Hamilton candidates split on ‘strong mayor’ powers

Candidates hoping to lead Hamilton's next council say strong-mayor powers wouldn't change how they'd govern if elected.

But one of the leading hopefuls says there's value in the legislation designed to give the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa the power to veto bylaws that clash with provincial priorities.

I think the strong mayor is a good idea," Bob Bratina said during a debate hosted by the Durand Neighbourhood Association in the run-up to Hamilton's municipal vote on Monday.

Andrea Horwath said strong-mayor powers aren't necessary at all," while Keanin Loomis noted their prospect for Hamilton wouldn't change anything" for him.

The legislation gives the mayors of the province's two largest cities overarching authority over municipal budgets, and the hiring and firing of senior city staff.

The mayor would also have the power to veto bylaws they feel interfere" with a provincial priority," such as affordable housing, public transit, highways and other infrastructure. There is a mechanism for local councils to override a mayor's veto with a two-thirds vote.

Premier Doug Ford recently said the extra powers for chief magistrates would be expanded to other large Ontario cities next year.

They need the opportunity to move their agenda forward when they get voted in from every single ward in their region. They should have a little more power to make things happen rather than have the same vote as a single councillor."

Outgoing Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger, for instance, won 14 of 15 wards in 2018, and garnered 74,093 votes in his winning 2018 campaign. That was more than the combined 71,406 that winning council candidates drew.

Bratina noted he won a majority of wards in his successful 2010 mayoral campaign, but had the same voting power as the rest of council," which is a single vote on motions.

The former Liberal MP said an interesting" element of the legislation is the enhanced power to fire senior city staff.

The city's current scandals" have stemmed from administrators - although council may have some connection to it," Bratina said without getting into details.

And some of those people have to go. So beware evil doers, if I were to be a super mayor, as Doug Ford suggests."

But Bratina suggested any mayor would have to work collegially" with the next council despite veto powers.

Her leadership style focuses on collaboration," said Horwath, adding she wouldn't want special powers that are beholden" to the province's agenda.

The last thing we need is a strong mayor with strong-mayor power that's going to railroad people or override the democratic process," the former Ontario NDP leader said. I think it's pretty dangerous, frankly."

Likewise, Loomis expressed reservations over an expanded range of capacities for council heads. I think we need to beware of that mayor with strong-mayor powers."

Moreover, his stated focus on collaboration since he announced his mayoral bid in January - when the legislation wasn't on the radar - hasn't changed, said the former Hamilton Chamber of Commerce CEO.

I will form great relationships with everybody on council and really work to achieve our agenda through consensus."

Toronto Mayor John Tory, the front-runner in Monday's municipal election, has welcomed the changes, but the two leading candidates to succeed the retiring Jim Watson as Ottawa's mayor have said they neither want nor would use the powers.

Both Catherine McKenney and Mark Sutcliffe said in a recent CTV Ottawa debate that they opposed the measures.

-With files from the Toronto Star

Teviah Moro is a reporter at The Spectator. tmoro@thespec.com