Champlain Township’s mayor and council want to make sure that democracy is alive and well and strong in their municipality.
Both Mayor Normand Riopel and every member of council declared that the provincial government’s offer of “strong mayor” powers for the municipality is neither wanted nor appreciated. During their May 22 session they reviewed an analysis report from Municipal Clerk Alison Collard about the Ford Progressive Conservative government’s plan to expand its “strong mayor” powers project to more municipalities in Ontario and described the plan as unnecessary and unwanted.
“I think it’s anti-democratic legislation,” said Councillor Peter Barton, “and reflects the disconnect between the people in Queens Park and the rest of the province.”
The Ford government introduced the “strong mayor powers” program in 2022, with Toronto and Ottawa the first municipalities to see their mayors allowed greater authority to cut red tape and accelerate the delivery of key priorities in their communities”. The program has since expanded to include 47 municipalities with enhanced mayoral authority and now the provincial government intends to add another 169 communities this month to the list of “strong mayor” municipalities. That list includes Champlain Township, Hawkesbury, Clarence-Rockland, and The Nation Municipality. One of the guidelines on which communities become “strong mayor” municipalities is whether or not they have six other people sitting on council with the mayor.
The “strong mayor powers” give a mayor authority to: choose and appoint or dismiss the chief administrator for a municipality; hire the head of certain municipal departments and also to either set up or reorganize a municipal department; create council committees and assign them their purpose and appoint the chairs and vice-chairs for those committees; propose a municipal budget that would be subject to amendment and revision by council and also to a separate head of council veto and council override process.
The expanded mayoral powers also include the authority to propose certain municipal bylaws if the mayor believes that a particular bylaw proposal could help advance a provincial priority for the municipality identified in a provincial regulation. Those priorities could include infrastructure maintenance or improvement or dealing with local housing needs. Council could approve these mayoral-inspired bylaws if more than a third of all sitting councillors voted for the bylaw. The mayor could also veto certain bylaw if he or she believed they could interfere with a provincial priority. A mayor could present topics for council to consider if they could advance a provincial priority.
Collard noted in her report that “there is no option for a municipality to opt out of the Strong Mayor Powers” though the mayor may delegate any or all of these new powers to either council or a member of administration. On May 16 Mayor Riopel gave the township clerk’s office official notice that he was delegating to council the power to appoint and dismiss the chief administrator, the power to set up committees and assign their functions, and the power to appoint the chairs and vice-chairs of those committees. He also delegated to the chief administrator the responsibility for the township’s organizational structure and authority related to employment matters concerning the heads of municipal departments.
During an interview last month Mayor Riopel said he saw no need for the “strong mayor” powers that the provincial government offered. He affirmed his position during the May 22 council session, describing the new authority as “hothead powers” that are contrary to the purpose of an elected mayor and council.
“I believe in democracy,” said Riopel. “I believe in communication and I believe in debates. I do believe in council. I believe in my council.”
The mayor promised that from now on, when he signs off on all bylaws passed during each council session, he will also write on every document that he has no objection to the bylaw and will not veto it.
Councillor André Roy expressed concern what could happen to the township in future if there is a change of mayors following a municipal election. The provincial legislation does not allow the township to opt out of the “strong mayor” powers program.
Mayor Riopel said that citizens who are well-informed and responsible with their votes are the best future safeguard for the township.
“How do we protect ourselves?” said Mayor Riopel. “Vote for the right people. Don’t vote for a dictator. Don’t vote for somebody who’s going to control this council. There are good people out there. There are good people with (wise) heads on their shoulders. That’s what we want.”
