APPOINTMENT OF THE FIRST YOUTH CITY COUNCILLOR WILL EMPOWER VAUGHAN'S YOUNG PEOPLE

Vaughan has become the first city in Canada to have a high-school student sit on City Council as a non-voting member. Yesterday, Vaughan Council approved the appointment of 15-year-old Mark Anthony Frisoli to the new position of Vaughan Youth City Councillor as part of a pilot project to better engage local youth in civic matters.

"I congratulate Mark Frisoli and we all look forward to working with him in the coming months," said Mayor Michael Di Biase. "With his direct participation on Council, we will be able to better address any concerns of our young people as well as celebrate their achievements."

The pilot project will run for the remaining term of the 2003-06 Council. The Youth Councillor will be able to attend all meetings of Council, with the exception of closed sessions, and participate in official ceremonial functions. In addition, the student can earn course credits as part of a school co-op program.

Mark Frisoli is an honours student at Father Bressani Catholic High School in Woodbridge. He has served on student council and for the past two years has been a member of the Vaughan Youth Advisory Committee - now the Vaughan Youth Cabinet.

"I'm proud that we've given youth a meaningful voice at such an important time," said Regional Councillor Mario Ferri, who supported this initiative from its inception and championed the cause at Council. "Recent elections tell us civic participation among youth continues to decline; proactively providing opportunities like this one can only help to reverse that trend."

The creation of the position of Youth City Councillor was recommended in the Youth Strategy approved by Council in May, 2005, and is one component of a broader plan to encourage the participation of young people in municipal affairs. It also included the establishment of the Vaughan Youth Cabinet, consisting of 20 young people serving as an advisory committee to Council on various initiatives and programs. It was responsible for drafting the Roles and Responsibilities document for the position of the new Youth Councillor.

Mark Frisoli will attend his first Council meeting on March 20, at which time he will deliver his first "State of the Youth" report to Vaughan Council.

"I'm really excited that I've been given this opportunity," said Youth Councillor Frisilo. "It is a huge responsibility and I'm committed to doing whatever I can to make the youth perspective heard."

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