TORONTO

City Hall is on track for a transit tax debate and Mayor Rob Ford is fixing to “name names” of those on council who overruled him.

Ford’s fight to keep the transit tax debate off city council’s agenda ended Tuesday when two-thirds of council voted to take the issue away from the mayor’s executive committee.

Council members voted 27-13 in favour of debating a transit tax report. Five councillors were absent for the vote.

Those in favour of the transit tax debate included several members of Ford’s own executive committee.

Ford and councillors are expected Wednesday or Thursday to debate which transit taxes they would like to see province impose on residents and those Queen’s Park should reject.

Ford maintained he won’t support creating any “revenue tools” to build transit. “I’m going to name names and people are going to be held accountable. People can’t afford to pay another $1,000 a year, period,” said Ford.

The civic leader vowed to vote against all proposed transit taxes.

“You don’t have to tax people more and more to build transit,” he said. “If there wasn’t all these boondoggles at Queen’s Park, even down here at the city and in the federal government, we’d have more than enough money to build transit.”

TTC Chair Karen Stintz argued the debate gives council the opportunity to represent the city’s interests.

“And make sure that residents are protected, small businesses are protected and the needs of Torontonians are balanced against the needs of our region,” the councillor added.

Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday balked at the idea of giving the province “our blessing” to tax residents more.

“They’re actually using us as political cover to raise taxes and I don’t wish to be a part of that,” Holyday said. “I know that we do need to generate some money for public transit, there is no question about it, but we’ve got to look at other ways besides adding some new revenue tools. I don’t even like that term ‘revenue tools’ because it reminds me of people that say it.”

Councillor Adam Vaughan says the vote shows Ford has “virtually no control over council let alone the transit file.”

“While the mayor may have slogans, what he doesn’t have is allies on council anymore,” Vaughan said.

Councillor Doug Ford noted the mayor lost by just one vote and “a couple of our members decided to take a little walk for one reason or another.”

*****

Here's how council voted on whether to have the transit debate at council this week:

Yes (27 votes)

Paul Ainslie, Ana Bailão, Michelle Berardinetti, Shelley Carroll, Josh Colle, Gary Crawford, Janet Davis, Glenn De Baeremaeker, Sarah Doucette, John Filion, Paula Fletcher, Mary Fragedakis, Mike Layton, Chin Lee, Josh Matlow, Pam McConnell, Mary-Margaret McMahon, Joe Mihevc, Peter Milczyn, John Parker, James Pasternak, Gord Perks, Jaye Robinson, Karen Stintz, Michael Thompson, Adam Vaughan, Kristyn Wong-Tam

No (13 votes)

Vince Crisanti, Frank Di Giorgio, Doug Ford, Mayor Rob Ford, Mark Grimes, Doug Holyday, Norm Kelly, Gloria Lindsay Luby, Giorgio Mammoliti, Frances Nunziata, Cesar Palacio, Anthony Perruzza, David Shiner

Absent (5)

Maria Augimeri, Raymond Cho, Mike Del Grande, Denzil Minnan-Wong, Ron Moeser

Get the latest from Tuesday's city council meeting: