Mayor John Tory has issued a last-minute endorsement of Mark Grimes, who is fighting for re-election against challengers questioning his attendance record and dealings with developers.

Voters in the new Ward 3 received robocalls Saturday with Tory urging them to vote for Grimes in Monday’s civic election.

Tory’s campaign told the Star that the mayor, who is seeking re-election, made his third council endorsement — following robocalls for Councillor Joe Mihevc in St. Paul’s and Beaches-East York challenger candidate Brad Bradford — because Grimes “has the determination and experience to get things done for Etobicoke-Lakeshore.

“Whether it’s bringing new bus routes to the ward or improving local community services — Mark Grimes gets it done. The mayor needs a council he can work with, a council that is focused on getting things done for Toronto residents.”

As councillor for current Ward 6, Grimes has been a strong Tory ally, voting with the conservative mayor on major issues about 84 per cent of the time, according to a scorecard kept by city hall observer Matt Elliott.

In the robocall, Tory says Grimes is “in a tough race with Pamela Gough.”

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Gough told the Star: “It’s the old boys’ network coming to the fore very visibly in Etobicoke Lakeshore, and I am not surprised.”

Grimes, a 15-year councillor who chairs the Etobicoke-York community council and Exhibition Place board, recently told the Star he is running on a record of improving transit to an area increasingly populated by condos, bringing news jobs, parks and recreation spaces to south Etobicoke.

“I’m once again fortunate to have not only an endorsement from Mayor John Tory but his support. He has also endorsed me in the last 3 elections,” Grimes told the Star in an email.

“Mayor Tory and I continue to share a vision for the future of Toronto, and I strongly believe I’m the only candidate in Ward 3 that will work with him at City Hall.”

But council race rivals, including Gough, a school board trustee, say it’s time for a change and point to issues including Grimes’ attendance record.

A Star review of councillor voting conducted last summer found Grimes absent for 33 per cent of council votes in 2018, and for 22.1 per cent of votes over the course of his most recent four-year term. (The Star counts votes instead of days absent, because a councillor may be at city hall but not in his or her seat.)

He also came under fire in 2016 after integrity commissioner Valerie Jepson found he had engaged in “improper” dealings with two different developers. While she found no evidence Grimes gained financially from the interactions, she scolded him for not following the rules.

The OPP has an ongoing probe that includes looking at the relationship Grimes and Justin Di Ciano, a council colleague not seeking re-election, have had with Etobicoke-based developer Dunpar Homes related to potential Municipal Elections Act violations.

CBC reported earlier this year the OPP anti-rackets unit was looking into whether further investigation was warranted into whether the councillors benefited from polling and research done by Campaign Research, and funded by Dunpar, before the 2014 election.

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Di Ciano and Grimes denied receiving the Dunpar-funded campaign polling. Receiving such polling is not against the rules but such costs, even if not directly paid by a candidate, would have to be included in post-election campaign finance declarations.

Amber Morley, who is running against Grimes with the endorsement of the Toronto & York Region Labour Council, told the Star on Saturday she was “disappointed” by Tory’s late intervention in the race.

“We haven’t been running a negative campaign against the incumbent despite his abysmal record,” she said. “I’m disappointed the mayor didn’t allow the race to play out in a fair way and if I’m elected he will have to deal with me, so that will be interesting.”

With files from Jennifer Pagliaro and Francine Kopun

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