Toronto: Toronto's City Council has voted to strip scandal-plagued Mayor Rob Ford of many of his powers following a heated debate in which he knocked over a female councillor.
Council members on Monday voted overwhelming to cut the 44-year-old Ford's office budget by 60 per cent and allow mayoral staff to join the deputy mayor. Ford now effectively has no legislative power as he would no longer chair the executive committee.
Ford retains his title and ability to represent Toronto at official functions.
Ford called the effort a "coup d'etat" and vowed an "outright war" in the next election. Toronto has been abuzz with the Ford melodrama since May, when news outlets reported that he had been caught on video smoking crack cocaine.
The debate on the motion became heated after Ford paced around the council chamber and traded barbs with members of the public. The speaker asked security to clear the chamber and a recess was called.
Members of the public chanted "Shame! Shame!" at the mayor. Ford charged at the gallery at one point and knocked over Councilor Pam McConnell before picking her back up.
Another councilor asked Ford to apologize. Ford said he was rushing to the defense of his brother, city Councilor Doug Ford. "I picked her up," Rob Ford said. "I ran around because I thought my brother was getting into an altercation."
Visibly shaken after Ford ran her over, McConnell, a petite woman in her 60s, said she never expected the chaos that broke out.
"This is the seat of democracy, it is not a football field. I just wasn't ready. Fortunately, the mayor's staff was in front they stopped me from hitting my head against the wall. I just need to sit down," McConnell said.
The motion was revised from a tougher version to ward off potential legal challenges. Ford would retain his title and ability to represent Toronto at official functions. The city's lawyer said the proposal does not render Ford "mayor in name only."
