Orillia invites public to special meeting on strong mayor powers amid growing debate
Residents are encouraged to weigh in on a hot-button issue Thursday evening as the City of Orillia hosts a special council meeting focused on the use of strong mayor powers.
The province made special mayor powers permanent in May, which sparked controversy among council members. Strong mayor powers give mayors added authority to make decisions without full council approval.
The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Orillia City Centre and includes a legal presentation explaining the legislation, followed by 90 minutes of public feedback.
The goal, city officials say, is to give the community a clearer understanding of how strong mayor powers work and how they could shape future decision-making at city hall.
Under the legislation, Mayor Don McIsaac can overrule council on specific matters. Earlier this year, McIsaac overturned council's decision to hire a new Chief Administrative Officer, choosing instead to promote the city's deputy CAO. Before his strong mayor powers became permanent, council voted seven to two in favour of rescinding them.
'I think Mr. Ford has to realize that it's not like Toronto, and a smaller municipality, rural municipalities are not like Toronto where decisions are made and it takes a long time and everything else, so the mayor has to speed up the process," said City Councillor Ralph Cipolla. 'Where, here, it's a little different, we listen to the people of Orillia and we try to make decisions that betters our community and keeps our community safe.'
The strong mayor powers are part of a broader effort by the Ford government to speed up housing construction and infrastructure projects.
The special meeting on Thursday will give residents a chance to speak directly to the concerns surrounding the added power given to the mayor.
The public engagement session is open to anyone interested in sharing their views or asking questions about the legislation and its impact.
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