What they said. What's true. What they can actually do.
City council · updated 13 Oct 2026
Ward 24 Scarborough–Guildwood
Who is running for Toronto City Council in Ward 24 Scarborough–Guildwood in the October 26, 2026 municipal election: how the 6 certified candidates differ, what they have committed to, and whether the City could deliver it. Information as of 13 Oct 2026.
6 candidates: Paul Ainslie, Robert Bazil, Jithender Mulamalla, Nachi Ramasamy, Arun Sivanandan, An Wu. Incumbent: Paul Ainslie.
The mayor and 25 councillors each have one vote; most decisions need a majority, so one councillor cannot change a by-law or the budget alone.
The mayor proposes the budget, can veto council's budget changes and some by-laws (two-thirds of council overrides), and can pass by-laws on provincial priorities with one-third support.
Council sets property tax, the budget, zoning and by-laws, and runs services such as roads, parks, water, shelters and libraries.
Developers can appeal planning decisions to the Ontario Land Tribunal, a provincial body council cannot overrule; since 2024 most residents cannot appeal.
The Province decides rent control and evictions, new schools, GO trains and the Ontario Line, highway tolls, bike lanes that remove a traffic lane, and election rules.
Council sets the police budget total and the TTC subsidy; the police board and Chief decide how policing works, and the TTC Board runs transit.
Where they differ
Candidates grouped by what they have said.
Should more road space go to protected bike lanes? (Roads and cycling)
Yes: separated lanes on major corridors: Mulamalla
Finish approved lanes, add few new ones (Build Canada): Ainslie
No position found: Bazil, Ramasamy, Sivanandan, Wu
Little disagreement, or few spoke: Housing, Homelessness, Transit, Policing and safety, Taxes and budget, City services, Flooding and infrastructure, Parks and waterfront, Environment, Small business, Community services, Governance. See Issue by issue.
The candidates
6 certified, in alphabetical order. Each card counts the commitments on record and how many are firm (pledged, or “will push for”), then shows the 4 they lead with. Counts reflect how much a candidate has published and how they phrase it; more is not better. Chips show how feasible each is and how firmly it was stated. Surveys and forums counted: Build Canada, TTCriders survey, TTCriders pledge, Environmental Alliance pledge, Cycle Toronto.
Paul Ainslie
Councillor since 2006; Deputy Mayor for Scarborough since May 2025, chair of Scarborough Community Council and a TTC board member. Leads on housing and strong communities, safety, transportation and infrastructure, jobs, and a voice for Scarborough.
Top commitments
19 on record, 7 firm.
Housing options built to fit each neighbourhood (∼Vague; Supports). Sources
Paralegal and notary public; says he was chief reporter at the Guyana Chronicle and moved to Canada in 2008. Leads on listening to residents, local priorities, accountable City government and connecting the community.
“”Self-reported: career
Top commitments
5 on record, 1 firm.
Hear from residents across the ward (∼Vague; Pledges). Sources
No campaign website or biography found. Positions come from surveys: Yes to every TTCriders and Cycle Toronto question, with comments leading on separated bike lanes and fair cycling investment.
Top commitments
5 on record, 2 firm.
Equitable investment in active transportation (∼Vague; Will push for). Sources
No campaign website or biography found. Positions are from the TTCriders survey: Yes to all 18, with comments leading on TTC funding, local decision-making and student fares.
Top commitments
7 on record, 0 firm.
Long-term TTC funding from Ontario and Ottawa (→Outside City control; Would advocate). Sources
One line per candidate, as firmly as they stated it.
Roads and cycling
Ainslie: Build Canada: finish approved bike lanes, few new reallocations; picked car capacity and parking when space is short but wants a mix. New routes should connect.. Sources
Mulamalla: Would prioritize separated bike lanes on major corridors and will push for fairer cycling investment; Yes to all five Cycle Toronto pledges.. Sources
Housing: Ainslie wants new housing to fit each neighbourhood and more homes on transit avenues, and will keep opposing the Province's six-tower Guildwood GO plan as proposed. Bazil names affordable housing.. Sources
Transit: Ainslie, Mulamalla and Ramasamy said Yes to all 18 TTCriders questions, including a RapidTO route in the ward; Ainslie and Bazil signed its pledge. Bazil wants better TTC operator training.. Sources
Policing and safety: Ainslie leads on partnerships with police and community groups and says the police budget should rise with inflation; Bazil on youth programs; Ramasamy would balance compassion with accountability on transit.. Sources
Taxes and budget: Ainslie voted for the 2024–26 tax rates; Build Canada: property-tax revenue should grow with inflation and population. No tax position found for the others.. Sources
Flooding and infrastructure: No flooding proposals found.
Parks and waterfront: Ainslie points to Guild Park work with community groups: new washrooms and seating, and a trail rebuild planned for 2027. No other park proposals found.. Sources
Environment: Ainslie and Mulamalla signed the Environmental Alliance pledge (heat by-law for rentals, trees, single-use waste, data-centre pause, building emissions). Bazil names the environment.. Sources
Small business: Ainslie is committed to attracting investment and supporting small businesses, and wants more Business Improvement Areas. No other proposals found.. Sources
Community services: Bazil plans City-funded pilots for single mothers, including child care, and names seniors; Mulamalla supports community bike programs.. Sources
Governance: Build Canada: Ainslie says strong-mayor powers should mainly be used to set spending and taxes without a majority. Bazil says the incumbent has served about a decade; see Numbers checked.. Sources
Could the City actually do it? Each proposal is rated once, the same way in every race. A rating is about the proposal, not the candidate.
◐Possible but hard
City-funded child care measures: Bazil. Decides: City Council.
Cheaper fares for students: Ramasamy. Decides: TTC Board and City Council (budget).
→Outside City control
More money or powers from other governments: Ramasamy. Decides: Province of Ontario (and the federal government).
Keep TTC decisions local: Ramasamy. Decides: Province of Ontario.
✓Already exists
More bike parking: Mulamalla
Safer crossings, school zones, traffic calming: Mulamalla
∼Vague
Housing quality and neighbourhood character (no measure named): Ainslie
Prevention-first approach to crime (no measure named): Ainslie, Bazil
Transit goals with no mechanism named: Ainslie, Ramasamy
Smoother travel (no measure named): Ainslie
Support main streets and local businesses: Ainslie
More job training (no program named): Ainslie
Represent residents, work cooperatively and be accessible: Bazil
Protect or improve services (no measure named): Bazil
Better cycling network (no measure named): Mulamalla
Community programs or support (no measure named): Mulamalla
Every catalogued commitment, by candidate
Alphabetical. Firm: pledged, or “will push for”. Counts reflect how much each candidate has published and how they phrase it; more commitments is not a better platform. Proposals a candidate opposes are not counted.
Ainslie: 19 on record, 7 firm. Realistic 1 · Possible but hard 2 · Outside City control 2 · Already exists 1 · Vague 12 · Not rated 1
Bazil: 5 on record, 1 firm. Possible but hard 2 · Vague 3
Mulamalla: 5 on record, 2 firm. Possible but hard 1 · Already exists 2 · Vague 2
Ramasamy: 7 on record, 0 firm. Possible but hard 2 · Outside City control 2 · Vague 3
Sivanandan: 0 on record, 0 firm
Wu: 0 on record, 0 firm
Numbers checked
Up to two checked figures per candidate, and every checked claim about a rival, compared with official records or dated news.
Figures candidates cite
✓Accurate: Ainslie: says he has 20 years of elected service. City records show him first elected in 2006.. Sources
≈Mostly accurate: Ainslie: helped create the area's first BIA, Cedarbrae-Markham-Lawrence. A Nov 2024 City report recommended creating it in his ward; records don't say it was the first.. Sources
≈Mostly accurate: Bazil: average home prices hover around $1.2 million. TRREB's September 2026 City of Toronto average was $1.03 million for all homes, $1.21 million for semi-detached.. Sources
≈Mostly accurate: Bazil: the incumbent has been in office about a decade. Ainslie has represented Ward 24 since 2018 but has been on Council since 2006.. Sources
Method: Built from 256 sourced rows read 12 October 2026: candidates' own materials, City records, dated news and organizers' surveys. Each proposal is rated once, the same way in every race. Positions are recorded only as firmly as stated. An agent that did not draft the page checked it before publication. Labels appear only on facts that are not confirmed. The rubric defines ratings and strength words. Source dates shown without a year are in 2026.
Corrections: 13 October 2026: Cross-ward check: Ainslie's "I continue to advocate" reads Will push for.
Researched and drafted with AI, checked against linked sources. To report an error: corrections@spinfilterto.ca.
This guide is independent and non-partisan. It does not recommend, rank or score candidates.