Doug Ford’s Tories to revamp regional governments in Peel, York, Halton, Durham, Niagara and Waterloo

Premier Doug Ford's Progressive Conservatives are planning major changes to regional municipal governance as part of their strong mayor" push.

Three years after abandoning a push for regional reform, Municipal Affairs Minister Steve Clark has tabled legislation Wednesday that would revamp how that layer of government works in the regions of Peel, York, Durham, Halton, Niagara and Waterloo.

But it could prove controversial if it is seen as further eroding the authority of local councils.

Clark said the proposed moves - which are designed to eliminate bureaucratic duplication between regions and the cities within them - are needed for the Tories to keep their campaign pledge to build 1.5 million new houses in Ontario over the next decade.

That's an average of 150,000 housing starts per year, even though the most since 1987 has been 100,000 annually.

These bold actions are necessary if our government is to keep its commitment to Ontarians and remove the obstacles standing in the way of much-needed housing," said Clark.

That's why we are again taking decisive action to provide municipal leaders the tools they need to plan for future population growth and get more homes built faster."

To that end, the province will appoint facilitators (to) work with local governments to assess the best mix of roles and responsibilities between upper and lower-tier municipalities."

Clark will reappoint the regional chairs of Peel, York and Niagara - Nando Iannicca, Wayne Emerson and Jim Bradley respectively - while municipal councils in Durham, Halton and Waterloo will again elect their chairs for the new council term that ends in 2026.

This approach will provide continuity and stability at the regional level as facilitators consider how best to extend strong mayor powers to existing two-tier municipalities that are shovel-ready and committed to growth and cutting red tape," the Tories said.

As first revealed by the Star in July, Toronto and Ottawa have strong mayors who enjoy expanded authority over city budgets and the hiring and firing of senior city staff.

Only a two-thirds vote of city council can overrule a strong mayor" on matters deemed a provincial priority," such as affordable housing projects, public transit, highways and other infrastructure.

Those powers are to be extended to mayors in Mississauga, Brampton, Hamilton, Vaughan and other larger municipalities next year.

Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie, whose city has been pushing to leave the confines of Peel Region, praised Clark's reforms.

This is a positive step toward reforming local government in a manner that addresses the concerns of Mississaugans," said Crombie.

I'm confident this assessment will create a path for Mississauga's independence and lead to greater fairness for taxpayers and less red tape for residents and businesses, so both the city and province can plan for future growth and support the province's goal of building 120,000 new homes in Mississauga over the next decade."

Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said streamlining of governance will ensure more gets done.

Redundancy is the enemy of productivity," said Brown.

I am glad the provincial government is looking at ways to make municipalities in Peel more efficient by removing duplication. This will help address the challenges of growth and support the construction of the homes Brampton residents so desperately need," he said.

But Wednesday's Better Municipal Governance Act is sure to be contentious in some quarters.

It would allow Queen's Park to prescribe the provincial priorities for which the new mayoral bylaw powers could be used," suggesting local councils could have even less power than thought.

As well, Clark's new bill will repeal the previous Liberal government's 17-year-old Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve Act to remove barriers to building much-needed housing in Pickering."

The Tories, already under fire for changes to the Greenbelt, are bracing for criticism from environmental groups as well as local ratepayers.

Robert Benzie is the Star's Queen's Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter: @robertbenzie