Toronto mayor 'to lose some powers'
Toronto's city council has voted overwhelmingly to strip embattled mayor Rob Ford of some of his powers.
It is the council's latest attempt to rein in Mr Ford, who has refused to resign amid a drugs and drink row.
In recent days Mr Ford has admitted using crack cocaine, buying illegal drugs, and drink driving - while mayor - and used lewd language on television.
Mr Ford's authority to appoint and dismiss the deputy mayor and his executive committee may be affected.
Toronto City Council voted 39 to three to suspend the mayor's ability to appoint and dismiss the deputy mayor, and the chairs of the council's standing committees, including the executive committee which controls the budget. Mr Ford and his brother Doug Ford registered two of the votes against.
The city council also voted 41 to two to place emergency powers in the hands of the deputy mayor, rather than the mayor, for example in the event of a natural disaster.
'Truly disturbing'
On Monday, city councillors will consider a further measure - delegating to the deputy mayor "all powers and duties which are not by statute assigned to the mayor", a move which correspondents say would take away his budget.
In recent days many council members have turned their backs on the mayor in meetings as he addresses ongoing political matters. But the City Council has no authority to remove the mayor unless he is convicted of a crime, so Ford opponents have instead opted for votes aimed at curbing his powers.
"We can't control his behaviour, but certainly we can ensure that city business carries on as usual, perhaps even better," said one city councillor, John Filion.
"We need to take away his power for the good of the city,'' said a former ally, councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong.
"The tide has turned and there are very few people that are prepared to defend him given his vulgar comments and his admission that not only does he takes drugs but that he seems to be comfortable drinking and getting behind the wheel."
Mr Ford has vowed to fight the measure, saying "the tax payer is going to have to pay a fortune for this".
"I can't support this and obviously I have no other options but to challenge this in court," the mayor said.
"This is going to be precedent-setting and if we move ahead with this, then obviously if someone else steps out of line like I have, it is going to affect councillors and the mayor I think for years to come," he concluded.
The vote comes one day after Mr Ford apologised for obscene comments he made on live television while denying he had offered oral sex to a female staff member.
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne has suggested that the provincial government may intervene in the Ford affair
Mr Ford said he was getting help from healthcare professionals.
Re-election bid
On Thursday, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne suggested the provincial government may intervene, if called on to do so by the Toronto city authorities.
"The things we are seeing and hearing about Mayor Rob Ford are truly disturbing," she said during a televised statement.
"If council were to clearly indicate that they lack the ability to function as a result of this matter, the province would respond to a request from council to be provided new tools depending on what that request might be."
Friday's city council vote is the latest blow for 44-year-old Mr Ford, who last week admitted smoking crack cocaine, and this week admitted in a city council hearing that he had bought illegal drugs within the last two years.
Investigation documents released on Wednesday quoted Ford associates as saying that the mayor had driven drunk, used racially abusive language, threatened staff, consorted with a woman suspected of working as a prostitute and made a sexual proposition to a female staff member.
Mr Ford says he will not stand down, and will run for re-election in October 2014.
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