West Grey Mayor Kevin Eccles (Photo from West Grey municipal website)
West Grey is opposing the provincial government’s expansion of strong mayor powers.
Council reviewed the expanded strong mayor powers during its meeting on Tuesday and Mayor Kevin Eccles issued a statement, saying he is committed to upholding and defending the democratic process in municipal governance.
Eccles decide to delegate the strong mayor powers back to council and the CAO when possible.
“Our council was elected by the people of West Grey to exercise these powers, and it is my firm belief that this is the way it should be. By entrusting these responsibilities to council and the CAO, we ensure that the voices of our community are heard and respected in every decision we make,” says Eccles’ statement.
The mayor delegated the ability to hire and fire staff to the CAO, appoint and dismiss the CAO to council, and establish or dissolve committees of council and appoint the chair and vice chairs of those committees to council.
Eccles says there are other powers he is not able to delegate.
“This approach not only reinforces the democratic principles we cherish but also promotes transparency, accountability, and collaboration within our municipal government. Together, we will continue to work towards a brighter future for West Grey, guided by the collective wisdom and will of our community,” says Eccles’ statement.
This comes after the province approved enhancing the authority of mayors in 169 more municipalities across Ontario at the beginning of the month, which included West Grey.
“Trust that those tools, I am looking at it and most of them, if not all of them, I never want to put my hands on and use,” says Eccles. “They are there and it’s got a no return policy on it, we can’t as a council return it. We can put our dismay forward to Queens Park, but as you know, we are creatures of the province.”
West Grey joins other municipalities across Grey Bruce who have expressed opposition to the strong mayor powers.
