TORONTO

Doug Ford promised Friday to resign as mayor if the city’s property tax increase is over the rate of inflation — and roughly an hour later he throttled back that pledge.

During a debate, hosted by Zoomer Radio, Ford vowed to resign from the mayor’s chair if he doesn’t keep his promises on taxes and chastised rival John Tory when he failed to make the same commitment.

“If I don’t meet that (tax) rate, below inflation, I will step down,” Ford said. “Mr. Tory doesn’t have the backbone to do it.”

Tory refused to commit to resigning halfway through the term.

“People will make their decision in four years,” he said.

As Ford continued to mock him for refusing to commit, Tory said, “Come on, get serious.”

“Halfway through the term you’ll be resigning? I’ll be waiting for that one,” he told Ford.

Olivia Chow also pledged to “absolutely” resign if she fails to keep the tax increase “around the rate of inflation.”

But after the debate, Ford said he wouldn’t resign if council went against his wishes and voted to increase taxes more than the rate of inflation.

“If other councillors want to vote against it for political reasons, no, I can’t say that,” he said.

“I will never vote over the rate of inflation for taxes.”

Ford refused to take further questions and his campaign team didn’t respond to a media request asking for him to clarify his resignation pledge.

Tory shook his head at Ford’s resignation pledge backtrack.

“It is disappointing that Mr. Ford would make that statement and then, of course, during the same debate was critical of me for not being prepared to stand up and just say, ‘Sure, I’ll do that, too,’” Tory said.

“People can say they will resign but then they can’t backtrack on it. I said people would judge me at the end of four years based on whether I kept my own promise.”

Friday’s debate included several heated exchanges between Tory and Ford.

“One councillor said they’re going to slice him like sliced cheese,” Ford told the debate audience on Tory’s ability to work with council.

The Etobicoke North (Ward 2) councillor also brought up Tory’s role in the 1993 federal Progressive Conservative campaign.

“He destroyed the Conservative party,” Ford said.

Tory questioned whether Ford uses the TTC.

“I haven’t seen you on the subway ever,” he said.

The Toronto Sun covered all the action.Click here for a mobile-friendly link.

