Kingsville Town Councillor Kimberly DeYong hopes the province will reconsider its Strong Mayors legislation.
DeYong plans to introduce a motion at Kingsville Town Council on Monday night opposing the bill. It would give mayors in big cities, like Toronto and Ottawa, new authority to hire and fire senior municipal staff, new budgetary powers, and the ability to veto bylaws that contradict provincial priorities.
The province said it might extend those powers to other city and town mayors.
The bill is supposed to speed up affordable housing projects, but DeYong doesn't see the connection with giving mayors veto power.
"If the objective was to increase the amount of affordable housing, ideally then, the province would provide funding for affordable housing," she said.
She also suggested the province could hand over its surplus land through a cooperative deal with developers, the Windsor Housing Authority, or even school boards.
DeYong pointed out Kingsville has two school properties in "prime locations that are soon to be surplus to the school board."
She calls mayoral veto powers undemocratic and suggests giving mayors the power to hire and fire will hurt municipalities. She questions if that authority will influence the information they provide councillors.
"I think our staff could be negatively impacted in terms of not being able to bring forward their objective advice," DeYong said. "We hire professionals for a reason. We don't have their credentials. We don't know what they know. That's their job."
Ultimately, she hopes her motion will raise awareness and gain the support of other municipalities.
"That the province will decide not to implement it," DeYong added.
