Saugeen Shores Mayor Luke Charbonneau is speaking out against newly proposed Strong Mayor Powers that the provincial government is giving to hundreds of municipalities, including his own.
The powers would come into effect on May 1. Charbonneau says instilling this much power in one elected official doesn't make sense, especially given that the province is painting the move as necessary to build more homes.
"It comes with a great deal of risk, putting all that power into the hands of one person. We don't need to push aside our democratic structures in order to build good, strong, resilient communities. In fact, we need more democracy to do that, not less," Charbonneau said.
On top of being able to accelerate housing builds, the new powers would also give mayors the ability to veto and overrule council members on budget processes, committees, and other key decisions, as well as the ability to fire or hire senior staff members without council's consent. You can view the details of the Strong Mayor Powers here: https://www.ontario.ca/document/ontario-municipal-councillors-guide/10-strong-mayor-powers-and-duties.
Charbonneau says the powers are completely unnecessary, and give one elected official far too much say over numerous key elements of running a municipally elected government. He says residents in all of the communities receiving these powers should have been consulted prior to the provincial government handing them out.
"The voters are the boss, right? So they should have a say, they should demand a say in how their government is structured and it shouldn't be changed without at least hearing from them, and in my opinion, without their consent," Charbonneau stated.
The powers are set to take effect in 169 municipalities on May 1, after already being enacted in 47 earlier, as well as in Toronto and Ottawa.
In terms of the provincial government claiming that the powers are meant to help accelerate housing builds, Charbonneau says that's a ridiculous notion.
"The elected officials who are representing the people of our community, the members of council, are not the reason why we have a housing crisis, or why we need to build more infrastructure. And handing all this over to the mayor, it isn't going to get any of these projects done any faster," said Charbonneau frankly.
On the morning of April 15, Charbonneau penned a letter to all residents of Saugeen Shores.
"In recent years, our council has made significant strides in building our infrastructure and has found creative ways to enable housing, resulting in the construction of more than 600 multi-family residential units in the last two years alone. In my view, giving expanded power to the mayor threatens to disrupt the effective governance that has made us successful and one of the fastest growing communities in our region," the letter said.
In addition to Charbonneau, Arran-Elderslie Mayor Steve Hammell also came out in opposition of the Strong Mayor Powers.
"Strong Mayor Powers undermine the collaborative nature of municipal councils and the essential role of all elected officials in local decision-making," Hammell shared.
Both Arran-Elderlsie and Saugeen Shores councils are sending letters to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Paul Calandra, outlining their respective opposition to the enactment of Strong Mayor Powers in their municipalities.
The opportunity for public comment on the Strong Mayor Powers closes on April 16.
You can read Saugeen Shores Mayor Luke Charbonneau's open letter to residents here: https://www.saugeenshores.ca/en/news/mayor-charbonneau-opposes-strong-mayor-powers.aspx.