Mayor Rob Ford speaks to the crowd at Ford Fest on Friday, September 7, 2012 (Dave Abel/Toronto Sun)

Mayor Rob Ford gave a barnburner of a speech at Friday night’s Ford Fest vowing it marked the start of the 2014 election.

In a speech that stretched to almost 10 minutes in length, Ford thanked his supporters and family, listed off the accomplishments of his mayoralty, took a thinly-veiled shot at the court case against him and encouraged those in attendance to help him fight to keep the mayor’s chair starting now.

Here’s a transcript of Mayor Rob Ford’s speech to the crowd at Ford Fest:

Thank you. Thank you so much.

(Crowd cheers, “Rob, Rob, Rob”)

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I can’t thank you enough.

It seems like we were doing this yesterday but it was only two years ago that I sat here probably at the same time when the election was about a month away saying, “When I get down to City Hall, the gravy train is over. “

Well folks, the gravy train is over!

I said I was going to go down there with your support and clean it up and get rid of the $60 car tax. We got rid of the $60 car tax. I said we weren’t’ going to have another strike. We have a four-year deal with the unions, there will not be a strike for four years. I said, “We are going to contract out garbage saving $12 million a year.” We have contracted out garbage saving $12 million a year.

Folks, that’s just the beginning.

And most importantly, I said, “You know what, we have to lead by example. We have to lead by the councillors and the mayor.” The first thing I had to do was reduce the size and cost of government and I said I don’t need a chauffeur and I don’t need a driver and I don’t need all the other stuff.

I said, “I will reduce my office budget and the councillors by a million dollars.” We did exactly that. I cut it, $700,000 of your hard-earned tax dollars.

I said, “We were not going to have anymore $12,000 farewell parties.” That is why there are no more $12,000 farewell parties, folks.

I couldn’t have done it without your support.

We have done more this year, in the last two years, than the previous administration and that has done in the last 10 years combined.

Most importantly, I couldn’t have done this without my lovely wife Renata beside my side day in and day out. I want to thank her for all her support.

I want to thank my mom for hosting the party here tonight. My brother Doug. As you know, um, he gives me the marching orders and I march so we work as a team. My brother Randy, he’s the brains behind the operation, we couldn’t do anything without his support, running a company that has given us 50 years of a very comfortable living. And my sister Kathy, helping out in every way that she has been there all the time when we need her. So I want to thank our family most importantly.

And there is one person that we could never, ever, ever forget is my dad up in heaven. I love you dad, I know you are with us.

So folks, I’m not going to list all our accomplishments but I have to tell you one thing – the campaign for the next election has started today. The next election is two years away. We have to get out there, bang on the doors. As you saw this week, they are coming after us every which way. They want to continue the high taxes, the big spending and the out-of-control waste at City Hall.

Folks, I want to thank you for your support. I want to thank the councillors that are here tonight. I’m sorry if I’ve missed some people, I’ve just got off the football field coaching. I know, I know some people think that is a terrible thing to help kids out but unfortunately I’m helping kids out and I invite you to our first game which is next Friday at Esther Shiner stadium at 5 o’clock against the Metro Bowl champs the Don Wilson Gators. And mark my words, we are going to be the Metro Bowl champs not Donald Wilson.

I saw a few councillors here, I saw Councillor Crawford and Councillor Grimes and Councillor Ainslie. Thank you so much. And the speaker Frances Nunziata.

(The councillors gather on the stage)

We call Grimes-y he’s the mayor after midnight so he’s the Midnight Mayor.

But folks, we are turning the city around, we have a lot of work to do, we need your support in the next two years because the tax-and-spend people want to take it back and they are not getting it back. We have the city turned around, we have to keep it turned around.

I want to thank you so much for your support. Enjoy yourselves. God bless you.