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Serious accusations have been made against the mayor of Toronto. If they are proven to be true beyond a reasonable doubt, he should resign. — Josh Matlow (@JoshMatlow) May 18, 2013

Q Could the mayor be impeached? How about a vote of non-confidence by city council?

A Toronto Councillor Josh Matlow tweeted this weekend: “Serious accusations have been made against the mayor of Toronto. If they are proven to be true beyond a reasonable doubt, he should resign.”

Regardless whether he should or not, the choice is likely to be Mr. Ford’s alone. A mayor of Toronto may resign, but it is hard, verging on impossible, to push one out. Municipal politics is not the same as the party-based parliamentary systems in Ottawa or the provincial capitals. So a vote of non-confidence is meaningless for a mayor. Also, there is no recall measure in Toronto’s municipal politics. Councillors could theoretically vote as a bloc against the mayor, leaving him powerless to enact his agenda. But he would still be mayor.

Q How about the voters? If the tape surfaces and enough people want to oust him before the next election, can they?

A Not a chance. Mr. Ford has been the target of an online petition before (5,477 votes to get rid of him), as was his predecessor David Miller. But these are of no force, and mayoral elections are more or less final, until the next one. Failed Toronto mayoral candidate Rocco Rossi proposed provincial legislation that would allow voters to recall elected politicians, as British Columbians can, but then he earned 1.3% of the votes Rob Ford did.

Q Could Mr. Ford’s family convince him to break his silence?

A As the most famous face of a political dynasty, founded by his father Doug, an Ontario MPP, Mr. Ford’s response to this crisis is likely to affect more political futures than just his own. His older brother Doug, an influential Toronto councillor with an eye on provincial Conservative politics, came to his brother’s defense on a weekend radio show, saying: “I have never seen my brother involved with anything like coke.” Facing a possible decline in the family’s influence, however, he might have had more to say in private.