Strong-mayor powers will actually make cities like Toronto and Ottawa weaker
Adam Vaughan is a former Toronto city councillor, a former federal Liberal member of Parliament and a Distinguished Fellow at the University of Toronto’s School of Cities.
Indeed, there’s one question no one seems to be asking: After three decades of provincial overreach through forced amalgamations, downloaded services, cuts to council sizes, delegation of some powers and Queen’s Park taking over other key municipal tasks, why are Ontario cities so weak? By setting out the terms by which the mayor can use the veto power, the provincial government will be able to ensure that local priorities align with its own. If citizens revolt, the mayor will effectively be expected to keep them in line.
The act will also technically allow the mayor to craft the city budget. But with Mr. Ford’s history of cutting funding to municipal programs and the province’s ability to direct spending and regulate municipal revenue options, the reality is that the budget will be the mayor’s in name only.
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