Premier Doug Ford planning to give Toronto and Ottawa mayors greater authority.
A Niagara MPP is criticizing Premier Doug Ford over plans to bring in a "strong mayor" system for some cities.
Ford told reporters earlier today that his cabinet is looking into a system that would grant additional powers to the mayors of Ottawa and Toronto.
"I just think that the mayor of Toronto or Ottawa, or any mayor, they’re accountable for everything but they have the same single vote as a single councilor," Ford said.
The U.S. "strong mayor" system typically allows mayors to oversee budgets and control department head appointments.
It also sometimes grants them veto power.
Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch, who is the NDP municipal affairs critic, released a statement, saying the move is "baffling."
"Why did Premier Doug Ford keep his Strong Mayor plan secret throughout the campaign?" he asked. "Why won’t he consult municipalities or the people they represent? It’s baffling that Ford is focused on giving two mayors more power, instead of working on giving municipalities support that would actually help people - like better funding for housing, public health, long-term care and transit."
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