Ontario set to introduce ‘strong mayor’ legislation to speed up housing development
Posted Aug 10, 2022 12:32:00 PM.
Ontario is set to introduce legislation on Wednesday to give large municipal leaders so-called strong mayor powers as a way to get housing built more quickly.
Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Steve Clark is set to table a bill that the government says will give municipalities more tools.
Premier Doug Ford has said he’s planning a 'strong mayor' system for Toronto and Ottawa and is considering expanding that to other cities.
Ford indicated through his government’s throne speech Tuesday that strong mayor systems will let municipal leaders reduce timelines for development, standardize processes and address local barriers to increasing housing supply.
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.
The premier has previously said two-thirds of a council would be able to overrule a mayor under such a system. The mayor currently only has one vote in decision-making, the same as other city councillors.
Toronto Mayor John Tory expressed support when news of the proposal broke, saying 'strong mayor’ powers are something that I’ve said I would support — I talked about it before the last election.”
Doug Ford previously left his mark on Toronto municipal politics when his government cut the size of city council from 47 seats down to 25, shortly after he was elected as premier in 2018.
Ford invoked a notwithstanding clause to pass legislation to shrink the council. It was the first time the clause was used in Ontario’s history.
Ford did not indicate during the recent election campaign that he was planning to introduce ‘strong mayor’ legislation.
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson, who is not seeking re-election, does not support the 'strong mayor' system, saying there's no need for a new governance model in the city.
He said the current system provides the necessary checks and balances.
