By Pepper Parr
June 23rd, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward released the following statement:
“Last Friday (June 16), I released a Statement from the Mayor after the Province of Ontario announced it will be extending the strong mayor powers it recently gave to Toronto and Ottawa, to additional municipalities, effective July 1, 2023.
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward speaking to Council members from London, Ontario where she was attending the graduation of her daughter.
“These new tools will be extended to every municipality that has adopted a housing pledge, including Burlington — City Council unanimously endorsed the pledge to build 29,000 homes by 2031 and we currently have 23,000 units under review.
“These tools are not something I have requested.
“My focus has always been on building a strong city and a strong collaborative Council.
“I believe the best decisions are made in collaboration with Council, City staff and the community — that will not change.
“We have always taken a “made-in Burlington” approach to changes that affect municipalities. Burlington Council works well together, and I know we will continue to do so.
The fear in the minds of many is that the Mayor is not being transparent. In remarks made during a Council meeting, intended to coerce a fellow member of Council do not reflect the operation of a “strong collaborative Council.”
It appears she will do whatever she feels she has to do to make her point. The Strong Mayor Powers she will have on July 1st allow her to do almost whatever she wishes.
Given what we have seen her do so far, there is reason to be concerned.
Strong mayor powers and duties include:
• Choosing to appoint the municipality’s chief administrative officer
• Hiring certain municipal department heads, and establishing and re-organizing departments
• Creating committees of council, assigning their functions and appointing the chairs and vice-chairs of committees of council
• Proposing the municipal budget, which would be subject to council amendments and a separate head of council veto and council override process
• Vetoing certain by-laws if the head of council is of the opinion that all or part of the by-law could potentially interfere with a provincial priority
• Bringing forward matters for council consideration if the head of council is of the opinion that considering the matter could potentially advance a provincial priority
Consider that a lot of pitch and toss goes on in local politics. It might be a breath of fresh air, that a mayor’s additional power with a genuine interest in his or her city can get things moving from a stand still. Similar to how business is done, with decision makers, rather than consensus cowards reading the boardroom
It may be time to bring back a modern form of Feudalism. Lords (today’s Mayors) repaired bridges and roads.
There is a history with this Mayor, more than any other that we have had, that justifies the need for concern that she has these powers. Sad, however, that most of the public are clueless in terms of that history and how it affects their well-being.