Doug Ford said he would be willing to fill in for his brother Rob as representative of a west-end Toronto ward while the councillor recovers from surgery.
Coun. Rob Ford, who represents Ward 2 (Etobicoke North), announced Thursday that he will undergo surgery next month to remove cancerous tumours from his back and abdomen.
Rob told reporters that the surgery is scheduled for May 11, and said he will be "out of commission" for approximately four months after the procedure.
On Friday morning, Doug told reporters he'd be willing to fill his younger brother's shoes while Rob is recovering.
Doug said he likely wouldn't be able to sit in council because he wasn't elected, but said he believes residents of the ward will need some form of representation while Rob is away.
"There is no one that knows the ward better, outside of Rob, than myself. At the end of the day, when constituents need help... no member of our family walks away from them."
He said he's been helping Rob respond to constituent complaints since the election, and often acts as a representative for those who live in Ward 2.
"No matter if it is a parking issue or a sidewalk issue or whatever, I return their call and pass it on to Rob and Rob's office takes care of it."
It is unclear whether the city will allow Doug to be temporarily appointed by Rob, but last year, city council filled three vacant seats with temporary appointments when councillors left City Hall to run in the provincial election.
The Ontario Municipal Act does not specify whether a councillor would be allowed to temporarily appoint a replacement.
Doug represented the ward during Rob's term as Toronto mayor, from 2010 to 2014, but swapped places with Rob after the cancer diagnosis.
After Rob learned he had cancer, he asked Doug to take his place in the mayoral race. Instead, Rob ran for council in Ward 2. Rob easily won the city council seat, but Doug lost the mayoral election and has hinted recently that he may be interested in provincial politics.
