{UAH} THE TOTAL CHAOS I PROMISED WBK HAS STARTRED Just watch what happens next

Doug Ford To Slash Toronto City Council Seats Nearly In Half

Ford says having fewer city councillors will save taxpayers $25 million. Shawn Jeffords and Paola Loriggio Canadian Press

Chris Young/CP

Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Toronto Mayor John Tory take part in a candlelit vigil to honour the victims of a deadly shooting in Toronto on July 25, 2018.

TORONTO — Doug Ford's surprise decision to dramatically cut the size of Toronto's city council just months before the fall municipal election drew immediate backlash Friday from the city's mayor and other critics, who accused Ontario's new premier of circumventing the democratic process.

Ford said his Progressive Conservative government will introduce legislation to cut the number of council seats from 47 to 25, aligning city wards with federal ridings — a plan that wasn't outlined during the spring election campaign or mentioned in the province's throne speech earlier this month.

The premier, a failed Toronto mayoral candidate and single-term city councillor, said he has wanted to make the change since his days at city hall.

"I promised to reduce the size and cost of government and end their culture of waste and mismanagement in government," he said. "This is something I fought for at city hall, something I continue to believe in today."

Having fewer city councillors "will dramatically improve the decision-making process," and save Toronto taxpayers $25 million in councillor and staff salaries over four years, Ford said.

Asked why he didn't campaign on the plan or hold public consultations on it, Ford said he heard from thousands of people while canvassing that they want a smaller government.

"People don't care about politicians, they care about getting things done," he said.

The deadline for candidates to register for Toronto's election was Friday afternoon but the province said it will extend that to September. The deadline to run for mayor, however, was unchanged.

"An affront to democracy"

Ford's move was panned by Toronto Mayor John Tory, who said the process around the plan is "absolutely not right." The mayor said he'd propose a referendum on the issue.

"This is a gigantic decision about the future of Toronto," Tory said. "What we don't need and what I just can't support is change being rammed down our throats without a single second of public consultation."

When asked if he had been given advance notice of Ford's plan, Tory said the premier made a "passing reference" to the idea in a meeting two weeks ago but the matter was dropped.

"I didn't think it was anything that was going to be taken seriously," Tory said. "I said 'well I don't even think that was anything that was even possible."'

The issue came to a head during a testy exchange at city hall Friday night, when the mayor confronted Coun. Mike Layton, accusing him of "implying" that Tory had advanced knowledge of the move.

"Get up, if you have the balls to do it, and say it!," Tory said.

Several councillors joined Tory in opposing Ford's plan.

Calling the premier's move "an affront to our democracy," Coun. Kristyn Wong-Tam urged Tory to challenge it in court.

Coun. John Campbell said slashing council nearly in half would reduce oversight of municipal boards and commissions.

"If you reduce councillors to 25, all of a sudden you lose that connection with the electorate and in the end the public is the loser," he said.

Steve Russell via Getty Images Hundreds gathered outside Toronto City Hall to protest Premier Ford's decision to slash the number of city councillors.

The move also sparked protests at Toronto City Hall on Friday evening. Hundreds gathered with anti-Ford signs and later made their way into council chambers where councillors were debating how to respond to Ford's motion.

Others, however, expressed support for a smaller municipal government, arguing it would cut costs and help council reach decisions faster.

"The only thing we do upstairs in that chamber is everybody gets up and just wants to talk," said Coun. Jim Karygiannis. "When you have 25 people there's more cohesion, you'll move faster on things."

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