Mayors who commit to Ontario’s new 2031 housing targets will be granted the use of strong mayor powers for Council matters pertaining to provincial housing priorities.
Beyond approving and building new housing, these provincial priorities encompass constructing and maintaining supporting infrastructure such as transit, roads, utilities, and servicing.
As the Ontario government has explained, these powers allow the mayor to:
Appoint the Town’s chief administrative officer
Establish and re-organize municipal departments
Hire municipal department heads
Create new committees of Council, assign their functions, and appoint the chairs and vice-chairs of those committees
Propose and amend the Town’s budget
Veto certain by-laws if the mayor believes all or part of the by-law could potentially interfere with a provincial priority
Mayors can present and approve many of these items with just one-third of Council’s support, meaning a two-thirds vote is needed to override them.
Although intended to expedite approvals and housing starts, these powers have faced criticism for diminishing local representation and democratic process.
Mayor Iain Lovatt does not predict a need for them, however.
“Strong mayor powers are a tool that the province provides that I do not foresee the need to ever use,” he told Bullet Point News. “Council works very hard to build consensus on Staff reports that move the town forward. We work very well together.”
Lovatt also referenced the Town’s new Official Plan. If passed this fall, it will allow for significant intensification throughout areas of Stouffville to help meet housing objectives.
“With our Council working so well and our new Official Plan, I do not believe strong mayors are required to move housing forward in Stouffville,” he suggested.
