About David

67 years old

Hometown: Scarborough, Ontario

David Soknacki is the founder of the Densgrove Park Community Association and was elected councillor for Ward 43 (Scarborough East) in 1999. He served as budget chief under former mayor David Miller until 2006, when he retired from politics to run his food flavouring company.

Socknacki says he would support the expansion of the island airport if it could comply with more stringent emission and noise regulation along with federal safety standards. His support is also contingent on a council approved plan for transit and infrastructure upgrades connecting the airport to the rest of the city.^[1]

Gardiner Expressway

Soknacki is against tearing down the Eastern Gardiner Expressway. “If we have alternate ways to get around, let’s get rid of it, or let’s build on top of it. Right now, until there is funding for transit, I think we ought to keep it.” said Soknacki.^[2]

Auto Congestion

Soknacki supports the elimination of on-street parking on “major” downtown streets like Bloor, College, and University in order to reduce congestion.^[3]

Soknacki is against the Scarborough subway expansion and is in favour of developing the originally planned 7-stop Light Rail Transit extension.^[4]

Soknacki supports the creation of a downtown relief subway line using the money saved by the cancellation of the Scarborough Subway expansion.^[3]

Transit

Soknacki has proposed free transit fares for commuters boarding before 7 a.m.^[3]

Soknacki has proposed the transformation of Dentonia Park Golf Course into a multi-use park containing soccer fields and cricket pitches.^[5]

Culture

No specific policy has been suggested in the party's current platform.

Cycling

If elected, Soknacki promises to double funding for the construction of bike lanes and allocate three million dollars to improve the city’s 100 most unsafe points for cyclists.^[6]

If elected, Soknacki would outsource garbage collection in half of the territory east of Yonge Street and have city employees continue to collect the other half.^[7]

After School Programs

No specific policy has been suggested in the party's current platform.

Public Housing

If elected, Soknancki vows to decentralize TCHC into smaller agencies that can bring management closer to residents. He would also support the continued reduction of the tax rate for multi-unit residential building past 2015.^[8]

Soknacki has stated that an increased Property Tax is essential for funding necessary transit infrastructure expansion across the city.^[9]

Soknacki vows to reform the land transfer tax by indexing tax brackets to inflation in housing prices, thereby reducing the tax burden if prices continue to rise.^[10]

Small Businesses

Soknacki would make opening small business' easier by modernizing license services so transactions could be handled online, and have business license fees due at the end of their first year instead of upon registration.^[11]

If elected, Soknacki would support the creation of an “entrepreneur-in-residence program”, similar to one launched in San Francisco, where local entrepreneurs are invited to partner with government each year to develop innovative solutions to public sector problems.^[12]