Jeff Silverstein, the communications director for Rob Ford’s campaign until Friday and now Doug Ford’s campaign, has repeatedly spent time in the mayor’s office at city hall during the election period.

Toronto’s rules are clear: incumbents can’t use their city-funded offices for election purposes.

After complaints from residents, some of them affiliated with the Rob Ford Must Go/Doug Ford Must Go sit-in outside the mayor’s office, city manager Joe Pennachetti is planning to send a “reminder regarding the policy to all members of council” this week, city spokeswoman Wynna Brown said.

Brown would not say whether the reminder was prompted by complaints about the mayor’s office in particular.

“To recap, there is a reminder about the policy planned for all councillors this week. As well, there was one sent to staff last week,” she said.

“With respect to specific complaints about use of the mayor’s office, the city manager will address that matter as appropriate with the mayor’s office directly.”

Silverstein did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.

The city’s policy on the use of city resources during an election says that, “City facilities and city infrastructure cannot be used for any election-related purposes by candidate ... during an election.”

A separate policy, the official code of conduct for members of council, says, “No member shall use the facilities, equipment, supplies, services or other resources of the city . . . for any election campaign or campaign-related activities.”

It also says, “No member shall undertake campaign-related activities on city property during regular working hours unless permitted by city policy (e.g., all-candidates meetings).”

Sit-in organizer Chris Caple said it “seems pretty . . . straightforward.”

Complaints about alleged code-of-conduct violations are usually handled by the integrity commissioner, but there is a three-month pre-election moratorium period during which the city manager is in charge.

Rob Ford had campaign offices in Etobicoke and Scarborough. Doug Ford’s campaign is now taking over those offices.

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Caple said his group also has concerns about Doug Ford’s regular election-period appearances in the mayor’s office. Because Ford is also a sitting city councillor, the situation is more complicated than the Silverstein case.

“Our objection isn’t to Doug as councillor being in there. It’s been to Doug as campaign manager, and use of office for campaigning,” Caple said.

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