Final effort to head-off strong mayor powers in New Tecumseth
Posted April 28, 2025
Ward 6 councillor Nicole Cox is pitching tonight to keep New Tecumseth Mayor Richard Norcross from holding strong mayor powers bestowed by the provincial government.
On April 9, Premier Doug Ford's government unilaterally announced more than 169 municipalities, including New Tecumseth and Adjala-Tosorontio would be granted singular approval authority for a list of governance matters currently requiring majority council support, effective May 1. Bradford and Innisfil mayors have had such powers since Oct. 31, 2023.
At that time, Mayor Norcross rejected the opportunity, which was tied to the Town committing to approve 6,400 new homes constructed by 2031. For New Tecumseth, the target was virtually impossible to meet for lack of water and sewage service capacity.
In this new window, the powers are automatically granted to the mayors. New powers would include:
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Choosing to appoint the municipality’s chief administrative officer.
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Hiring certain municipal department heads and establishing and re-organizing departments.
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Creating committees of council, assigning their functions and appointing the chairs and vice-chairs of committees of council.
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Proposing the municipal budget, which would be subject to council amendments and a separate head of council veto and council override process.
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Proposing certain municipal by-laws if the mayor is of the opinion that the proposed by-law could potentially advance a provincial priority identified in regulation. Council can pass these by-laws if more than one-third of all council members vote in favour.
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Vetoing certain by-laws if the head of council is of the opinion that all or part of the by-law could potentially interfere with a provincial priority.
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Bringing forward matters for council consideration if the head of council is of the opinion that considering the matter could potentially advance a provincial priority.
Cox's motion on tonight's agenda points out "New Tecumseth was neither consulted nor did it request to be considered for the Strong Mayor designation."
She seeks to "remove New Tecumseth from any current or future consideration under the Strong Mayor legislative framework."
"(T)he unilateral nature of the Strong Mayor system may erode public trust, marginalize Council input, and create governance challenges that undermine the democratic principle of majority rule. Ontario municipalities have voiced concerns about the imposition of these powers, citing risks to collegial governance, effective policy-making, and local accountability."
At this post, Free Press Online has asked Norcross for comments, particularly whether he still opposes the strong mayor powers, since the announcement earlier this month. He has yet to reply.
