Mayor Rob Ford has been reduced to the role of a figurehead, losing most of his powers and budget.

In yet another unprecedented move, on Monday council approved a series of steps that transfer a significant chunk of the mayor’s budget and many of his powers to Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly.

The latest in a string of initiatives aimed at stripping the defiant mayor of his powers was taken during a high-octane meeting marked by chaos, yelling and even a minor injury on the council floor. City council's actions come in the wake of Ford's series of admissions in recent weeks that he has smoked crack cocaine while in office, gotten behind the wheel after having a few drinks and purchased illegal drugs in the last two years.

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Before voting got underway, Ford warned that the changes would “seriously hurt democracy in this city.”

“If you think American-style politics is nasty, you guys have just attacked Kuwait,” Ford said. “This is going to be outright war in the next election.”

But the vast majority of his fellow councillors could not be deterred from taking actions that many said they felt they had no choice but to pursue.

“You could have become a fairytale of second chances,” Councillor Cesar Palacio, a Ford ally, said. “Unfortunately you didn't ... don't blame us.”

Councillors decided by a 37-5 vote to cut the mayor’s budget and by a 36-6 vote to transfer many of Ford’s deputies and much of his budget to Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly.

A 32-10 vote decreed Ford could no longer set key matters on the legislative agenda.

Another 37-5 vote removed the mayor’s right to fill vacancies on the civic appointments committee.

He still retains statutory and symbolic powers, and can still attend official functions as Toronto’s mayor, but he no longer has the clout associated with a CEO.

The vote follows six months of turmoil and scandal, triggered by reports of a video in which Ford appears to smoke crack cocaine and make homophobic and racist remarks.

In recent days, Ford has admitted to buying crack cocaine and smoking it, as well as possibly driving while drunk, but vehemently denied he is an addict or an alcoholic.

The council decision means most of Ford’s real powers are transferred to the deputy mayor’s office until Nov. 3, after the next election.

The move would cut Ford’s office from 20 to an estimated eight staff members.

He told council that he receives some 3,000 letters, 138,000 emails and 22,000 phone calls each year.

“Obviously I can’t do my job with eight people in my office,” Ford said, on “one-quarter of the previous mayor’s budget.”

Rob Ford appeared to relish much of the drama, shaking hands and hugging spectators and confronting others while a security guard next to him filmed the crowd with a smart phone.

At one particularly heated point, the red-faced mayor bolted towards the public gallery.

Councillor Pam McConnell was bumped by the mayor in the drama and fell backwards, but did not lose her footing.

The mayor helped her get upright and then walked away smiling.

People shouted, “Shame!” at the mayor while others applauded.

CP24 reported that Doug Ford shouted “Scumbags!” at hecklers, who shouted back abuse.

Rob Ford later attempted to explain the fracas by saying, “I ran around because I thought my brother was getting into an altercation.”

Regarding his collision with McConnell, Ford said, “I picked her up.”

Rob Ford said he apologized to “anybody that I offended when I rushed into my brother’s defence…” and, after some prodding from Speaker Frances Nunziata, said, “It was a complete accident. I sincerely apologize to Councillor McConnell.”

The mayor later chuckled when a heckler from the public gallery said the public is tired of him acting like a bully.

Rob Ford earlier questioned whether there was any need for the meeting.

“Is there an emergency?” he asked, to a smattering of laughter.

Councillor John Filion spoke strongly in favour of stripping Ford of his powers, saying city residents have grown weary of the ever-broadening scandal.

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“Every new day brings the same old question: what’s next?” said Filion, who drafted the motion.

“I believe we have an obligation to act,” he said, as Rob Ford glared in his direction.

Before the vote was taken, a solicitor retained by the city said the motion is within the powers of council and doesn’t infringe on the statutory powers of the mayor.

Those comments came after reports that Rob Ford has threatened to sue if council passed the emergency motion.

As the meeting began, Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti said that he planned to boycott the vote, slamming it as illegal and undemocratic.

“I believe that the mayor is ill and I believe that some of the decisions he has made lately are because of that,” Mammoliti said on Monday.

Ford had no reaction to Mammoliti’s comments, despite sitting directly beside him.

Mammoliti chastised the mayor for not taking a leave of absence.

The mayor’s brother, Councillor Doug Ford said he thinks it’s time for the public to vote on whether his brother should be returned to office, with full powers.

“I think it’s time to go to the people,” Doug Ford said.

He earlier fired barbs at the city solicitor and accused her of smirking and others in council chambers of “cackling.”

“I don’t find this funny,” Doug Ford said. “I find that this is about the future of the city.”

He then called the special council meeting a “kangaroo court.”

“You don’t understand the job of the mayor!,” Doug Ford said.

Doug Ford also verbally lashed out at Councillor Paul Ainslie, who acknowledged in May that he was stopped by a RIDE spot check May 3 and was given a warning that required him to surrender his driver’s licence for three days. Ainslie was not charged with impaired driving.

“Okay Councillor Ainslie, you’ve got your own issues,” Doug Ford said. “I wouldn’t be saying too much.”

As Doug Ford lambasted Ainslie, Rob Ford made dramatic arm gestures, as if driving a car while drunk.

Things were tense even before the meeting started. Rob Ford refused to step onto a city hall elevator which already carried his vocal critic, Councillor Adam Vaughan, according to CP24 News.

As Doug Ford lambasted Ainslie, Rob Ford made dramatic arm gestures, as if driving a car while drunk.

Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong catalogued ways the has already been rejected as the representative of the city, nothing how he was shunned by the Santa Claus Parade and Toronto Argonaut football playoff game on the weekend.

"Through your actions, through your bad judgements, you sir, have lost the ability to lead this city,” Minnan-Wong said.

On Friday, council voted to strip Ford of the power to fire the deputy mayor, Norm Kelly, and the councillors he has appointed to chair seven committees.