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Dismissing his latest inebriated antics as a “minor setback,” Mayor Rob Ford was back on the offensive Wednesday, lashing out at his one-time allies for delivering the “worst budget,” even though it essentially meets his tax goal.

The executive committee managed to whittle down a property tax hike to Mr. Ford’s target of 1.75% — which translates into 2.23% for the average homeowner after a provincially mandated tax shift — and added several million dollars in new spending on a slew of social programs.

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Returning to his days as a lone wolf at city hall, Mayor Ford was the only vote against the budget.

He played to the cameras, publicly scolding the city manager for not having numbers at his fingertips and emphatically burying his face in his hands during talk of hiring more municipal employees. Like a fighter in a boxing ring, he’d throw a verbal punch, then huddle with his circle of advisors in a corner of the room.

Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong called him a “coward” for blaming others for a tax hike that includes a 0.5% levy for the Scarborough subway he wanted.

“If you’re going to spend money you’re going to stand up and you’re going to say I spent this money and I’m going to find a way to pay for it,” he said. “You’re not going to turtle.”

The tax bill for the owner of a $500,000 property will go up $56 under the proposed budget, which still requires council approval.

The proposed $9.6-billion operating budget allocates more funding for student-nutrition programs, makes leisure swim free across the city, expands library hours and boosts arts funding.

Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly said he would have preferred another 0.5% in tax revenue in order to pay for some of the new social programs.