Owen Sound City Hall. (Photo by Claire McCormack. July 2024)
Owen Sound doesn’t want strong mayor powers.
Mayor Ian Boddy joined the rest of council in a unanimous vote during a special meeting Monday to send a letter to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Rob Flack requesting Owen Sound be immediately removed from the list of municipalities designated under strong mayor legislation.
The motion from Coun. Jon Farmer came after councillors heard from a consultant, who answered questions and tried to provide some clarity about the changes coming as a result of the provincial government’s expansion of strong mayor powers.
Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative government is granting enhanced authority to mayors in 169 more municipalities across Ontario, effective Thursday (May 1).
“We’ve talked a lot about all the reasons this is bad. I think it’s bad. I think we need to put that on the record,” Farmer says.
Ontario’s strong mayor powers regulation grants enhanced authority to mayors — or heads of council — in municipalities, especially in dealing with housing and related provincial priorities to support the construction of homes such as transit, roads, utilities and servicing.
According to the Ontario government, additional powers for the mayor in “strong mayor municipalities” are the ability to appoint the chief administrative officer, hire certain division heads, reorganize municipal departments and create new committees and appoint their chairpersons.
It also grants mayors the ability to propose bylaws that advance certain provincial priorities, and pass them with only one-third support of council. The mayor can also veto bylaws that “could potentially interfere with a provincial priority.” That veto power can be overridden by a two-thirds vote by council.
Owen Sound Mayor Ian Boddy says his plan is to delegate the powers back to council and the city manager, and not retain any strong mayor powers that he doesn’t have to.
“There’s nine of us at the table. We all have different social groups and speak to different members of the community,” Boddy says, describing his council colleagues. “And together, we bring together representation for the whole community. And I think that’s important to have that feedback in all decisions, that everybody’s involved.”
Councils of several other communities in Bruce and Grey counties have expressed concerns about the province’s expansion of strong mayor powers. Meaford is also sending a letter to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing requesting its removal from the list of designated communities. Arran-Elderslie resolved to formally oppose them and inform the province. And Saugeen Shores Mayor Luke Charbonneau publicly spoke against strong mayor powers.
