Mayor Rob Ford should take a temporary leave of absence if he is unwilling to directly address allegations of drug use that have consumed city hall in recent weeks, says a member of his executive committee.
Controversy has swirled around the mayor since Gawker and The Toronto Star reported on May 16 that they had seen an alleged cell phone video in which Ford appears to be smoking from a glass pipe.
Ford has denied the existence of the video and has said that he does not smoke crack cocaine, but he has refused to answer direct questions from reporters regarding the alleged video.
CP24 has not seen the video and cannot verify its authenticity.
“We haven’t really heard definitive answers to the questions regarding the allegations and if he is unwilling to do that the next best step is to step aside, take a leave of absence to resolve the issues and then come back after that,” Don Valley West Coun. Jaye Robinson told CP24 Monday.
Robinson’s comments come in the wake of a new Ipsos Reid poll, showing that 49 per cent of Torontonians believe Ford when he says he does not use crack cocaine, while 51 per cent do not believe him.
Speaking with CP24 Monday, Robinson said her comments have little to do with that poll and more to do with the effect the ongoing controversy is beginning to have on city business.
“It is not that important what polls are saying; it is about what is happening at city hall and this issue has been disruptive and distracting for the business at city hall and we want to make sure that things are moving along,” Robinson said. “The way to do that is to have the mayor step aside and resolve these issues and then come back and govern over Toronto.”
Ford has repeatedly said that it is “business as usual” at city hall, but many of his colleagues on council have suggested otherwise.
“I make a huge effort to stay focussed and to really work on the issues but you know we go into our wards, we go into the meetings and all people want to talk about is this situation, ” Davenport Coun. Ana Bailão told CP24 Monday. ”That’s the reality. Even in our wards, this is all people want to talk about.”
Ford continues to look for new staff
A total of six staff members have left Ford’s office since the allegations first surfaced in the Toronto Star and Gawker close to three weeks ago.
According to Ford’s office, a total of five people have now been hired to fill the void.
Though no official announcement has been made, four of those people, special assistants Katrina Xavier Ponniah, Rob Krauss, Jonathan Kent and Victoria Colussi, were added to the city hall directory late Monday afternoon.
As he entered his office Monday morning, Ford said he would be spending the day “doing some interviews,” but he did not provide any further details.
When asked what positions he planned to hire for, Ford simply replied “taxpayer positions.”
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