Ontario Premier doug ford has confirmed that it plans to comprehensively reform the powers given to the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa.
In an uproar outside Queens Park, Ford said both mayors would be given veto power over council decisions, significantly increasing the legislative power they had.
“They are accountable for everything, but they have the same vote as another councillor,” Ford said. “No matter if it’s a good decision or a difficult decision they make, they have to be held accountable.”
Ford said he would “get into the details” later but confirmed that mayors would get a veto that could only be overturned by a two-thirds majority.
Ontario NDP municipal affairs critic Jeff Burch said the move was “shocking”.
“Why did Premier Doug Ford keep his strong mayoral plan a secret throughout the campaign? Why wouldn’t he consult with the municipalities or the people he represents?” He said in a statement.
“It is shocking that Ford is focusing on giving more power to the two mayors, rather than working on supporting municipalities that will actually help people – such as those in housing, public health, long-term care and transit. better funding.”
Ford was a former Toronto city councilor and was unsuccessful in the mayoral candidate. His brother Rob was the mayor of Toronto from 2010 to 2014.
On Wednesday, Toronto Mayor John Tory signaled his support for a “strong mayor” system.
“I understand this is something the province is exploring to build more homes as soon as possible,” he wrote in a statement.
“As mayor, I am absolutely determined to build more housing – no matter what powers I have as mayor.”
Gil Pealosa, a well-known urbanist and one of the candidates who ran against Tory in October, said he does not support the new powers.
“I am committed that as mayor I will use the power of thought, rather than the power of the veto, to inspire Torontonians and councilors to provide a more affordable, equitable and sustainable city with housing, beautiful parks and safe streets Everyone can go,” he said in a statement.
On Wednesday morning, a request by Toronto Count. Josh Metallo debated the move, with 18 votes to three, with Mike Cole, Stephen Holliday and James Pasternak voting against it.
The Tories voted in favor of the debate.
Metallo has prepared a proposal with three recommendations. If the resolution is passed, Toronto would oppose the introduction of a “strong mayor” system and the mayoral veto.
“Such a move would erode democracy by throttling local advocacy on the most important issues affecting Torontonians,” Matlow’s proposal read.
The scheduled debate in council, where the Tories currently have just one vote out of 25, could see the city take a position on the law even before Ford’s table.
The changes would be “immediate”, Ford said, likely to go into effect before the October 24 municipal election.
Tory is running for a third term as mayor in Toronto, while Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson has said he will not run for re-election.
A Watson spokesman said the mayor was on annual leave and would not be able to comment on Wednesday.
The potential turmoil in Toronto and Ottawa City Hall reflects a controversial move by Ford in 2018, when it halved the size of the Toronto city council ahead of the final round of local elections.
In 2018, the municipal campaign was well underway when the Ontario legislature passed a law that reduced the number of council seats in Toronto from 47 to 25, aligning them with federal riding.
Ford argued at the time that the change would streamline the council’s operations and save $25 million.
— With files from the Canadian Press
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