Oakville resident Julia Hanna-Candidate for Town of Oakville Mayor in 2018 & 2022
Strong mayor powers are an affront to democracy and must be challenged at every opportunity.
Bill 39 is known as the Better Municipal Governance Act. On July 1, 2023, the powers of Bill 39 have been extended to twenty-six other municipalities from the original two first granted in December 2022 (Ottawa and Toronto) by the Conservative Ontario Provincial Government. The Town of Oakville and Mayor Rob Burton are among the twenty-six new municipalities to be granted these extraordinary powers.
At the Association of Municipalities Conference in London, Ontario in August 2023, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced plans to extend the so-called ‘strong mayor’ powers to twenty-one smaller municipalities in Ontario.
The powers are intended to give mayors the ability to advance provincial priorities related to the building of housing and related infrastructure. The now resigned Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark said the move to extend mayor powers in Ontario is intended to help regions get shovels in the ground faster to help deliver on the province's goal to build 1.5 million homes by 2031.
The reality of the legislation is that these powers allow the balance of power to be in the hands of a few while giving the impression that decision-making is truly a collaborative effort involving elected municipal governments who represent the citizens.
The new powers allow a mayor to veto majority council decisions that they think conflict with provincial priorities, such as increasing housing supply or building infrastructure.
The new rules will allow mayors to pass or repeal bylaws, provided they can get support from one-third of town councilors.
The mayor will also be able to propose and adopt the town budget, hire, direct, and dismiss senior staff, create and reorganize municipal departments, create committees, and appoint committee chairs.
The consequence of strong mayor powers is that Mayors have the ability to veto the majority of Council and essentially fire any staffer standing in their way.
If you believe in the democratic process, be very concerned.
After two Oakville Mayoral campaigns, I have come to see a number of concerning patterns and a number of concerning outcomes. I have strongly advocated for policies for Oakville focused on growth with proper infrastructure and consultation for all. With Bill 39 now in effect for Oakville those citizens who bring their concerns to their Councillors may or may not be heard, as dissenting opinions can now be quickly quashed for expediency.
Let’s be clear about my position. Strong mayor powers do not sit well with me for Oakville, or for any municipality for that matter. We must be collaborative and respect the democratic process for all decisions. We do have a housing crisis, and we do need to act fast.
We must improve the efficiency of our bureaucracy while always respecting our democratic processes. Giving mayors strong mayor powers is a dangerous precedent that undermines democracy.
It is clear from voter turnout of the 2018 and 2022 municipal elections in Oakville that our citizens have either lost faith or lost interest in their ability to have their voices listened to in a democratic way. The voter turnout in 2022 was 28% in Oakville. That means that 72% of eligible voters did not vote. Now with strong mayor powers, the voice of that mere 28% is further diminished into the hands of the mayor.
You may be reading this and wondering what you can do if you are concerned. Bad things happen when good people stay silent. Write to your local Oakville Town Councillor, the Mayor of Oakville, your MPP, and the Premier to express your discontent.
You can also support local independent journalists who are stretched in resources in 2023 to report on the issues. Our level of accountability for the decisions of our elected officials has diminished over time in the same way voter turnout has. Taking time to become aware of the issues will go a long way in restoring the balance of power that controls our community.
A better solution to strong mayor powers would be to improve efficiencies to eliminate delays. We can do this by revamping our existing processes. This way protects our democratic rights without shifting the balance of power into the hands of a few which is what strong mayor powers is guaranteed to do.