Ontario proposes expanding strong mayor powers to 169 additional municipalities
Heads of council would get the new powers as of May 1
Ontario is proposing to expand strong mayor powers to the heads of council in 169 additional municipalities starting in May.
The province said in a news release on Wednesday that the expansion would help ensure municipalities have the tools they need to reduce obstacles to new housing and infrastructure developments.
The additional municipalities would include the City of Orillia, the Township of Uxbridge, the Town of Wasaga Beach, the Township of King, and the Town of Collingwood. The heads of those municipalities would get the new powers as of May 1.
"The powers would allow heads of council of single- and lower-tier municipalities with councils of six members or more to support shared provincial-municipal priorities, such as encouraging the approval of new housing and constructing and maintaining infrastructure to support housing, including roads and transit," said the release.
Premier Doug Ford's government first granted the powers to the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa in 2022, and since then has expanded them a few times, with the list currently at 47, including Oakville, Milton, London, Windsor, Hamilton and Niagara Falls.
Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Rob Flack said in a news release that the strong mayor powers will allow mayors to take more actions for their communities.
"By extending strong mayor powers to these additional municipalities, we are providing mayors every tool at our disposal to empower them to get homes and infrastructure built faster," said Flack in a news release on Wednesday.
The province says the enhanced powers come with "increased accountability for heads of council and maintain essential checks and balances through the oversight of councillors."
Strong mayor powers and duties include choosing to appoint the municipality's chief administrative officer, hiring certain municipal department heads, proposing the municipal budget, and creating committees of council.
The expansion comes as Ontario is behind the pace needed to meet its goal of building 1.5 million homes in 10 years. The proposal is set to be open for feedback on the province's regulatory registry until April 16.
The president of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario welcomed Wednesday's announcement and said it will help get housing built.
"As the most trusted order of government, municipalities can be counted on to exercise new powers accountably and in the best interests of the public and the communities they serve," Robin Jones wrote in a statement.
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With files from The Canadian Press