A controversial member of Rob Ford’s staff is no longer employed by the city in the wake of a council vote that dramatically curtailed the mayor’s budget and powers.
The city has confirmed to CP24 that the mayor’s Director of Logistics and Operations David Price is no longer employed by the City of Toronto, becoming the latest member of Ford’s staff to leave in recent days.
Price, who is a long-time friend of Coun. Doug Ford, joined the mayor’s office last April and was given an estimated $130,000 a year salary, though his exact responsibilities were never publicly revealed.
Asked about Price and his relative inexperience in politics after he was hired, Doug Ford simply said “you can’t teach loyalty.”
In May, the Toronto Star reported that Price asked former chief of staff Mark Towhey what would happen if “hypothetically” he had been informed of the location where a video of the mayor smoking from a glass pipe could be found. Towhey then called police.
Police documents subsequently revealed that Price had been in contact with Alexander Lisi in the wake of the story first surfacing. Lisi is charged with extortion for his alleged efforts to recover the video. Price has never been charged.
Mayor has new chief of staff
Today is the first full day of work since 11 members of Ford’s staff left his office to work under now empowered Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly.
Included among the departures was the mayor’s chief of staff Earl Provost and policy director Sheila Paxton.
Dan Jacobs, who previously served as Ford’s executive assistant, has been named Ford’s new chief of staff, becoming the fifth person to occupy the role since Ford assumed office in 2010.
“I didn’t choose this position as a matter of politics; I chose it as a way to help people,” Jacobs told reporters outside the mayor’s office Wednesday morning. “The mayor has always focused primarily on customer service and helping people.”
A relative political neophyte, Jacobs joined the mayor’s office in June as a special assistant.
Prior to that Jacobs worked as a producer at Newstalk 1010, where he was responsible for Ford’s now cancelled radio show.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Jacobs runs his own DJ business called “Double DJ Services.”
Councillors say it is time to move on
Despite the turmoil in the mayor’s office, many city councillors say it is now time to move on from the scandal that has consumed city hall since Halloween.
Speaking with reporters Wednesday morning, Coun. Shelley Carroll admitted that Ford’s past transgressions continue to put a black eye on the city but she said council as a whole has rallied around Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly.
“Those shoes that continue to drop (with regards to Ford) do matter but I think council is doing its best along with deputy mayor Kelly to overcome them,” she said. “There is definitely a mood change. The council session on Monday was traumatic, but it brought us all together.”
Ford has threatened to sue the city over council's decision to limit his powers, but on Wednesday Coun. Janet Davis said she is hopeful Ford will realize that council "simply had enough" and allow the business of Toronto to move forward.
"It will be up to Ford Ford to decide whether this is a peaceful transition or not," she said. "I think there is a sense of relief that has kind of settled in on the second floor, though. We are back to business, we are doing our work at committees and I think we are all hopeful that Rob Ford and our deputy mayor will sort out their division of labour and we will get on doing the business of the corporation."
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