Venneri was initially a backbench supporter of the Doré administration and served as a city representative on the regional Montreal Urban Community.
[4] In 1987, Venneri spoke against Miron Inc.'s plans to continue operating a cement-mixing business near his ward that had long been subject to complaints about noise, pollution, and heavy traffic.
Miron's original quarry site had been purchased by the city in 1984 and shut down, but, due to an administrative error, the company later received a permit to build a new factory in the same area.
[6] Some political pundits believed that Venneri could win election to the House of Commons of Canada, but he ultimately finished second against Liberal incumbent André Ouellet.
[8] He ran under the latter party's banner in the 1990 municipal election and was defeated by fellow incumbent Vittorio Capparelli, an MCM councillor whose previous ward had been eliminated by redistribution.
[10] The CPM was unable to find a mayoral candidate, and in August 1994 Venneri helped merge the venerable organization into the newly formed Montrealers' Party.
Vision Montreal won a council majority, and Venneri served for the next three years as a backbench supporter of Pierre Bourque's administration.