Minto Council has voted on what they'll be doing going forward with respect to strong mayor powers: delegating them back to council and staff.
Mayor Dave Turton says last week council received a presentation on the new measures given by the provincial government, and they made a clear and decisive decision.
"I have signed documents to delegate the responsibility to where it should be in reference to our CAO, our treasury, down to our building department, our fire services, that's all dealt with within the municipality. So, that's where we're at," Turton stated.
Turton says the way the powers were given were strange given the timing of them. He notes it wasn't like people knew this was a possibility when they voted for council in the most recent municipal elections, nor did prospective mayoral candidates know, which could have really changed things.
"So say when we're voting, I know when I put my 'X' on the ballot, that this mayor that's coming in has these powers, and the mayor going in realizes they have these powers. It would be different than having the powers given to you halfway through your term," Turton pointed out.
Additionally, Turton says that the notion that the new strong mayor powers are meant to help accelerate new housing builds doesn't make much sense. He says supply is an issue in some areas, but overall affordability continues to be a major issue.
"Having the capacity in your water and wastewater systems, you need that. I know there's municipalities that don't have that capacity, in Minto, we do. But, the houses, really, aren't being built because, people can't afford them," said Turton. "Affordable and attainable housing is one topic. Having a full-time job and making enough money to afford these houses that are $600,000 to $1 million, that's the issue."
With respect to the Strong Mayor Powers, Turton also says it was important to ensure the democratic nature of a local council voted in by the public was maintained.