelvie is "committed and dedicated" and will make "a great voice for Scarborough, for Ward 44."

Moeser could not immediately be reached for comment on Wednesday morning.

Stintz has served three terms on council, but voters won't see her name on the ballot on Monday.

She launched a mayoral bid in February, but later withdrew from the race in August.