With the dust barely settled on a day of tense face-offs, interrogations and intervention-like pleas to a defiant mayor, Rob Ford learned Wednesday he is facing a new attempt to curtail his power, as city councillors try to strip him of his ability to deal with city emergencies.
Late in the evening, the city clerk's office gave notice that a second special meeting of council has been called for Friday, this one to amend the municipal code that deals with emergency management, so that the deputy mayor would "assume those powers and duties that have been delegated … to the mayor."
Councillor John Filion, who is drafting the motion, said city council cannot touch the mayor's ability to declare a state of emergency, granted under provincial law, but smaller events, such as the severe rainfall that caused summer flooding, also trigger an emergency management plan.
I guess it shows how concerned members of council are
If his motion is approved on Friday, the mayor's power to deal with both "capital E" emergencies and smaller incidents would be transferred to the deputy mayor, said Mr. Filion, who easily obtained the 24 necessary signatures to call the meeting. The motion calls for the measure to remain in effect for the rest of the mayor's term, which ends in October 2014.
"I guess it shows how concerned members of council are about the mayor's inability to do his job effectively," he said.
Council on Friday will also consider a separate motion by Mr. Filion seeking to strip the mayor of his power to hire and fire committee chairs and the deputy mayor, who form part of his powerful executive.
The new front on city council's repudiation of the embattled mayor comes just hours after it officially asked him to take a leave of absence. The most pointed questions during one of the most remarkable meetings of this raucous term were asked by the mayor's one-time allies.
Public works chairman Denzil Minnan-Wong: "Mr. Mayor, have you purchased illegal drugs in the last two years?"
Former Budget Chief Mike Del Grande: "Do you expect more of others than you do of yourself?"
Police Board vice-chairman Michael Thompson: "I have no interest in being in that house," he said, in reference to a so-called Etobicoke crack house on Windsor Road. "I am not a crack user."
The mayor, who admitted last week to smoking crack cocaine, on Wednesday revealed he had purchased drugs while being chief magistrate, another "personal mistake" for which he sought absolution.
"We all have skeletons in our closet that many people would not want to have exposed," he said. "Apologizing and saying sorry, you can only say that so many times. There is nothing else to say, guys. I really effed up and that's it."
But city council was not swayed, voting 37 to 5 in favour of asking the mayor to take a leave of absence to deal with his "personal problems."
Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly and the entire Ford hand-picked executive committee voted in favour of the request; the Ford brothers, Gord Perks, Maria Augimeri and John Parker cast votes against.
Council also urged the mayor to apologize to Torontonians for "misleading" them about the existence of a video allegedly showing him smoke crack cocaine, to apologize for using city hall letterhead to write a letter of reference for Alexander Lisi, a friend now accused of drug trafficking and of trying to extort alleged gang members believed to be selling the video, and to heed police requests to be interviewed. City council has also referred its concerns to the integrity commissioner for further investigation.
Mayor Ford tried to ask councillors to submit to hair, drug and alcohol testing, but the motion was ruled out of order.
Councillors' requests are merely symbolic, as city council cannot force the mayor to do anything, and he appears, with every
new revelation, to cling more deliberately to power.
"Symbols are important and we sent a strong message," said Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong, who wrote the motion.
The day began with a dramatic scene in a packed council chambers, as 30 city councillors who signed a letter urging Mayor Ford to take a leave stood to be counted. As anti-Ford protesters gathered in Nathan Phillips Square, Mr. Minnan-Wong accused the mayor of taking a "threatening" stance against him in the middle of the council chambers and blocking his way.
"I did not threaten him in any way, shape or form," insisted Mayor Ford, who said it was the councillor who wasn't following the rules by walking around.
The drama, broadcast live on CNN, reached a fever pitch just before the lunch hour, when Councillor Doug Ford blasted city councillors who presented themselves as "lily white" and "holier than thou." He demanded to know if Councillor Minnan-Wong had ever smoked marijuana, which got no answer.
"The answer is yes, I guess," bellowed Councillor Ford. "Everyone should be careful about throwing rocks in a glass house," he continued, after his microphone had been shut off. The mayor then took a few deliberate strides toward Mr. Minnan-Wong, but was intercepted by Councillor Ford who grabbed his arm. Asked by Councillor David Shiner if he has anything left to reveal, Mayor Ford said: "I don't know, there might be a coat hanger left in my closet. I don't know what's left."
To city councillors who want to continue to pursue the topic, "I can't stop ya, I'm moving on. You guys can do what you want. I apologize again, I'm sorry, that's all I had to say."
What he will be able to accomplish in the last year of his mandate is unclear. "At this point, the mayor is irrelevant," said Councillor Gary Crawford.
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