Statement from Burlington Mayor Meed Ward on Province Expanding Strong Mayor Powers to Additional Municipalities
*Please see below a statement from Burlington Mayor Meed Ward. As well as links to:
- Ontario's Big City Mayors (OBCM) Statement: 'Meet with Provincial Ministers at Queen’s Park to Discuss Municipal Priorities'
- Province of Ontario News Release: 'Ontario Expanding Strong Mayor Powers to 26 Additional Municipalities to Build More Homes Faster'
- Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Statement: 'AMO Policy Update - Strong Mayor Powers Expanded'
Office of the MayorJune 16, 2023Burlington, Ont. — June 16, 2023 — Today, the Province of Ontario announced it will be extending strong mayor powers, effective July 1, 2023, 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.Each mayor will need to decide what is best for their community in meeting their housing pledge targets, and whether to use some, all, or none of these new tools. The Province announced months ago these would be rolled out to additional municipalities and they have done that today.These tools are not something I have requested. My focus has always been on building a strong city and a strong collaborative Council. One way has been through giving each Burlington Councillor a Deputy Mayor with Portfolio role to provide leadership on specific files that incorporate their interests and strengths from previous experiences. I will be working very closely with all the Deputy Mayors for – Housing; the Environment; Business & Red Tape Reduction; Recreation & Community Services; Community Engagement & Partnerships; and Strategy & Budgets – to meet our housing pledge and deliver complete communities for our residents.I believe the best decisions are made in collaboration with Council, City staff and the community – and that will not change. Burlington Council is already very cohesive and collaborative, with more than 90% of our votes being unanimous, and the balance of votes with strong consensus around options.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.Sincerely,Mayor Marianne Meed WardCity of Burlington