The province’s Strong Mayors Powers is an affront to democracy.
That was the consensus among town council when it met June 23.
Council voted unanimously to discuss at the next scheduled meeting a demand that Fort Frances be excluded from the province’s list of designated municipalities.
The powers that have drawn opposition from municipal and county councils throughout the province stems from the Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act adopted by Queen’s Park in 2022.
Amendments were made this year to include a broader range of lower tier councils.
It was touted as a means to cut red tape and spur the development of construction to alleviate the dearth of affordable housing options in Ontario.
The Strong Mayors Powers grant mayors and head of councils in designated municipalities increased authority over municipal affairs. This includes powers related to budget development, staff appointments, and bylaw creation. The extended authority includes the ability to override certain council decisions.
The goal is to streamline decision-making and accelerate the implementation of provincial priorities, particularly housing development. So it isn’t limited to solely being a mechanism to hurry housing construction.
And that is one of the concerns shared by some municipal governments.
Mayor Andrew Hallikas introduced a motion to formally oppose Strong Mayors Powers as the legislation was opposed upon municipalities without broad consultation or consent.
The local council joined more than 100 other municipalities that have passed resolutions opposing these powers and requested their town’s and township’s removal, some as early as 2023.
Hallikas said the biggest gripe is that the province is allowing authority to be concentrated in one office. That undermines democratic governance, council collaboration, and transparency to the community’s electorate.
“Municipalities are most effective through shared leadership and local decision-making,” he said in his notice of motion.
That sentiment will be conveyed to Premier Doug Ford, Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Rob Flack, and officials at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and the Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks, and Treasurers of Ontario.
“Awarding Strong Mayors Powers is an affront to local democracy,” the mayor said.
