Back at their first meeting in August, Fort Frances Council voted unanimously to oppose provincial legislation that granted Strong Mayoral Rule granting them the right to overrule decisions made by council. As Andrew Halikas noted, the Fort Frances council works well together. It was a good decision. Council returned authority to its CAO and administrators.
It gave the mayors powers to hire and fire municipal CAO’s, appoint committees, assign leadership roles, veto bylaws and create budgets without input from council. In Fort Frances the mayor could have over-ruled a council decision.
Prior to this legislation, there was no consultation by the Ford government with AMO (Association of Municipalities of Ontario), FONOM (Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities), or NOMA (Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association).
Fort Frances is not alone as a small community rejecting this provincial legislation. Across Northwestern and Northeastern Ontario, most other small communities have rejected being part of the 169 municipalities receiving the new mayor powers. Kenora passed a similar motion to that of Fort Frances one month earlier.
The legislation was first given to large cities in Ontario to speed up housing and infrastructure projects to meet growing demand for new home is Toronto and Ottawa. Fort Frances had already made decisions to make more property available for housing. Fort Frances has many serviced lots available for new construction. The town is developing new policies to make it easier for developers to acquire those housing properties and begin development. Red tape has been reduced and in some cases tax holidays have been created for multiple unit development.
Legislation exists by council to help rehabilitate buildings and lands for development. Lots in the industrial park remain a bargain for development.
But not all communities have turned back the new powers. As noted by Hearst Mayor Roger Sigouin, the new provincial powers in the wrong hands could be abused. In the Township of Rideau Lakes, a veto by the mayor has upset its council. In a vote of 5-3 to proceed to tender of new office facilities, Arie Hoogenboom, using his new mayor powers, vetoed the motion, overriding the will of council. His claim is that his veto was in alignment with provincial polices.
In our council differences of opinion and understanding must be grappled with by members. Differences should be discussed and debated. Motions and bylaws can be amended to create better decisions. Not all decisions need to be unanimous as the decision to not take the new powers given by the province. Instead, council must accept the decision reached by the majority.
