2 senior Ford staffers among 11 moving to Norm Kelly’s office

TORONTO – The shift of power at Toronto city hall officially began Tuesday after council voted to strip away much of Mayor Rob Ford’s power.

Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly said 11 members of Mayor Ford’s staff, including Chief of Staff Earl Provost and Director of Policy Sheila Paxton, are joining his office.

Kelly met with the mayor’s staff members in the afternoon and they were given the option of moving into the clerk’s office.

“I’m looking for people who are policy oriented, enjoy debate — a sense of adventure,” Kelly said. “I want to have fun. You want a good, collegial atmosphere.”

Kelly said the staff members left of their own accord and he “did not force anyone or entice anyone to join the new office.”

Mayor Ford will retain nine staffers in the power switch that comes after council voted Monday to strip Ford of much of his remaining powers, slash his office budget by 60 per cent and cut his staff by more than half.

Mayor Ford’s newest staffer is the man who produced the mayor’s now cancelled weekly radio show. He starts at city hall on Friday.

Kelly said David Price will remain with Ford.

He added that the locks have been changed in the staffing area.

The day started with Kelly meeting with the city manager Joe Pennachetti to get the transfer of funds and administrative power underway.

As Kelly told 680News political affairs specialist John Stall on Monday, the process was considered before the vote took place.

The mayor’s budget and the signing authority to administer it will be transferred to the clerk’s office.

On Nov. 15, council had already passed a pair of motions stripping Ford of his ability to appoint key committee chairs or to exercise emergency powers.

Blasting what he called a “coup d’etat,” Ford said Monday voters should be able to pass judgment on him, not his fellow councillors.

“You guys have just attacked Kuwait,” Ford said in reference to former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein’s invasion of the emirate in 1991.

“Mark my words friends, this is going to be outright war in the next election.”

Coun. Ford outlines next steps after council motions

Coun. Doug Ford told 680News political affairs specialist John Stall, Tuesday his mayor brother will be going to work as usual and will be challenging council’s actions in court.

“The motion that came out … was given to us 26 minutes before it came up. That’s unheard of. We have 26 minutes to build our case? You have to be kidding me,” Coun. Ford said.

“We’re going to challenge them in court and as our attorney said, we have one heck of a chance of winning because they broke provincial statutes that they shouldn’t have.”

“You can’t prohibit the mayor from doing his job. He’s still the CEO of the city. You can’t take the tools away from him from doing his job.”

Listen to the full interview with Coun. Ford below:

The mayor’s lawyer, George Rust-D’Eye, said he might seek an injunction against council’s decisions but he was still awaiting instructions.

Legality of council’s actions

City staff said they believed their actions, essentially in place until the next election in October 2014, would withstand any court scrutiny.

On Monday, Kelly said he has discussed this issue with the city’s legal staff, and “the premise is that the office of the mayor gets its authority from two sources.”

“One is provincial statute; the other are the bylaws of the City of Toronto — that is, powers granted by council. We are not touching the powers granted by the province — we cannot touch them. But the powers granted by council, we can. We have the power to give, we have the power to suspend, we have the power to take away and re-allocate,” he said.

With files from CityNews.ca staff and The Canadian Press