TORONTO – Ontario is proposing to more than triple the number of mayors who have so-called strong mayor powers, looking to add 169 municipalities to the list.
The powers, which critics decry as undemocratic, include allowing heads of council to propose bylaws and pass them with the support of one-third of councillors, veto bylaws and hire and fire department heads.
Premier Doug Ford’s government first granted the powers to the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa, and since then has expanded them a few times, with the list currently at 47.
Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Rob Flack says in a press release that the strong mayor powers will allow more municipalities to get homes and infrastructure built faster.
The expansion comes as Ontario is behind the pace needed to meet its goal of building 1.5 million homes in 10 years.
The proposal is set to be open for feedback on the province’s regulatory registry for one week, and the government intends to have the powers come into effect as of May 1.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 9, 2025.
