Strong mayor powers coming to four local cities

The mayors of Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, and Guelph will be among the 26 new cities getting ‘strong mayor’ powers.

It comes into effect on July 1, 2023.

Strong mayors can override their own council votes as they see fit.

Premier Doug Ford often expressed optimism that other municipalities would eventually get strong mayor powers, which give leaders the authority to veto bylaws that conflict with provincial priorities, such as building housing. A council could override the mayor’s veto with a two-thirds majority vote.

Clark and the province have been busy appointing facilitators to assess several regional governments, including York Region, and look at the best mix of roles between upper-tier and lower-tier municipalities to expand “strong mayor” powers beyond Toronto and Ottawa.

The U.S.-style “strong mayor” system is typically marked by the centralization of executive power with the mayor, who has control over department head appointments, oversees budgets, and sometimes is granted veto power.

In December 2022, Ontario passed legislation allowing Toronto and Ottawa to enact specific bylaws even if a minority of councillors are in favour. The bill was initially designed to allow the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa to “move priority projects forward and get more homes built faster.”

The powers also gave them responsibility for preparing and tabling their city’s budget, instead of council, as well as hiring and firing department heads.

Former Toronto Mayor John Tory expressed support for strong mayor powers. Ottawa council voted in late November to oppose the bill.

With files from The Canadian Press