Burlington city council members will hold a special meeting on March 26 to discuss the future of Mayor Marianne Meed Ward’s strong mayor powers.
Strong mayor powers were given to some mayors across the province by the provincial government, and effectively allows the mayor to overturn certain decisions, choose or dismiss committee members and chairs, if she so chooses.
Councillors voted 5-1 to hold the special meeting at today's day-long council meeting. Meed Ward was the only one opposed, and Ward 5’s Paul Sharman was not present for the afternoon session of council.
“This motion, if approved, will put in a request to ask the mayor to delegate to council certain powers and duties assigned to her inside the Municipal Act,” Ward 3 councillor Rory Nisan said.
The motion was worded in a way that council cannot direct the mayor to delegate the responsibilities that are on the Municipal Act, amended by the Strong Mayor’s Provisions, Blake Hurley, executive director of legal services and corporate counsel added. Instead, if successful, the mayor will hear council’s decisions on the matter and decide if she wants to delegate all or some of the matters.
Ward 2 councillor Lisa Kearns said the mayor having such power is a direct contradiction to council’s vision, adding the powers were given to her with a specific goal in mind and that one of the council’s key goals is organizational performance.
“Contrary to our governance of noses in and fingers out, it feels like this isn’t in a way that we can actually do what this was set out to do – build homes faster,” Kearns said. “That’s why these powers have been bestowed in the first place, and I’m continuing to come up with a loss of how this type of legislation actually contributes to that at all.”
The motion was brought forward by councillors Nisan, Kearns, Shawna Stolte and Kelvin Galbraith.
Ward 6 councillor Angelo Bentivegna first suggested moving the motion during
a special meeting next Tuesday, seconded by Kearns.
Bentivegna’s concern is that by waiting for the next regular meeting of council in April, too much time will have passed.
“We all want democracy, and we want democracy the way it’s supposed to be done,” Bentivegna said. “My fear, and I’m candid here, is that we want you to do this – and it doesn’t get done. I don’t want to create that speciation if the mayor decides to do something that in my case I’m not approving of.”
He added that council has the power to overturn a vote from the mayor if two thirds of councillors support it.
Hurley suggested that council in fact cannot overturn those decisions with a two thirds majority, should the mayor choose to exercise her powers under the strong mayor’s legislation.
The original motion, brought up toward the end of the meeting, requested the mayor delegate her powers to council – but it was decided that more discussion time was required. An amendment was written to move further discussions to next week.
“I’d like this amendment to reflect the fact that there were in fact four votes to move forward with the motion as it was drafted and dutifully submitted,” Kearns said. “That could’ve passed in its eternity. This motion to refer to a special council meeting strikes once again our commitment to our ability to work together, and be respectful of each other’s dialogue.”
