Newly elected Ward 3 Councillor and Deputy Mayor Amber Morley says her small office is working hard and explains why there has been delays in getting back to frustrated  Etobicoke Lakeshore constituents.

Many residents have taken to social media to complain that Morley’s office cannot be reached and does not respond to repeated phone calls or e-mails.

“I know there have been delays,” Morley wrote on social media. “I want to emphasize that any delay in our response is not a reflection of our commitment to your concerns but rather a result of the sheer volume of work we’re currently managing.”

Morley in her first-year message said her eight-member staff have been swamped since taking office in November 2022.

“I have been working tirelessly since we first took office under a year ago,” she said. “When we arrived, we received no documentation on prior work done in the office.”

Morley wrote that she and her staff works tirelessly with City of Toronto staff and local residents to ‘get up to speed on hundreds of complex projects and initiatives across the ward.

“My small team receives an average of over 300 inquiries every day on a wide range of topics,” she wrote. “As a new office, we tackle specific questions about issues we are encountering for the first time every day.”

Morley wrote that Etobicoke-Lakeshore is the largest municipal ward in the country, with 142,000 residents, and one of the fastest growing wards in the City.

“We are actively managing hundreds of open capital improvement projects throughout our ward,” the councillor said. “This high volume of inquiries and projects is a testament to the incredible civic engagement in our community.”

Her office, she said, is working on more than 130 active development applications, including the former Mr. Christie site, Cloverdale Mall Redevelopment and 220 Lake Promenade rebuild. There are also hundreds of infrastructure projects ranging from local sewer maintenance projects to new parks.

She also sits on 11 City committees and boards that meet monthly.

“Your concerns are our top priority, and we are working hard to ensure that each one is addressed comprehensively,” according to the Deputy Mayor. ‘’We are constantly exploring ways to improve our processes, streamline our communications, and ensure that your concerns are addressed in a timely manner.’’

She is encouraging those who haven’t received a response to follow up by phone or email.

‘’We are genuinely committed to our role as public servants and to making Etobicoke-Lakeshore a better place for all,’’ she said.