Tory says he would support 'strong mayor' powers in Toronto amid report province mulling change

Toronto Mayor John Tory said Wednesday that he would support being handed "strong mayor" powers from the province, a move that Ontario Premier Doug Ford is reportedly mulling.

The Toronto Star reported late Tuesday that Ford is considering legislation that would give stronger powers to the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa as part of a bid to get more new housing built in those cities.

"'Strong Mayor' powers are something that I've said I would support — I talked about it before the last election," Tory said in a statement Wednesday morning.

"I understand this is something that the Province is exploring in order to get more homes built as quickly as possible."

The details of what exactly these additional powers would entail remain vague. A "strong mayor" system is typically marked by the centralization of executive power with the mayor, who has control over department head appointments, oversees budgets, and sometimes is granted veto power in certain circumstances.

The system is common in the United States, with the role of mayors akin to a CEO that operates in conjunction with but also independently from council. 

Right now in Toronto, the mayor's vote is the same as that of a city councillor. 

Ford did not talk about bringing in a strong mayor system during this summer's Ontario election campaign, and such a move would add a new layer of complexity to the mayor's race in the upcoming fall municipal elections.

Nor has the Ford government moved to amend the Municipal Elections Act to deal with other issues, including a loophole that CBC News reported on that allows lobbyists to pay people to campaign for councillors without their knowledge. 

During the current term, Tory has controlled the balance of power on city council which has enabled him to pass most of the policies he supports.

On Tuesday, Parkdale Coun. Gord Perks asked for any information about Ford's plan that city or mayoral staff may have to be brought to the council floor for debate. This week's meeting is the final council sitting before October's municipal election.

"I think it would be inappropriate for us to end our term without having a chance to discuss a potentially very, very important change the way the city of Toronto is governed," Perks said.

Perks also seconded a motion from Toronto–St. Paul's Coun. Josh Matlow that would see council ask the province not to pass any legislation to expand the existing powers of the mayor's office.

"Such a move would erode democracy by stifling advocacy on the most important issues affecting Torontonians," the motion reads.