New details show how veto control of Ontario's strong mayor powers works
The Ontario government has released proposed regulations for its so-called ‘strong mayor’ legislation that reveal when a veto can be used.
The proposed regulations, which were posted Monday, build on Premier Doug Ford’s pitch that Bill 3 will enable municipalities to build housing more quickly.
The legislation gives the mayors of Ontario’s two largest cities—Toronto and Ottawa—veto powers over bylaws that conflict with “provincial priorities,” with an emphasis on housing development.
However, until now those priorities had been left undefined.
According to the proposed regulations, those priorities now include the Progressive Conservatives’ pledge to build 1.5 million new residential units by 2031, as well as any construction and maintenance of infrastructure that supports housing. This can include items such as transit, roads and utilities.
The regulations also allow the veto to apply to development charge bylaws, which municipalities sometimes impose on land developers to pay for costs associated with related capital projects such as transit, parks, and other maintenance services.
In addition to the veto powers, Bill 3 gives the mayor the ability to control the city’s budget; something that typically has been the responsibility of council as a whole.
The proposed regulations say the mayor’s budget must be complete by Feb. 1 or else the duty to prepare and adopt the budget will transfer to council.
In the event that a mayor does propose a budget, council has 30 days to amend it.
“The (mayor) has 10 days from the end of the council review period to veto a council resolution,” the regulations say. “Council may then override a (mayor’s) veto with a 2/3 majority vote within 15 days.”
“At the end of this process, the resulting budget is deemed to be adopted by the municipality.”
Many of the other regulations include slight administrative changes to the legislation, which would allow mayors to hire and fire department heads and appointment chairs for council committees.
The legislation is set to go into effect on Nov. 15 after the regulations are approved—just in time for the start of a new council term.
The bill itself passed in early September.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States, injuring at least three people.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.