Business continues at City Hall while questions about the Fords’ future remain

TORONTO, Ont. – While Toronto Mayor Rob Ford’s lawyer prepares to apply for a stay in the conflict-of-interest ruling, rumours are abuzz at City Hall over who may take over the city’s top job, while a Toronto Star report suggested Doug Ford would want to run for mayor in a byelection.

However, Councillor Ford has denied it, telling CityNews Channel he only has one thing on his mind.

“Rob’s the Mayor. I’ll do anything to make sure Rob stays as Mayor,” he said. “He’s saved the taxpayers a billion dollars and he’s going to continue saving the taxpayers money.”

The primary plan is still to try to get the stay so that Rob Ford can remain in the mayor’s chair while the appeal process plays out. However, his brother said if push comes to shove, the right thing to do is a byelection.

Ford’s legal team will try for that on Dec. 5, which would keep Ford in office until the appeal is heard on Jan. 7, 2013. Currently, he has been ordered out by Monday December 10.

The city’s lawyer said the Mayor cannot run in a byelection, if that is the way council decides to resolve the crisis. The byelection option is council’s decision and not the Ford family team.

However, Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti isn’t fond of the byelection because of the $7-million price tag, but “the agenda that the public has set up for us to do has always been a good one.”

“I’ll be supporting anybody that wants to carry forward with that agenda,” he added.

Councillor Karen Stintz agrees, saying that if the appeal is unsuccessful, “I believe we should have a byelection and let the people decide.”

She’s still hoping, however, that an appeal will be settled before January.

Meanwhile, a new poll by Forum Research shows if Trinity-Spadina MP Olivia Chow were to run, she could beat both of the Ford brothers.

“No matter what match up we put against (Chow), she wins. She wins handily,” pollster Lorne Bozinoff told CityNews Channel. “If the Mayor’s allowed to run again, he’s very, very strong too. He’ll beat anyone pretty much but Olivia Chow.”

John Tory’s name has come up as well.

“If you don’t have a major candidate like Olivia Chow, if it’s (Tory) and Doug Ford and Adam Vaughan, he does very well. It’s competitive like a three-way race,” Bozinoff added.

However, there is no word on whether or not Tory would be interested in the city’s top job. Meanwhile, Chow – in Ottawa on business – said she has yet to make up her mind.

“I’ll consider what role I might play after the court [has] made a decision,” she said.

With all these questions up in the air, business continued as usual at city hall, Wednesday, with Council deciding to quash to plastic bag ban for the time being, among other issues discussed.

“We’re still getting through the council’s business,” Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday told CityNews Channel. “We’ve had a good couple days so far.”