What the new ‘strong-mayor’ plan means for municipal politics

Guest: Robert Benzie, Queen’s Park Bureau Chief

The Ontario government is going to give enhanced powers to the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa. Described as being similar to U.S. style “strong-mayor” systems, it’s an idea that has been discussed for years as a way to quickly push the mayor’s authority and potentially expedite things like financial matters and appointments. But critics say Premier Doug Ford is once again messing with a municipal election right after it has gotten underway, just like he did in 2018 when he slashed Toronto city council from 47 to 25 seats. The “strong-mayor” plan will change this ongoing race and city governance in the future.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Sean Pattendon and Raju Mudhar.