Less than half of 'strong mayors' were using powers before Ontario expanded system: reports

Less than half of the province’s “strong mayors” appeared to be using their controversial powers in the months ahead of a sweeping expansion of the system to 170 additional communities, according to estimates by Ontario’s civil service.

Those findings are detailed in internal Ontario Public Service reports that tracked the use of so-called strong mayor powers until March 31. CBC News obtained the reports through a freedom of information request.

According to the reports, 48 per cent of the 46 mayors had used the powers at least once by that point. The province extended the powers to nearly half of Ontario’s municipalities just months later. 

The report, intended for senior government officials, also finds that a quarter of the strong mayors delegated all of their powers to city council or their chief administrative officers. 

“Ministry staff are not commenting on whether the purported use of strong mayor powers was done so in accordance with the legislation and regulations,” the civil servants cautioned. 

“Implementation of the strong mayor framework is a local responsibility.”

Premier Doug Ford’s government created the strong mayor system in 2022, saying it did so to help build housing after promising to build 1.5 million homes by 2031. But Ontario’s housing market has ground to a halt in recent years.

The powers give mayors control over appointments, the ability to hire and fire most city staff, vetoes over some council votes and the ability to pass some bylaws with support of only a third of council.

Ontario first granted strong mayor powers to Toronto and Ottawa, then to 26 more communities the next year.  On May 1, the province expanded the system to 170 more municipalities, bringing the total to 216 strong mayors across Ontario.

But the internal reports show strong mayors were using their powers to reorganize their municipal structures more than for vetoes and votes.

The tracking shows 15 mayors reorganizing committees 37 times. Three mayors either fired their top administrator or a division head. The civil servants also found three mayors used their powers for vetoes or passing bylaws with a third support a combined 12 times by three mayors.

The report is careful to acknowledge the limits of the tracking, which doesn't count the budget process as a use of the strong mayor powers, even though the legislation fundamentally changes how communities draft and pass their annual spending packages.

Nor does it include directives the mayor can issue to staff under the powers — directives that don't have to be publicly posted and can’t be tracked.

Ajax Mayor Shaun Collier believes he’s one of the most active users of the system since it was introduced. He says he's delegated most of the powers to hire and fire to city staff, but is using the powers to speed up approvals for dense, high-rise development.