A municipal law expert says it could be difficult for Toronto Mayor Rob Ford to legally challenge city council鈥檚 decision to reduce his powers.
John Mascarin told The Canadian Press that council 鈥渃learly has the authority to do what it has done.鈥�
鈥淭he city鈥檚 case is very clear,鈥� he said.
Another municipal affairs lawyer, Stephen D鈥橝gostino, said he doesn鈥檛 believe that the mayor will be successful in court.
鈥淗e can certainly launch a lawsuit鈥he question is, can he win?鈥� he told 麻豆影视 Channel.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think he鈥檚 got a case.鈥�
Ford threatened legal action Friday after councillors voted overwhelmingly in favour of stripping the mayor of his ability to appoint and fire committee chairs and the deputy mayor, as well as his authority during emergency situations.
However, Ford鈥檚 lawyer, George Rust-D'Eye, told CP that he has not yet been instructed to begin the litigation process.
Rust-D鈥橢ye said councillors can鈥檛 act on "speculation or irrelevant allegations" and the motions presented Friday could be seen "as an attempt to punish (Ford) for alleged personal conduct, or as a symbolic statement of council's intent to be doing something in response to it.鈥�
But Coun. John Filion said he was 鈥渆xtremely careful鈥� with how he worded the motions. He said he鈥檚 confident that council鈥檚 actions are legal.
Rust-D鈥橢ye told CTV Toronto Friday that another vote by council Monday 鈥� which will seek to transfer the mayor鈥檚 operating budget, among other powers and duties, to the deputy mayor 鈥� is 鈥渕ore serious.鈥�
Rust-D鈥橢ye said he will then discuss the situation with the mayor. Any legal action would likely include an application to quash the bylaw or an application for a judicial review, he said.
Coun. Doug Ford, the mayor鈥檚 brother, told News Channel that Friday鈥檚 vote 鈥渢rampled鈥� the democratic process.
鈥�(Councillors) didn鈥檛 have the moral authority to do this, they didn鈥檛 have the legal authority, in our opinion, to do this,鈥� he said.
鈥淭his is up to the people of the city to decide. That鈥檚 why we live in a democracy.鈥�
Doug Ford said that 鈥渇ront-line blue collar folks鈥� elected the mayor and that their voice 鈥渉as just been taken away.鈥�
Coun. Gord Perks disagreed, saying the mayor still has all the powers that the electorate gave him. It鈥檚 the extra powers given to him by council that have been taken away, he told CTV鈥檚 Power Play.
鈥淭his is the most we can do and this is the most we should do. We have to respect the electorate,鈥� he said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 sad, it鈥檚 heartbreaking that (Ford) has lost the confidence of council and Torontonians.鈥�
Coun. Denzil Minnan-Wong said council had no choice but to strip the mayor of some of his powers.
鈥淲e鈥檙e in a very extraordinary position. Our mayor is out of control,鈥� he told 麻豆影视 Channel.
鈥淲e did the right thing, listening to the residents of Toronto. If (Ford) wants to sue the city that he works for, that鈥檚 fine but he will be the one who鈥檚 wasting taxpayers鈥� dollars because we鈥檒l have to hire an expensive outside lawyer in order to fight his lawsuit.鈥�
Minnan-Wong said that Ford鈥檚 repeated apologies following his admissions that he has smoked crack cocaine and driven after having some drinks are 鈥渧alueless.鈥�
Ford also apologized Thursday for making a vulgar reference to oral sex in a scrum with reporters, on live TV.
鈥淨uite frankly, he鈥檚 gone too far. He鈥檚 broken the spirit of the mayor鈥檚 office,鈥� Minnan-Wong said.
The councillor also said that he believes the province should intervene in the Ford scandal since council鈥檚 powers are 鈥渜uite limited.鈥�
He said that his colleagues may need more convincing that Premier Kathleen Wynne should step in.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 need more convincing,鈥� he said.
