Starting May 1, Cornwall joined 169 more Ontario municipalities granted so-called “strong mayor” powers under Premier Doug Ford’s provincial push to build housing and infrastructure faster. These powers give the mayor the ability to propose and pass certain bylaws with just one-third support from council, veto decisions, hire and fire department heads, direct staff, appoint the chief administrative officer, and structure committees — all without full council approval.
Under Ontario’s Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act, 2022, mayors of designated municipalities are granted the authority to propose and pass certain bylaws with the support of only one-third of council members, provided these bylaws align with provincial priorities, such as housing and infrastructure development. This significant shift from the traditional requirement of majority council approval centralizes decision-making power within the mayor’s office.
Additionally, the Act empowers mayors to veto council decisions that they believe interfere with provincial priorities. While councils can override such vetoes, doing so requires a two-thirds majority vote within a specified timeframe.
These provisions have raised concerns about the erosion of democratic principles at the municipal level. Critics argue that allowing bylaws to pass with only one-third council support undermines the foundational concept of majority rule in a representative democracy. The concentration of power in the mayor’s office may diminish the role and influence of elected council members, potentially reducing transparency and accountability in local governance.
Let’s be clear: Mayor Justin Towndale did not ask for these powers. He has, in fact, acknowledged the controversial nature of the legislation and pledged to use them cautiously, if at all. That is reassuring — for now. But the real problem is not whether one individual mayor (here or in another municipality) uses these powers responsibly. The problem is that they exist at all.’’ Compare Towndale’s measured acceptance to North Glengarry Mayor Jamie MacDonald’s principled refusal. MacDonald openly rejected the designation, stating: “Each individual was elected to council with one vote including myself… I feel it would be a disservice to our local democracy to take away the voices of all council members.” His stance recognizes what this legislation erodes — equality, transparency, and representative governance. While Towndale has framed the powers as limited and tied to “provincial priorities,” even that phrasing is a red flag. Who defines those priorities? The Ford government, not the local municipality, nor local voters. And if these powers are meant to target housing delays, why do they extend to hiring and firing top staff, restructuring departments, and controlling committee functions? This is executive overreach dressed up as efficiency.
What makes this especially troubling is the lack of recourse. As Councillor Dean Hollingsworth pointed out during a recent council meeting, the only mechanism for challenging misuse of these powers is through an expensive legal process. “Do I have to go hire a lawyer?” he asked. “Am I looking at potentially going all the way to the Supreme Court?” These are not the questions councillors nor citizens of Cornwall should be left asking.
Councillor Carilyne Hébert summed it up starkly: “We are quietly losing our local democracies.” The safeguards touted by the Province — 21-day veto override windows, written notice requirements –sound reasonable on paper. But they are weak buffers against a fundamentally unbalanced system. In practice, the new powers reduce council’s role from equal partners in governance to a supporting cast.
Premier Ford’s government argues that these changes cut red tape and fast-track development. But democracy is not red tape. And in many cases, the delays are not caused by local council bickering or unreasonable bylaws, but by infrastructure funding shortfalls and provincial inaction. Handing mayors unchecked authority doesn’t solve these issues—it simply sidelines the people we elected to represent us.
Towndale says the powers won’t be used on a whim and may never be used at all. But that’s not the point. Power unused today can be abused tomorrow. It’s not about this mayor — it’s about the next one, or the one after that. And as former Mayor Brian Lynch recently wrote, “Minority rule sets a dangerous precedent and has no place in our democracy.”
In a time when civic engagement is already under threat, introducing top-down governance models only worsens public cynicism. These powers might serve Queen’s Park but they don’t serve Cornwall. If Mayor Towndale truly values collaboration and local representation, he should follow Jamie MacDonald’s lead and refuse to use them like Councillor Elaine MacDonald asked him to do publicly. Because the real strength in municipal leadership lies not in concentrated power but in shared responsibility. That’s what democracy looks like. And it’s worth protecting.
