Ford government looks to expand ‘strong mayor’ powers to 169 more Ontario municipalities
Posted April 9, 2025 11:06 am.
Last Updated April 10, 2025 1:26 pm.
The Ford government is looking to dramatically increase the number of Ontario municipalities with access to so-called strong mayor powers.
According to a statement issued Wednesday morning by Ontario’s municipal affairs and housing minister, the government is looking to expand the powers to the heads of 169 municipalities including Orillia, Orangeville and King township as of May 1.
Beginning with Toronto and Ottawa at the end of 2022, the powers currently exist in 47 of the 444 municipalities in Ontario.
Under provincial law, those with the “strong mayor” powers can appoint a chief administrative officer and certain department heads for the municipality, create or dissolve council committees and the ability to appoint the chairs and vice-chairs, propose budgets as well as have certain veto powers.
The provincial government framed the powers as a set of tools to help reach the goal of building 1.5 million homes in Ontario by 2031.
The strong mayor powers are broad, and only a few are directly related in law to housing. The powers to propose and pass a bylaw with one-third of council support and to veto a bylaw must relate to building housing or related infrastructure.
Drew Fagan, a professor with the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, highlighted arguments for and against the powers.
“This can be a means of sort of cut-through, if you like, bureaucracy, cut through controversy, that can have a price obviously in the sense if you’re moving against public opinion as represented by all the councillors,” he told CityNews.
“There’s questions from one side, democracy majority rules, to the other side (of) effectiveness and the frustration of local politics and how hard it is to get things done.”
Full list of Ontario municipalities proposed to receive expanded ‘strong mayor’ powers:
- Township of Adjala-Tosorontio
- Town of Amherstburg
- Town of Arnprior
- Municipality of Arran-Elderslie
- Township of Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh
- Township of Athens
- Town of Atikokan
- Town of Aylmer
- Town of Bancroft
- Township of Black River-Matheson
- Town of Blind River
- Municipality of Bluewater
- Town of Bracebridge
- County of Brant
- Municipality of Brighton
- Township of Brock
- Municipality of Brockton
- City of Brockville
- Town of Carleton Place
- Municipality of Central Elgin
- Township of Central Frontenac
- Municipality of Central Huron
- Municipality of Central Manitoulin
- Township of Centre Wellington
- Township of Champlain
- City of Clarence-Rockland
- Township of Clearview
- Town of Cobalt
- Town of Cobourg
- Town of Cochrane
- Town of Collingwood
- City of Cornwall
- Town of Deep River
- City of Dryden
- United Townships of Dysart, Dudley, Harcourt, Guilford, Harburn, Bruton, Havelock, Eyre and Clyde
- Township of East Zorra-Tavistock
- Township of Elizabethtown-Kitley
- City of Elliot Lake
- Town of Englehart
- Town of Espanola
- Town of Essex
- Town of Fort Erie
- Town of Fort Frances
- Municipality of French River
- Town of Gananoque
- Township of Georgian Bay
- Township of Georgian Bluffs
- Town of Goderich
- Town of Gore Bay
- Town of Gravenhurst
- Town of Greater Napanee
- Municipality of Greenstone
- Municipality of Grey Highlands
- Town of Grimsby
- Town of Hanover
- Municipality of Hastings Highlands
- Town of Hawkesbury
- Town of Hearst
- Town of Huntsville
- Municipality of Huron East
- Municipality of Huron Shores
- Township of Huron-Kinloss
- Town of Ingersoll
- Town of Iroquois Falls
- Town of Kapuskasing
- City of Kenora
- Township of Killaloe, Hagarty & Richards
- Municipality of Killarney
- Municipality of Kincardine
- Township of King
- Town of Kingsville
- Town of Kirkland Lake
- Township of Lake of Bays
- Municipality of Lakeshore
- Municipality of Lambton Shores
- Township of Lanark Highlands
- Town of LaSalle
- Town of Latchford
- Township of Laurentian Valley
- Municipality of Leamington
- Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands
- Town of Lincoln
- Loyalist Township
- Township of Malahide
- Town of Mattawa
- Municipality of Meaford
- Municipality of Middlesex Centre
- Town of Midland
- Township of Minden Hills
- Town of Minto
- Municipality of Mississippi Mills
- Township of Muskoka Lakes
- The Nation Municipality
- Municipality of Neebing
- Town of New Tecumseth
- Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake
- Norfolk County
- Township of North Frontenac
- Township of North Glengarry
- Township of North Huron
- Municipality of North Middlesex
- Municipality of North Perth
- Town of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands
- Town of Orangeville
- City of Orillia
- Township of Oro-Medonte
- City of Owen Sound
- Town of Parry Sound
- Town of Pelham
- City of Pembroke
- Town of Penetanguishene
- Town of Perth
- Township of Perth East
- Township of Perth South
- Town of Petawawa
- Town of Petrolia
- Town of Plympton-Wyoming
- City of Port Colborne
- Municipality of Port Hope
- Town of Prescott
- County of Prince Edward
- City of Quinte West
- Town of Rainy River
- Township of Ramara
- Town of Renfrew
- Township of Rideau Lakes
- Township of Sables-Spanish Rivers
- Town of Saugeen Shores
- Township of Scugog
- Township of Seguin
- Township of Severn
- Town of Shelburne
- Municipality of Sioux Lookout
- Town of Smiths Falls
- Township of South Algonquin
- Municipality of South Bruce
- Township of South Frontenac
- Municipality of South Huron
- Township of Southgate
- Municipality of Southwest Middlesex
- Township of South-West Oxford
- Township of Springwater
- Township of St. Clair
- Town of St. Marys
- City of St. Thomas
- Township of Stone Mills
- City of Stratford
- Municipality of Strathroy-Caradoc
- Township of Tay
- Tay Valley Township
- Town of Tecumseh
- Municipality of Temagami
- City of Temiskaming Shores
- Township of The Archipelago
- Town of The Blue Mountains
- Town of Thessalon
- City of Thorold
- Town of Tillsonburg
- City of Timmins
- Municipality of Trent Hills
- Township of Uxbridge
- Town of Wasaga Beach
- Municipality of West Grey
- Township of West Lincoln
- Municipality of West Nipissing
- Municipality of West Perth
- Township of Whitewater Region
- Township of Wilmot
- Township of Woolwich
With files from The Canadian Press and Mark McAllister
