Ford family to reimburse taxpayers ‘full costs’ for public memorial
Costs to the city and taxpayers estimated at almost $19,000

Thestar.com
April 4, 2016
By Jennifer Pagliaro

Councillor Rob Ford’s office says his family will reimburse the “full costs” of his public memorial last week, which the Star earlier reported cost the city and taxpayers $18,676.

“We would like to once again thank the people of Toronto for their huge support through this difficult time,” read a statement posted to Twitter on Monday morning by Ford’s chief of staff Dan Jacobs. “We also wish to express our eternal gratitude to the staff of the city who were instrumental in putting together the memorial for our beloved Rob.”

The statement says the family “always fully intended” to pay back that money but was originally told costs would be “minimal” - under $1,000.

“We still fully intend to reimburse the city, and are now simply waiting to be given a strict accounting of all the costs incurred.”

But city spokesperson Jackie DeSouza said Monday that “there was no formal discussion about costs prior to the visitation and funeral” with Ford’s family.

On Friday, the city told the Star that the costs related to hosting Ford’s casket in the rotunda tallied $18,676, which was mostly for unionized staff overtime. City Hall, which is typically closed on Easter Monday, was opened specifically for the public visitation.

“There were obviously costs associated with hosting an event of this magnitude and for having staff work on a holiday,” DeSouza said. “The city’s intention was to host a dignified and professional visitation for Councillor Ford in keeping with the family’s expectations as well as to absorb any associated costs within existing budgets.”

The two-day memorial, which included Ford’s body lying in repose in the rotunda for nearly 24 hours total, was unprecedented for a former mayor of Toronto. Two sitting mayors who died in office in 1936 and 1963 lay in repose at what was then Old City Hall.

The Ford family continued to be on the defensive Monday.

Another statement, this time posted by the still active Doug Ford campaign Twitter account from 2014, said there had been some “misinterpretation” of the family’s earlier statement and they were “unconditionally” grateful to Tory and city staff.

It reiterated that they always intended to pay the full cost of both the memorial and funeral.

“We know it’s what Rob would have wanted as well,” the statement read.

“Our family cannot even begin to imagine all the hard work and extra effort that went into putting together an evetns of this magnitude on such short notice, befitting a former mayor of Toronto, and we send our everlasting thanks.”

The city provided the following breakdown to the Star on Friday:

• City clerk’s office, protocol services: $1,271 (overtime) and $1,226 (refreshments)

• Facilities management: $3,140 (overtime)

• Security: $11,539 (increased staffing including contracted staff and overtime)

• Toronto Paramedic Services: $1,500 (honorarium for honour guard)

Non-unionized staff and management who are not entitled to paid overtime will be given time in lieu, DeSouza said.

The public visitation, which was given Mayor John Tory’s blessing, saw more than 5,500 people line up to pay respects and sign books of condolences.

Ford’s casket was driven from city hall in a large procession to St. James Cathedral for the funeral, which closed several major streets before noon and included some 150 police officers as well as firefighters and paramedics.

The city did not contribute to funeral expenses but it’s unclear what expense was incurred by the city for the presence of those emergency personnel. A police spokesperson said “many” of the officers were on duty, but some were off duty and volunteered.

A pipe band of both police officers and firefighters participated in the funeral procession after the police chief’s ceremonial unit kept constant guard of the casket.