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New Tecumseth mayor shares how he’ll use ‘strong mayor powers’

May 15, 2025   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

The Province of Ontario expanded strong mayor powers to an additional 169 municipalities, including New Tecumseth, on May 1.

Previously, 47 municipalities had strong mayor powers. Now, 216 out of the 444 municipalities have strong mayor powers.

The powers are related to provincial priorities identified by the Ontario government. This includes building 1.5 million homes by December 31, 2031, and constructing or maintaining infrastructure to support housing, such as transit, roads, utilities, and servicing.

The powers allow mayors to hire and fire municipal staff, create and appoint people to committees, and veto bylaws or approve budgets with only one-third support instead of majority rule.

The Strong Mayor Powers have raised concerns in municipalities about their impact on councils’ autonomy and democracy.

New Tecumseth Mayor Richard Norcross, released a statement regarding Strong Mayor Powers on Tuesday, May 12.

“I remain steadfast in my commitment to lead with cooperation and efficient decision-making at the Council table, notwithstanding the new strong mayor powers, conferred upon me,” Mayor Norcross said. “As such, and as permitted by legislation, I have delegated specific responsibilities provided to me as a strong mayor as follows and effective immediately. I have delegated authority of organizational structure and employment matters to our CAO, decisions regarding the appointment of a CAO as well as matters related to Committees of Council have been delegated to Council as a whole.”

The mayor stressed that any decisions made through strong mayor powers will be transparent and available to the public.

Norcross’s statement went on to say, “There are some strong mayor powers I simply cannot delegate, such as the need to present the annual budget. While the next budget will be referred to as ‘the mayor’s budget,’ it will still be a collaborative effort by staff and the entire Council – a method that has worked well in the past.”

“Together, we will continue to serve our community and build a strong and prosperous municipality through accessible leadership, partnerships, and well-managed services. Any Mayoral decisions and directives that may come through the use of the Strong Mayor Powers will be available for public viewing and shared through our website,” the statement concluded.

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