Belleville is among 21 municipalities that will be given so-called strong mayor powers as part of the province’s latest announcement to expand housing.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced $1.2 billion in incentives for cities and towns to meet housing targets.
In a speech today at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario’s conference, Ford said the moves are to help communities build at least 1.5 million homes by 2031 in order to meet the needs of the province’s fast-growing population.
Strong mayor powers include allowing mayors to propose housing-related by-laws and pass them with the support of one-third of councillors, as well as override council approval of certain by-laws and prepare their city’s budget, instead of council.
When asked by Quinte News if he would use the powers, Belleville Mayor Neil Ellis says he doesn’t see it.
“For the last nine years as mayor with two terms, I can’t see where I would ever have used it,” Ellis tells Quinte News.
“I think it’s a (council) that reaches out to each other, not that we agree with all our decisions. We move forward. I don’t see that there would be any reason to ever use it with the council that I have.”
The expansion involves municipalities with populations projected to exceed 50,000 by 2031 and puts the total number of strong mayors at 50.
Belleville has a target of 3,100 new homes by 2031.
Ford says the new Building Faster Fund will provide funding for municipalities that meet at least 80 per cent of their annual housing creation target assigned by the province, and money can be used to pay for housing-enabling infrastructure such as roads and water lines.
Municipalities have been raising concerns about a provincial law that cuts some of the fees developers pay, which the communities use to fund such infrastructure.
(with files from the Canadian Press)
