Toronto and Ottawa are getting “strong mayors” after the Oct. 24 municipal elections — and other large Ontario cities could follow soon after. Under Premier Doug Ford’s new legislation tabled Wednesday, the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa would have sweeping new authority over municipal budgets and the hiring and firing of senior city staff. Clark said the Conservatives promised in the June 2 election to build 1.5 million new homes over the next decade and empowering the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa should expedite that. “One-third of the growth over the next decade will come in the cities of Toronto and Ottawa. The Conservative premier, a former city councillor whose late brother, Rob Ford, was Toronto mayor from 2010 until 2014, has long championed civic governance reform.

Source: thestar August 10, 2022 22:24 UTC