Ontario Government Grants Strong Mayor Powers to 26 Additional Cities

The Ontario government has recently announced that 26 more cities, including Mississauga, Brampton, and Hamilton, will be granted strong mayor powers. The decision was revealed by Steve Clark, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, during a meeting with the Ontario Big City Mayors on June 16. These new powers will be effective starting July 1 of this year.

In May, Minister Clark had hinted at the possibility of more cities receiving strong mayor powers, following in the footsteps of Toronto and Ottawa, which were the first cities to obtain these powers in the fall of 2022. The strong mayors will now possess expanded authority over city budgets, as well as the ability to hire and fire senior city staff. Furthermore, a two-thirds majority vote from the city council will be required to overrule strong mayors on decisions relating to affordable housing projects, public transit, highways, and other infrastructure initiatives.

Minister Clark emphasized that these 26 cities are among the largest and fastest-growing in the province. Additionally, they have committed to a housing pledge in line with the province’s objective of constructing 1.5 million homes by 2031. The new powers granted to the mayors aim to accelerate housing development in these areas.

Clark stated, “By adopting ambitious and absolutely necessary housing pledges, these 26 municipalities have demonstrated they understand the importance of that target, and we are ensuring they have the tools they need to succeed.”

Critics have raised concerns about the potential democratic implications of this move, as it reduces the power of councillors. However, Minister Clark justified the decision by stating, “We need to set our communities up for success…we want to make sure they have tools to get the job done.”

The initiative has received praise from Marianne Meed Ward, the Chair of Ontario Big City Mayors and the Mayor of Burlington. Meed Ward believes that different communities require various tools and approaches to address local housing needs, and strong mayor powers are one such tool that can assist mayors and municipalities in meeting their housing targets. She expressed commitment to continuing to work with the province to ensure the construction of homes that residents require.

The 26 municipalities that will receive strong mayor powers are as follows: Ajax, Barrie, Brampton, Brantford, Burlington, Caledon, Cambridge, Clarington, Guelph, Hamilton, Kingston, Kitchener, London, Markham, Milton, Mississauga, Niagara Falls, Oakville, Oshawa, Pickering, Richmond Hill, St. Catharines, Vaughan, Waterloo, Whitby, and Windsor.

The strong mayor powers and duties include:
– Appointing the municipality’s chief administrative officer
– Hiring specific municipal department heads and establishing and reorganizing departments
– Creating committees of council, assigning their functions, and appointing the chairs and vice-chairs of said committees
– Proposing the municipal budget, subject to council amendments, and implementing a separate head of council veto and council override process
– Vetoing certain by-laws if the head of council believes that all or part of the by-law may potentially interfere with a provincial priority
– Presenting matters for council consideration if the head of council believes that reviewing the matter could potentially advance a provincial priority.