Cutler elected to Westmount City Council

Philip Cutler 2005 became the youngest councillor in Westmount history when he was elected to serve District 2 in the November 3 municipal elections. At 24 years of age, Phillip continues a family history of firsts in Westmount municipal politics. When he was born, his grandmother, May, was sitting as Westmount’s first female mayor.

Philip defeated Peter Starr 301 votes to 219 in his second run at council. In his first bid for office four years ago, Philip lost by only 42 votes in a three-way race.

Phillip will be Commissioner of Public Security for the city, as well as sitting on the Administrative Traffic Committee.

Among his priorities, Philip lists traffic and parking issues, improved municipal efficiency through technology, and the need for a Bixi stand to serve Marianopolis students.

“My goal,” he says, “is to make everybody feel a part of this community – generate multi-generational interest and make them feel that all issues, large and small, are important.”

At McGill, Phil sat in the senate as a student representative for the education faculty and was the only undergraduate to be a member of the senate’s honorary degree selection committee.

Phil has served as Director of Membership for the Westmount Municipal Association, and ran a year-long project with the Westmount Independent called “When the Bell Rings,” designed to get students involved in their community.

In 2009 he helped organize Champagne Memories, a Toronto gala to raise funds for the Canadian Alzheimer’s Society, with hockey legend Bob Gainey as co-chair and CBC’s George Stroumboulopoulos as MC.

An education major at McGill University, four years ago Phil decided to put his skills to work and launched his own tutoring business, Laurus Education Services.