A “livid” Mayor Rob Ford returned late Monday afternoon to one of the subjects that got him elected: councillor expense claims he feels are excessive.

Expense information released by the city shows that two councillors — both of whom Ford appointed to his executive committee — claimed more than $68,000 for 2013 under new rules passed after the mayor lost his grip on council.

At the first meeting of his mayoral term in 2010, Ford succeeded in persuading councillors to cut their annual office budgets from $50,445 to $30,000. He continues to call that vote a major victory.

But in another vote in mid-2012, councillors granted themselves loopholes that allowed them to spend thousands more on constituency office renovations and rent, newsletters and other items.

Twenty-three of the 44 councillors nonetheless spent less than the $30,450 initial limit. Sixteen others spent between $30,000 and $40,000. Four spent more than $47,000.

“This is not about Rob Ford. This is about abuse of taxpayers’ money. When you give ’em an inch, they take a yard. It’s disheartening. This really bothers me,” Ford, angrily brandishing the city documents, told a small group of reporters he hastily summoned to the hallway outside his office at 5:30 p.m.

He added: “They’re going to have to answer to the taxpayers for this. Because I’m not letting this go.”

Ford used such rhetoric to make a name for himself on talk radio and then on the mayoral campaign trail. As he embarks on a populist campaign for re-election, he is summoning some of the same outsider messaging even as he touts his fiscal record in office — and though he faces criticism for his own use of his office.

The highest spenders were Ward 8 (York West) Councillor Anthony Perruzza, at $79,675, and Ward 7 (York West) Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti, at $68,839. Ford appointed both to the executive, and they have generally been among his few allies over the past year.

“I don’t know about ‘allies,’” Ford said, laughing, on Monday.

Perruzza claimed a $28,381 “setup cost” to create a constituency office on Keele St., a year before the next election. Rent brought the total to $37,498. The “setup” expenses included carpet cleaning, floor waxing, electrical work, and plumbing for an accessible washroom.

Mammoliti expensed $37,630 to create an office in a former classroom in a community centre, a project the Star revealed in December.

Third-highest was Ford opponent Councillor Joe Mihevc (Ward 21, St. Paul’s) at $52,331. Fourth was Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam (Ward 27, Toronto Centre-Rosedale), at $47,190. Ford claimed $18,986.

Mihevc said he is “proud” to be in the top three. He said he uses his budget to communicate with and serve his constituents.

Ford, he said, can manage to keep his expenses so low because he is wealthy enough to pay for events like the annual Ford Fest barbecue extravaganza himself.

“Not everyone is rich like him and can afford lavish barbecues costing somebody tens of thousands of dollars. And I would challenge him or frankly anyone to go through my expenses — they are not lavish dinners,” he said. “I think the question people need to ask is: do they want city government to be a rich man’s sport?”

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Ford himself has been denounced repeatedly for his use of taxpayer resources. Aides helped coach his high school and summer football teams and helped run his football foundation; aides told police that he asked them to buy alcohol for him or to do menial tasks at his house; and he hired controversial family friend David Price for a senior office role.

“I have no idea why Rob Ford thinks he has any business complaining about other members of council and their expenses,” Councillor Gord Perks said.