Strong Mayor Powers

When the people of Bradford West Gwillimbury elect their next Mayor, they are making a decision that carries more weight than it once did.

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They are not simply choosing the person who will chair Council meetings or represent our Town.

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They are choosing the individual who will be entrusted with the Strong Mayor powers established by the Province of Ontario.

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Those powers are real.

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Under Part VI.1 of the Municipal Act, 2001, the Mayor of Bradford West Gwillimbury has enhanced statutory authorities involving the municipal budget, certain appointments and organizational decisions, directing municipal staff, bringing matters before Council to advance provincial priorities, and, in prescribed circumstances, vetoing by-laws.

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That means this election must also be about trust, judgment and accountability.

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You Cannot Campaign the Law Away

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Some candidates may say they would simply “give up” Strong Mayor powers.

That is not my position.

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These authorities are established by provincial law and attached to the office of Mayor. A Mayor can choose not to exercise certain discretionary powers and can delegate certain powers where the Municipal Act permits it.

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But saying you will “give them up” does not change the legislation.

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The more important question is this: Who do you trust to hold those powers?

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That is the question voters should ask every candidate for Mayor.

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I Have Been Entrusted With Exceptional Authority Before

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During my career with the RCMP, I served in a profession in which society entrusts individuals with significant legal authorities that most citizens do not possess.

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With that authority comes something even more important:

Responsibility.

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You learn that possessing a power does not mean using it simply because you can.

You use authority when it is necessary.

You understand the law governing it.

You exercise judgment.

You document and justify your decisions.

And, above all, you accept accountability for the consequences.

That experience shapes how I view Strong Mayor powers.

I will not pretend the powers do not exist.

I will not make an empty promise to surrender statutory authority that comes with the office.

Instead, I am prepared to tell residents exactly how I would exercise it.

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My Standard

Strong Mayor powers should never mean unchecked Mayor powers.

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If elected, my standard will be straightforward:

Necessity. Transparency. Justification. Accountability.

I will work collaboratively with Council whenever reasonably possible.

I will respect the role of councillors elected by their communities.

I will not use extraordinary authority merely to avoid debate, silence disagreement or obtain a political advantage.

Where I determine that exercising a Strong Mayor power is necessary and lawful, I will be prepared to explain publicly what authority I exercised, why I exercised it, and why I believed doing so was in the public interest.

And I will accept responsibility for that decision.

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The Question Every Voter Should Ask

This election is therefore about much more than whether a candidate says they like or dislike Strong Mayor powers.

The Province has already decided that the office of Mayor in Bradford West Gwillimbury carries these authorities.

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So ask a harder question:

If you have concerns about a candidate's judgment, transparency or public trust, are you comfortable putting these powers into that person's hands?

You cannot separate the candidate from the authority of the office they are seeking.

You cannot say, “I don't trust this person with extraordinary authority, but I will elect them Mayor anyway.”

The authority comes with the office.

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Council Has Responsibility Too

There is another important part of this discussion.

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Strong Mayor legislation does not eliminate the responsibility of Council.

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The Municipal Act provides Council with checks in specific circumstances. For example, where a Mayor exercises the statutory veto power over certain by-laws, Council can override that veto with the required two-thirds vote.

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That matters.

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Accountability cannot be something councillors demand only during an election campaign. When the legislation gives Council an opportunity to challenge or override a mayoral decision, councillors must be prepared to exercise their own judgment and be accountable for whether they act.

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Leadership requires accountability from the Mayor, but it also requires courage and accountability from Council.

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My Commitment

I am not running for Mayor by promising to pretend these powers don't exist.

I am running because I understand what it means to be entrusted with exceptional authority.

My RCMP career taught me that the true measure of leadership is not how much authority you possess.

It is what you do when you possess it.

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Do you know the limits of your authority?

Do you exercise restraint?

Can you make the difficult decision when action is genuinely required?

Can you explain that decision publicly?

And are you prepared to be held accountable afterward?

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I have lived with those responsibilities before.

That is the standard I will bring to the Mayor's office.

Strong powers require strong judgment.

Strong powers require accountability.

And above all, Strong Mayor powers require public trust.

Before you cast your ballot, ask yourself one question:

Who do you trust with the powers of the Mayor's office?