Documents obtained by the Star through a freedom of information request suggest Mayor Rob Ford is doing less than half the official work he was doing this time last year.

The mayor’s official itineraries appear to lend credence to accusations levied by his opponents earlier this week that Ford is an absentee mayor.

Unlike predecessor David Miller, who released his schedule in advance, Ford keeps his itinerary secret. The Star obtains his daily schedules months later under freedom of information legislation.

The most recent batch, released Friday, covers the period from November 2011 until mid-March 2012. It paints a picture of a mayor who has withdrawn from the day-to-day operations of the city.

Compared with the same period last year, Ford has drastically fewer meetings with prominent Torontonians, visiting dignitaries, city bureaucrats and even his own colleagues on council.

In January 2012, Ford averaged 11 meetings a week compared with 33 in January 2011, his first full month as mayor. In February 2012, he had 15 meetings scheduled each week, compared with an average of 34 a year earlier.

The Star counted as a meeting items that included more specific details than simply “briefing” or “meeting,” such as a name, an address or event title. Items entered as “constituent meetings” counted only if they included a description — such as a topic of discussion or redacted name. The same criterion was applied to 2011 as 2012.

The constants in the mayor’s schedule are attendance at all executive and full council meetings.

At the same time his itineraries were being released to the Star, the mayor made a rare announced public appearance, at lunchtime Friday, to talk about the crumbling Gardiner Expressway on the spot at Lake Shore Blvd. W. and Simcoe St. It was his first public appearance this week.

Ford’s office did not respond to a request for comment on this story, as is its usual practice with the Star, but in the past his staff has said he spends much of his time out in the field solving individual taxpayers’ problems.

Earlier this week, Councillor Shelley Carroll publicly stated what Ford’s inner circle has privately been complaining about for months: that the mayor’s absenteeism and refusal to build relationships with colleagues has cost him control of council.

According to sources that include former and current staff, Ford often does not leave his home until noon. His itineraries indicate that daily staff briefings are held at about 9:30 a.m., but on those late days, the sources say, Ford participates by phone or not at all. Some days he never appears in his office. Ford has always spent much of his time outside the walls of city hall, doing his famous one-on-one constituency work, but even that has dropped off drastically.

But it’s not just his role with council that Ford appears to be neglecting.

The mayor routinely doesn’t show up for long-scheduled events and meetings with officials. On Wednesday, Councillor Peter Milczyn had to step in for him at a VIA Rail speaking engagement. He has cancelled five of the last nine weekly weigh-ins — often the only time Ford takes media questions for the week — including one on Tuesday.

On numerous occasions, Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday, the mayor’s brother, Doug Ford, or other close allies have been called upon at the last minute to meet foreign dignitaries or visiting officials. Holyday said there have been only “a couple of times” where he’s had less than an hour’s notice and that, as deputy mayor, it’s his job to fill this role.

The mayor was supposed to meet his Calgary counterpart, Naheed Nenshi, at an event held at the Corus building on Sept. 20, but Ford never showed up.

Ford also hasn’t held a formal meeting with many prominent Toronto leaders in more than a year, including United Way Toronto CEO Susan McIsaac, Board of Trade president Carol Wilding, Ryerson University president Sheldon Levy or CivicAction’s CEO, Mitzie Hunter. He has never attended a Federation of Canadian Municipalities event.

Councillor Carroll — who is mulling a mayoral bid in 2014 — said having these conversations with key city builders is part of the job. And while “rubber-chicken meetings” aren’t always fun, they are important when you’re the leader of the city.

“It’s part of your role. You are the figurehead,” she said. “His standoffish behaviour is embarrassing the city.”

Ford’s own committee chairs don’t regularly meet directly with the mayor to discuss policy. For example, Norm Kelly, who chairs the parks and environment committee, says the mayor is very accessible, although he concedes that the last specific formal meeting he can remember was during Occupy Toronto, which was last November.

“The best leaders delegate. And that’s what he does. There’s nothing wrong with that,” says Kelly, who works regularly with the mayor’s staff. “The mayor and I speak often and I can get a meeting with him anytime I want.”

When city manager Joe Pennachetti was asked to pinpoint the last time he had a meeting with the mayor, a city spokesperson responded: “He meets regularly, usually twice a week, with the mayor’s chief of staff. Meetings with the mayor are related to specific issues and have occurred as required.”

Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti, one of his staunchest supporters, said looking at the mayor’s itinerary alone doesn’t speak for the work he does.

“The reality is he does a lot of spontaneous work. If constituents call, he’s on it. So you won’t see that on his schedule. He calls people back on a regular basis, and I know he does that.”

Councillor Adam Vaughan, one of Ford’s harshest critics, has no doubt the mayor is often dealing with constituent issues, but says this isn’t his job.

“One day he’s here,” he says. “The next day he’s not. I think he’s a part-time mayor.”

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COMPARING WEEK TO WEEK

Mayor Rob Ford does not release his daily itineraries, but the Star obtains those schedules through freedom of information legislation.

On Friday, the city released Ford’s itineraries up to mid-March 2012. Those documents show Ford’s official schedule has been cut in half in recent months compared with those from the beginning of his term.

Year to year, the Star has compared only meetings that could be verified, meaning the log included a name, event title or telling description.

Week of Jan. 8-14, 2012

8 meetings

Including: a TCHC tour, interview with OMNI and meeting with councillor James Pasternak and budget chief Mike Del Grande.

Week of Jan. 9-15, 2011

30 meetings

Including: a Raptors party, a TPS graduation ceremony, and meetings with councillors Frances Nunziata and Vincent Crisanti

*

Week of Feb. 5-11, 2012

10 meetings

Including: Cut the Waist, Interview with Toronto Life and a community walk in Ward 40

Week of Feb. 6-12, 2011

37 meetings

Including: Constituent meeting regarding TTC fraud, meeting with Minister Jim Flaherty and Hazel McCallion’s 90th birthday

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