{"id":33836,"date":"2023-11-18T12:15:22","date_gmt":"2023-11-18T17:15:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/?p=33836"},"modified":"2023-11-23T17:28:39","modified_gmt":"2023-11-23T22:28:39","slug":"strong-mayor-powers-come-into-sharp-focus-at-committee-level","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/strong-mayor-powers-come-into-sharp-focus-at-committee-level\/","title":{"rendered":"Strong Mayor powers come into sharp focus at Committee level"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Aurora\u2019s new \u201cStrong Mayor\u201d powers dominated Council discussion at last week\u2019s General Committee meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last Tuesday, Mayor Tom Mrakas presented Aurora\u2019s 2024 Budget, a new duty that falls to the Head of Council after the Provincial Government granted nearly 30 municipalities, including Aurora, Strong Mayor powers at the end of October.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Strong Mayor powers were granted to select municipalities where the Head of Council, in Aurora\u2019s case the Mayor, confirmed via letter to Queen\u2019s Park that their respective towns and cities would meet housing targets set by the Ontario Government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The powers include the authority to reorganize municipal departments, including the hiring and firing of senior staff, additional authority over the budget process, and the ability to override Council decisions that might be seen as contrary to the Province\u2019s housing goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The wide-reaching powers of the new legislation were not only centred on the budget, but also a proposed new Procedural Bylaw governing how Council incorporates the new authority into its operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to a report before lawmakers last week from Town Clerk Michael de Rond, the new Procedural Bylaw includes language that will offer \u201cclarity regarding the Mayor\u2019s ability to create and dissolve committees with only members of Council, and the Mayor\u2019s responsibility to appoint the Chair of these committees.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also clarifies \u201cthe form and process for the Mayor\u2019s power to veto specific bylaws; the way in which the Mayor may introduce an agenda item for Council\u2019s consideration without the requirement of a mover and a seconder; and the way in which the Mayor may propose a bylaw if it could potentially advance a prescribed Provincial priority.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Council delved into the Procedural Bylaw after both the introduction of the 2024 Budget \u2013 one which could see the residential tax bill increase by 3.9 per cent next year \u2013 and a standalone report by Town Solicitor Patricia de Sario further fleshing out the impact of Strong Mayor powers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In both discussions, however, opposition was voiced by Ward 1 Councillor Ron Weese, Ward 2 Councillor Rachel Gilliland, Ward 3 Councillor Wendy Gaertner, and Ward 5 Councillor John Gallo, who said that vesting further authority in the Mayor rather than with both Mayor and Council would be a blow to democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are in a housing crisis and we need to move the housing targets along,\u201d said Councillor Gilliland. \u201cHowever, there are a lot more powers given that aren\u2019t related [to housing] at all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A top-of-mind concern for her was the veto power which, she said, if they are exercised \u201clegally and in good faith\u2026cannot be quashed or opened up to a review of court, even if they might be considered unreasonable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think this is a very slippery slope,\u201d she continued. \u201cI stand by my comments that I do believe democracy is at risk utilizing this as a tool in more ways than is necessary. I really urge the public to voice their opinion and read this report for information to fully understand what\u2019s at stake.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similar concerns were voiced by Councillor Weese, particularly in the Mayor\u2019s new ability to give direction to staff \u201cto undertake research,\u201d particularly in light of Mayor Mrakas\u2019 failed motion earlier this year to explore the possibility of selling the land currently occupied by Town Hall on John West Way for housing and move municipal offices back to Aurora\u2019s historic core on Yonge Street.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Councillor Gaertner was on the same track, expressing worries that the Head of Council would now be able to add items to the Council agenda unilaterally at the meeting itself \u201cwhere the public wouldn\u2019t have any notice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUnder veto powers, the Mayor may veto all or any part of the Municipal Act, Planning Act, or Development Charge bylaw. To me, that is scary and outrageous because these are laws that govern the Province and I think this is a very worrisome development,\u201d said Councillor Gaertner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discussion covered many of the same themes during discussion over the Provincial Government itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While staff stressed that the Strong Mayor powers were handed down by the Provincial Government and were not something that the mayors of any municipalities were able to accept or not accept, Ward 4 Councillor Michael Thompson pointed out that approving a new Procedural Bylaw covering the new powers was a Council requirement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat is before us is not simply housekeeping,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is ensuring we adhere to the legislation and the Municipal Act that has been amended and passed with regards to the Strong Mayor powers. Council can do what they wish, but by voting this down, you\u2019re essentially disagreeing with the Municipal Act.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Added Ward 6 Councillor Harold Kim: \u201cI don\u2019t think this is something our Mayor or any mayor necessarily asked for or wanted, it\u2019s there and it is part of the Municipal Act. I do agree it seems kind of awkward we have to vote on this when we don\u2019t really have much of a say in the matter, but it is part of the procedures. That being said, hopefully we have a benevolent mayor. I believe we do, and I think when we talk about\u2026 whether one agrees or disagrees, one is assuming that some aspects of these powers have been used or will be used and that is yet to be determined. The bottom line is this is something that has been mandated down and we don\u2019t seem to have much choice in the matter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Councillors in opposition to the issue nevertheless said that even if their position was in \u201cdisagreement\u201d with the Municipal Act, they believed it was a matter of principle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t agree with the Municipal Act and I don\u2019t agree with what was done,\u201d said Councillor Gallo, who chaired last week\u2019s meeting, noting he would be bringing forward amendments at the November 27 Council meeting. \u201cWe should have the opportunity to have a full debate [on motions] at General Committee like any other issues that come before us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Added Councillor Gilliland: \u201cFor me it is the principle. I don\u2019t agree with the Strong Mayor powers. So, for me, I don\u2019t agree with the procedural bylaw change. If I am going against the Municipal Act, so be it. I just think this whole thing is a mistake and I will stand by what I feel and what I think and I will leave it at that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mayor Mrakas was of a different viewpoint, noting, \u201cUltimately, we can have a Procedural Bylaw that is transparent to the public, allowing them to understand our procedures and what is allowed and not allowed, or we are going to have a Bylaw that is conflicting with the legislation and we have to follow the legislation regardless.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Brock Weir
Editor
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter<\/strong><\/p>\n\r\n\"Facebook\"<\/a>\"twitter\"<\/a>\"mail\"<\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Aurora\u2019s new \u201cStrong Mayor\u201d powers dominated Council discussion at last week\u2019s General Committee meeting. Last Tuesday, Mayor Tom Mrakas presented Aurora\u2019s 2024 Budget, a new duty that falls to the Head of Council after the Provincial Government granted nearly 30 municipalities, including Aurora, Strong Mayor powers at the end of October. The Strong Mayor powers […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33836","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general_news","category-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3D2k4-8NK","publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-06 18:11:26","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33836","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33836"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33836\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33836"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33836"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33836"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}