Mississauga mayor has interest piqued by ‘strong mayor’ plan for Toronto, Ottawa

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Published July 20, 2022 at 4:37 pm

Mississauga mayor calls for full public inquiry after Ford reverses controversial Greenbelt plan

Reports that the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa will soon have greater power under anticipated municipal reforms have grabbed the attention of Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie.

Responding to a report in the media today (July 20) that indicates Ontario Premier Doug Ford is poised to dramatically increase the authority of the mayors of the province’s two largest cities, Crombie took to Twitter to voice her support for reform at the municipal level.

In her tweet, Crombie, who sits at the helm of Ontario’s third-largest city, also expressed a curiosity about what details will follow, her ongoing desire to have Mississauga go it alone away from Peel Region and thoughts about what any reforms might mean for other municipalities.

“I’ve been a proponent of broader municipal reform that recognizes the growing role that big cities play, including making cities like Mississauga standalone,” Crombie’s message reads. “Interested to see more details on how these changes will be put into place and how other municipalities can play a part.”

According to the Toronto Star’s reporting, only the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa would be tapped to move forward with greater powers, much like the “strong mayor” system in the U.S.

There are reportedly no plans at this time to grant similar powers to mayors of cities like Mississauga, Brampton, Hamilton and London, Ontario’s third- through sixth-largest municipalities, respectively.

Any such significant change at the local level of government would dilute the influence of municipal councillors in Toronto and Ottawa. It would put greater authority over financial matters and appointments in the hands of the mayor.

Ford has long supported the notion of allowing mayors more authority that would give them a greater influence over municipal budgets and veto power as well.

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