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Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti is trying to figure out a way to ask council to reinstate powers it stripped from Mayor Rob Ford after he admitted to smoking crack cocaine in a drunken stupor.

He said the current “two mayor” system, with Mr. Ford still the figurehead, but Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly holding many of his powers, is confusing and unfair to city staff and taxpayers. Mr. Mammoliti thinks the mayor performed well during the ice storm and deserves another chance at the helm.

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“He made all the right decisions and I think he’s cleaned up his act a little bit,” said Mr. Mammoliti. But since he boycotted the vote that removed the mayor’s powers, he is not sure how, procedurally, he is able to reopen the matter. “I’m calling it a jugular thirst by some councillors that forced this into the realm and I would suggest that political manoeuvring should outdo the political wrangling,” he said.

Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly believes that he has fulfilled council’s wishes but would not comment on if the mayor should be powered back up.

Councillor Mike Del Grande, the mayor’s former budget chief, thinks he shouldn’t. He voted to remove some of his powers last year because he wondered “how can you count on a guy who’s got a track record of lying, and questioned whether he was sober or not sober, to lead the city in a crisis?” The mayor wants a “get out of jail free card” but there cannot be contrition without penance, said Mr. Del Grande. “He’s a Jekyll and Hyde. He’s good at hiding and it caught up to him.”

National Post

