The Ontario government is proposing a major expansion of strong mayor powers to the heads of council in 169 additional municipalities, including 25 in Midwestern Ontario, effective May 1, 2025.
The move aims to accelerate the delivery of housing, transit, and infrastructure across the province by equipping local leaders with more authority to advance provincial priorities.
“This significant expansion reflects Ontario’s commitment to streamline local governance and help ensure municipalities have the tools they need to reduce obstacles that can stand in the way of new housing and infrastructure development,” the government said in a media release.
The proposed expansion would apply to single- and lower-tier municipalities with councils of six members or more. These enhanced powers are designed to help mayors directly support shared provincial-municipal priorities, such as the construction of new homes and the infrastructure required to support them.
“Heads of Council are key partners in our efforts to build homes and infrastructure across the province,” said Rob Flack, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “By extending strong mayor powers to these additional municipalities, we are providing mayors every tool at our disposal to empower them to get homes and infrastructure built faster. Mayors know their municipalities best, and we support them in taking bold actions for their communities.”
First introduced in Toronto and Ottawa in 2022, strong mayor powers have since been extended to 47 municipalities. The government says the powers have helped reduce red tape and speed up the implementation of key initiatives, such as housing developments near transit in Ajax and the prioritization of housing projects in St. Catharines.
Key powers under the strong mayor framework include:
Appointing the municipality’s chief administrative officer;
Hiring department heads and reorganizing departments;
Creating and assigning council committees, including chair and vice-chair appointments;
Proposing municipal budgets, subject to council amendments, veto processes, and override mechanisms;
Bringing forward by-laws and council matters that may support a provincial priority, with some subject to special voting rules;
Vetoing certain by-laws believed to interfere with provincial goals.
The province emphasized that these enhanced powers come with increased accountability for mayors and maintain checks and balances through continued oversight by elected councillors.
Certain powers can only be used to further prescribed provincial priorities, such as building homes and developing supporting infrastructure like roads and transit systems. The government notes that this initiative complements broader investments in infrastructure and a new Provincial Planning Statement aimed at streamlining planning rules to support growth.
The proposal is currently posted on Ontario’s Regulatory Registry for public feedback until April 16, 2025.
Local Municipalities on the list include:
Municipality of Arran-Elderslie
Township of Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh
Municipality of Brockton
Municipality of Central Huron
Township of Georgian Bluffs
Town of Goderich
Municipality of Grey Highlands
Town of Hanover
Municipality of Huron East
Township of Huron-Kinloss
Municipality of Kincardine
Municipality of Meaford
Town of Minto
Township of North Huron
Municipality of North Perth
City of Owen Sound
Township of Perth East
Township of Perth South
Town of Saugeen Shores
Municipality of South Bruce
Municipality of South Huron
Township of Southgate
Town of St. Marys
City of Stratford
Municipality of West Grey