A political rival in Toronto's Ward 5 York South-Weston has filed an official integrity complaint against Councillor Frances Nunziata, alleging that her employment of a consultant with multiple professional ties creates conflicts of interest. Daniel Di Giorgio, a Toronto Catholic District School Board trustee and council candidate, expressed shock over the situation.
Consultant's Multiple Roles Questioned
Di Giorgio pointed out that Marilyn McCrea, the consultant in question, appears to have professional conflicts due to her simultaneous work for Nunziata's office, a local developer, and the Weston Village Business Improvement Area (BIA). He also noted that McCrea is paid through monthly consulting fees rather than from the regular staff budget.
“It's not a huge secret that this woman has basically been following Frances Nunziata around for the better part of a year,” Di Giorgio told the Toronto Sun. While developer Castlepoint Numa stated that McCrea no longer works for them, she remains listed as a director with the Weston Village BIA, despite a form from Nunziata's office indicating she lives in Grimsby and is politically active there.
Response from Nunziata's Office
The Toronto Sun sent questions to Nunziata's office regarding the complaint, McCrea's employment status, duties, and potential conflicts. The office responded with a brief statement: “Marilyn has a contract with councillor to provide office support as the councillor is short-staffed.” Contact information for McCrea could not be found, and the BIA did not respond to inquiries. The integrity commissioner's office also declined to comment.
When asked whether a councillor's employee can make submissions to city hall committees—as McCrea appears to have done on behalf of the Weston Village BIA—the City of Toronto referred to the municipal code, which appears to permit it. In one instance, McCrea sent a letter from the BIA endorsing plans for the Weston Lions Arena to Mayor Olivia Chow's executive committee last fall.
“You cannot possibly submit correspondence on behalf of the BIA on issues where you're consulting with the councillor's office at the same time and not declare a conflict,” Di Giorgio said. “Like, the whole thing is so laughable. It just makes me sick.”
Financial Details and Developer Ties
Expenses filed for Nunziata's office showed $44,774.40, including taxes, was spent on McCrea's services last year. The monthly billing started at $4,000 and increased to $5,000 by year-end. A form filed with city hall indicates Nunziata paid McCrea for January and February of this year. Additionally, McCrea was listed as the community liaison for Castlepoint Numa's Weston Park and 1800 Weston development projects, located near Lawrence Ave. and Weston Rd. in Nunziata's ward.
Farzi Jalali, a vice-president with Castlepoint Numa, confirmed that McCrea has not worked as a consultant for the developer since 2024 and her name “will be removed shortly” from project websites. Her name had been present on the websites for both projects before the Toronto Sun contacted the developer.
Political Context and Future
Nunziata, the longtime city council Speaker, has been in municipal politics since 1988 and a Toronto city councillor since 1997. She was previously the subject of an integrity complaint in the last municipal election, where her office misused constituent emails, leading to a formal apology in 2024. Di Giorgio, a lifelong resident of the ward, is running for council due to disappointment with Nunziata and Mayor Chow's leadership, citing out-of-control spending and a lack of trust.
It remains unclear if Di Giorgio will face Nunziata in the October municipal election, as her office stated she has yet to decide on seeking another term. Di Giorgio expects the integrity commissioner to defer a decision on his complaint until after the vote. “As far as I'm concerned, she's toast as a candidate no matter what,” he said. “This is more so just, this transpired, it's offside and I wasn't about to just let it go.”
