Mayor Ford’s executive committee meets amid protest

Mayor Rob Ford’s executive committee met Tuesday amid protests calling for his resignation and increasing concern from Queen’s Park.

It was the first executive committee meeting since allegations of videotaped drug use surfaced on May 16.  Though the video has not been found, two members of Ford’s inner circle said Tuesday they believe it exists.

Deputy mayor Doug Holyday said Tuesday he believed that Toronto Star reporter Robyn Doolittle had seen the video, but he questioned its authenticity.

“I would like the video to surface. I would very much like the police or someone to find that video and have it analyzed and see what we’re dealing with,” Holyday told reporters.

“I’m sure there’s a video because I talked to Robyn Doolittle and she assured me she had seen a video and I believe Robyn. She said the video was very clear and she believed what she saw in the video. But the only way to verify that is to actually get the video,” Holyday said at city hall.

Coun. Gary Crawford, also a member of the mayor’s executive, said he too believes the video exists.

Ford kept silent on the drug-use allegations for a week, only speaking after half of his executive committee, including Holyday, urged him to publicly address them.

Protesters call for Ford’s resignation

On Tuesday afternoon, a group of protesters gathered at city hall with a birthday cake for Ford – he turned 44 – and then urged the mayor to resign.

The protesters were stopped from entering the committee meeting and Ford’s office by security.

The scandal is distracting from the business of the city, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne said Tuesday.

“I think there’s a lot of distraction going on at city hall right now and that’s difficult. It’s difficult to lead. It’s difficult to govern when the ability to focus is compromised,” Wynne said.

“I heard members of the executive committee saying they have a three-inch agenda to deal with.  If there are real substantive issues that have to be dealt with and there’s a personal challenge that is taking away from the focus, that’s very hard.

“So I’m concerned. I’m concerned how that’s going to unfold,” she said.

Business as usual at executive committee

Ford’s hand-picked executive planned to discuss the capital budget for the Toronto Public Library and a one-metre passing rule for bicyclists, among other items, but the meeting was overshadowed by the ongoing scandal at city hall.

Click here to see the meeting agenda.

Holyday said it was business as usual at the executive committee, echoing what the mayor said after his chief of staff was fired and two other aides resigned.

“The work is definitely getting done…we’re listening to those disputants and we’ll go on to other items. We’ll stay here as long as it takes to do the committee’s business and the mayor will be here along with us,” he said.

During the meeting Ford tabled a motion to look at reducing the size of council from 44 to 25 – stating it would help the political process move quicker and get the city “in good shape.” After much debate the motion passed 8 to 4.

Coun. Kristyn Wong-Tam and Coun. Mike Layton pushed a motion to implement a one-metre passing rule for bicyclists. Coun. Norm Kelly then moved to defer  the motion indefinitely however after a vote the motion was deferred to committee.

Turmoil in Ford’s office

On Monday, Gawker, the New York gossip site that first reported on the allegation, said it had reached its $200,000 goal to buy the video and post it online for the public to see. However, it hasn’t been able to reach the owner since last week.

On Thursday, Ford fired his chief of staff, Mark Towhey, and on Monday two top members of his inner circle — press secretary George Christopoulos and deputy press secretary Isaac Ransom — resigned.

Their resignations came the same day the Globe and Mail, citing “two separate sources,” reported that police interviewed one of the mayor’s senior staff after the video that allegedly shows Ford using drugs was linked to a murder.

Ford had denied that the video exists while the mayor’s brother, Coun. Doug Ford, has denied reports that his family purchased the alleged video and refuted claims by the Globe and Mail that he was a hashish dealer in the 80s.

CityNews cannot verify if any of the allegations made against the Ford brothers are true.