'Lone wolf' Giorgio Mammoliti, Doug Ford rip city budget

Coun. Giorgio Mammoliti and Doug Ford teamed up to blast Mayor John Tory's budget, just a day before council is set to debate the $10-billion plan.

Hundreds of people turned up for Mammoliti and Ford's unofficial public consultation at a Finch Avenue West banquet hall on Monday night. Mammolitiand Ford criticized the two per cent property tax and other fee increases included in the 2017 budget.

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Mammoliti said he wants the mayor to consider radical steps that could save billions of dollars, like asking the province to take control of the TTC or having other governments shoulder all child-care costs.

"We don't need to be in the child-care business,it's not part of the mandate," Mammoliti told CBC Toronto.

The York-West councillor admitted his views make him a "lone wolf" among city councillors including many who are battling to add more child-care funding to this year's budget but he said he believes the city is trying to do too much with the money it takes in.

Ford hints at 2018 mayoral run

Doug Ford, the brother of the late former mayor Rob Ford, said he's fielding some 10 calls a day from people worried about increasing costs. Ford, who lost the last mayoral election to Tory, also echoed his late brother's campaign slogan, saying the gravy train has returned to city hall.

"When the cat's away, the mice will play," he told the crowd.

Ford said he plans to run for office again in 2018, though he declined to say whether that would be provincially or municipally.

Mammoliti said he was hopeful Ford would re-enter city politics.

Tory fires back

Earlier Monday, Tory took a pre-emptive shot at Ford, telling reporters gathered for a TTC announcement that "people who are aspiring to be mayor" should be asked about the bus routes that were cut during the previous administration.

"That's not how you're going to connect people with opportunity in the city,"Tory said.

City council is set to debate the budget on Wednesday and Thursday.