Burlington mayor decides to relinquish some of her power
Published April 11, 2024 at 2:08 pm
Burlington’s mayor has acquiesced to the demands of her City council colleagues and given up some of her powers.
Yesterday, Marianne Meed Ward decided to hand over some responsibilities to the city manager and the rest of council, but will hang on to other abilities that she was asked to give up.
Specifically, the mayor has delegated the power to determine organizational structure and the hiring and firing of certain staff members to the city manager, who is the unelected chief of staff.
As well, the mayor will let the rest of council determine how city committees operate.
The mayor stopped short of giving up her authority over the city manager.
The move comes in advance of next week’s meeting where councillors were expecting the mayor to reveal her decision.
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The “strong powers” were given to mayors across Ontario last year by Premier Doug Ford in the expectation they would expedite government priorities, especially those concerning housing.
In a very long and often complex statement released by the mayor yesterday (April 10), she tried to explain her position.
“It has appeared to me to be politically performative to delegate the three powers noted in the legislation, as these can be undelegated at any time. I believe it is more transparent and accountable to openly acknowledge these powers and duties exist, and then work with staff and our community to determine how we will govern together in this new context,” she said in the statement published on her personal website.
The mayor and four members of council have been at odds the last month over her newfound ability to make certain decisions independently of her colleagues.
The councillors involved — Rory Nisan (Ward 2), Kelvin Galbraith (Ward 1), Shawna Stolte (Ward 4), and Lisa Kearns (Ward 2) — have been adamant the mayor’s strong powers could eliminate them from the decision-making process.
Nisan, who first raised the issue, has said the mayor’s “strong powers” are “anti-democratic” and “a cause of dysfunction” in the city and that a recent community survey “showed some gaps in accountability for council.” He said that relying on the process of majority rule will improve credibility adding that councillors were elected to make decisions, not receive them.
For her part, Meed Ward has said she has not stepped beyond the authority of her traditional role as mayor adding that many of the new powers she received are not optional but rather mandated by Queen’s Park.
In her statement, the mayor goes to great lengths in trying to explain the rationale for her decision but concludes that she will “continue to fulfill these duties with the primary consideration of serving in the best interests of the community.” You can read her complete statement here.
The mayor goes on to say there has been much “fear-mongering and misinformation” about the issue and how she intends to use her new powers, but many City Hall observers believe council itself has not been transparent over what triggered the feud and whether the mayor’s decision to give up some control will settle the simmering dispute between Meed Ward and the four councillors.
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