Prime Minister Doug Ford will expand his government’s “strong mayor” legislation to other municipalities.
Addressing municipal leaders in Ottawa this morning, on the first full day of events at the Ontario Association of Municipalities Conference, the premier said he would expand the new powers beyond Toronto and Ottawa.
More than 1,700 officials representing municipalities and organizations from across the province are in Ottawa for the AMO annual conference, the first in-person gathering of municipal leaders in three years.
The prime minister was the first of several federal and provincial government officials scheduled to address delegates at the conference this week.
The “strong mayor” legislation, when passed, would give the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa more power to advance provincial priorities, more specifically as it relates to housing development. Ford has pledged, for example, to build 1.5 million new homes in 10 years, and the new powers are intended to help achieve that goal.
Mayors could also write a budget themselves or veto certain council approvals that run counter to province priorities, although councilors can override a mayoral veto with a two-thirds vote.
Details on how additional powers will be given to the mayors of other municipalities will be communicated in the coming months, Ford said.
Ford’s address to municipal leaders came six days after his Ontario government’s new throne speech and budget reintroduction, and 10 weeks before Ontario mayors and councilors face voters in municipal elections. .
In June, the mayors of large Ontario cities requested an emergency meeting with Premier Ford and his cabinet to address “crises of chronic homelessness, mental health, safety and addiction issues” facing Ontario municipalities. .
“Municipal governments have made efforts to address the urgent need for shelter and health care services, but this is the responsibility of the provincial government,” said OBCM Chairman Cam Guthrie, Mayor of Guelph. “The impacts of these issues are being addressed by our core and inner city communities, creating further devastating impacts on marginalized and vulnerable populations.”
Last week, Ford and his newly elected Progressive Conservative government opened a new session in the Ontario Legislature with the throne speech and reintroduced the budget. The throne speech urged Ontarians to prepare for an economic slowdown due to rising inflation, a “growing sense of uncertainty” amid COVID-19 figures and the war in Ukraine.
Ford and his Minister for Municipal Affairs and Housing may face questions about proposed new “strong mayor” powers for the mayors of Ottawa and Toronto. The legislation would give mayors the responsibility of preparing and submitting a municipal budget each year for the council’s consideration, and a new veto power that would allow the mayor to override the council on “provincial priority” matters.
Canada’s Federal Minister for Rural Economic Development, Gudie Hutchings, and the Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, Helena Jaczek, will also speak at today’s conference.
On Tuesday, the Minister for Municipal Affairs and Housing, Steve Clark, will address municipal leaders, while the Minister for Health, Sylvia Jones, and the Minister for Finance, Peter Bethlenfalvy, will speak at the conference on Wednesday.
The Ontario Association of Municipalities conference will hold multiple sessions during the three-day event to discuss a range of municipal and provincial issues, including climate change, strengthening indigenous relationships, equitable and inclusive communities, affordability of housing, the modernization of the public health system, mental health and addictions, and economic recovery.
–With files from The Canadian Press.