Veteran Toronto councillor Case Ootes to retire
By Kris Scheuer
(Written for Town Crier Jan. 6)
Councillor Case Ootes announced Jan. 6 he won't seek re-election after nearly 22 years in politics.
After two decades in municipal politics, Toronto-Danforth Councillor Case Ootes is calling it quits.
He announced today he will not run in the fall city election.
Former Leaside councillor Jane Pitfield plans to register this afternoon to run in his Ward 29.
“I am officially announcing today that I will not be running for re-election next October,” he told the media at 1:30 pm Jan. 6.
“I have been at it for 21 years and it’s been very rewarding, but I want to pursue some other things that are yet to be defined. And I want to spend more time traveling with my wife.”
“I do want to take the opportunity to thank the people of East York for re-electing me seven times over the last 21 years,” said the former deputy mayor under Mel Lastman. “My political career, from a personal point of view, has been fantastic,” said Ootes, who was first elected as an East York councillor in 1988.
He said the next city budget will be the main priority for him this spring. He would council to pay attention to core services, which he did not define.
Ootes said he voted for Pitfield when she ran for mayor of Toronto in 2006 and said he will “probably” endorse her when she campaigns in the ward he currently represents.
“I wish her well,” said Ootes, who is a member of the Responsible Government Group of centre to right wing councillors.
Kris Scheuer 
Sat down with Case Ootes Jan. 13 for a follow-up interview on his announcement he won’t run for re-election. The article will appear in the Riverdale East York Town Crier. Will post it on my site as soon as it’s be written and edited.