Council passes 2 motions to limit Mayor Ford’s powers

TORONTO – Toronto city council passed two motions on Friday that will limit Mayor Rob Ford’s powers.

In the first motion, council voted 39-3 to strip Ford’s ability to appoint or remove the deputy mayor or members of the executive committee.

Ford, his brother Coun. Doug Ford, and Coun. David Shiner voted against the motion.

The second motion, to strip Ford of emergency powers, passed 41-2. Deputy mayor Norm Kelly will now assume responsibility in the face of an emergency.

Ford and his brother Coun. Doug Ford voted against the motion.

The mayor has said he will challenge these motions in court.

Ford said he’s not upset at anyone on council but that it doesn’t mean he’s giving up the fight.

“I completely understand the situation my fellow colleagues are in, and if it couldn’t cause the taxpayers an arm and a leg — which obviously he’s going to — I would have done the same thing,” the mayor said.

“If I would have had a mayor acting the way I have conducted myself, I would have done the exact same thing.”

His taxpayer reference applies to the court challenge he’s threatening. Ford has hired top municipal lawyer George Rust-D’Eye, who was the chief lawyer for Toronto before amalgamation.

Rust-D’Eye said council does not have the legal authority to take the action it took on Friday, and that it can’t make decisions based on speculation or allegations.

Another special meeting is planned for Monday to consider a motion to slash the budget of the mayor’s office and transfer it to the deputy mayor.

Councillors react to motions that limit mayor’s power

In a council that has been divided, the controversy has united previous foes. Some of the mayor’s power now rests with deputy mayor Norm Kelly.

“We’re going to have a unique situation at city hall,” Kelly explained. “And who knows how it’ll work out. We think it’ll work out better than what could work out had we not taken these steps.”

Many councillors said they are not scared of Ford’s legal challenge to the move.

Coun. Janet Davis says she hopes this helps restore normalcy.

“Today very clearly we are going to take as much control as we have authority to take to do our best to bring direction and focus to government in the City of Toronto,” she said.

Davis said normalcy might be hard if the recent shocking revelations keep coming.

Ford apologizes for graphic remarks

Ford’s gaffes continued Thursday, as he spouted an obscenity on live TV, refused to apologize then did apologize, and was scolded by the Toronto Argonauts football team for wearing its jersey while making the remarks.

Ford’s locker room vulgarity also drew wide condemnation from fellow councillors, who literally turned their backs when he spoke during the day’s various debates.

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne said she would consult opposition parties before deciding whether to intervene, if council made it clear it could not function as a result of the Ford scandal.

Ford begged the media to give his family privacy — with his seldom-seen-in-public wife by his side. However, he stubbornly refused to take a leave or resign but did say he was receiving support from a team of health-care professionals, and refused to elaborate.