(Toronto ON) April 9, 2025 — The Ontario government has announced a major expansion of its strong mayor powers, proposing to extend them to 169 additional municipalities effective May 1, 2025. The move is part of the province’s strategy to accelerate housing construction and critical infrastructure projects across Ontario.

The expanded powers will apply to heads of council in single- and lower-tier municipalities with councils composed of six or more members. The province says the expansion is intended to align municipal leadership with provincial priorities such as housing development, transit expansion, and road infrastructure.​

“Heads of Council are key partners in our efforts to build homes and infrastructure across the province,” said Rob Flack, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “By extending strong mayor powers to these additional municipalities, we are providing mayors every tool at our disposal to empower them to get homes and infrastructure built faster.”​

Streamlining Local Decision-Making
Strong mayor powers were first introduced in 2022 for Toronto and Ottawa, and have since been expanded to 45 other municipalities. Currently, 47 municipalities have access to the powers. If approved, the proposed expansion would bring that number to 216.​

The powers grant mayors a greater role in local governance, allowing them to:​

Appoint a chief administrative officer and hire key department heads;​
Reorganize municipal departments;​
Create and assign council committees and leadership;​
Propose the municipal budget, subject to council amendments, mayoral veto, and override mechanisms;​
Introduce or veto certain bylaws related to provincial priorities, including housing and infrastructure.​
The government says these measures are designed to cut red tape and reduce delays in development approvals.​

Support from Municipal Leaders
Some municipal leaders have already seen results under the current system. In Ajax, strong mayor powers helped facilitate the approval of a new housing complex near transit. In St. Catharines, they were used to direct staff to prioritize housing initiatives.​

“With strong mayor powers, I’ve been able to support key initiatives in housing, transit and infrastructure,” said Drew Dilkens, Mayor of Windsor. “We’ve streamlined processes, reduced barriers, and launched initiatives like Housing Solutions Made for Windsor.”​

Pickering Mayor Kevin Ashe praised the tools for helping municipalities meet ambitious housing targets. His city received over $5.2 million in provincial funding after exceeding its goal.​

“Strong mayor powers provide municipalities the autonomy and ability to streamline and accelerate the home building process,” Ashe said.​

Mixed Reactions, Continued Oversight
While many local leaders have welcomed the change, others remain cautious. Critics argue the powers could weaken local democratic processes if not properly balanced. The province has emphasized that safeguards remain in place, including council oversight and limits on the use of powers strictly for provincial priorities.​

The proposal is now posted on Ontario’s Regulatory Registry for public feedback, with the consultation period open until April 16, 2025.​

According to the province, the strong mayor framework complements other initiatives such as the Building Faster Fund and the new Provincial Planning Statement, which aim to reduce planning bottlenecks and support infrastructure tied to housing growth.​

List of 169 Municipalities Proposed for Strong Mayor Powers
The Ontario government has proposed to extend strong mayor powers to the following 169 municipalities, effective May 1, 2025:

Township of Adjala-Tosorontio
Town of Amherstburg
Town of Arnprior
Municipality of Arran-Elderslie
Township of Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh
Township of Athens
Town of Atikokan
Town of Aylmer
Town of Bancroft
Township of Black River-Matheson
Town of Blind River
Municipality of Bluewater
Town of Bracebridge
County of Brant
Municipality of Brighton
Township of Brock
Municipality of Brockton
City of Brockville
Town of Carleton Place
Municipality of Central Elgin
Township of Central Frontenac
Municipality of Central Huron
Municipality of Central Manitoulin
Township of Centre Wellington
Township of Champlain
City of Clarence-Rockland
Township of Clearview
Town of Cobalt
Town of Cobourg
Town of Cochrane
Town of Collingwood
City of Cornwall
Town of Deep River
City of Dryden
United Townships of Dysart, Dudley, Harcourt, Guilford, Harburn, Bruton, Havelock, Eyre and Clyde
Township of East Zorra-Tavistock
Township of Elizabethtown-Kitley
City of Elliot Lake
Town of Englehart
Town of Espanola
Town of Essex
Town of Fort Erie
Town of Fort Frances
Municipality of French River
Town of Gananoque
Township of Georgian Bay
Township of Georgian Bluffs
Town of Goderich
Town of Gore Bay
Town of Gravenhurst
Town of Greater Napanee
Municipality of Greenstone
Municipality of Grey Highlands
Town of Grimsby
Town of Hanover
Municipality of Hastings Highlands
Town of Hawkesbury
Town of Hearst
Town of Huntsville
Municipality of Huron East
Municipality of Huron Shores
Township of Huron-Kinloss
Town of Ingersoll
Town of Iroquois Falls
Town of Kapuskasing
City of Kenora
Township of Killaloe, Hagarty & Richards
Municipality of Killarney
Municipality of Kincardine
Township of King
Town of Kingsville
Town of Kirkland Lake
Township of Lake of Bays
Municipality of Lakeshore
Municipality of Lambton Shores
Township of Lanark Highlands
Town of LaSalle
Town of Latchford
Township of Laurentian Valley
Municipality of Leamington
Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands
Town of Lincoln
Loyalist Township
Township of Malahide
Town of Mattawa
Municipality of Meaford
Municipality of Middlesex Centre
Town of Midland
Township of Minden Hills
Town of Minto
Municipality of Mississippi Mills
Township of Muskoka Lakes
The Nation Municipality
Municipality of Neebing
Town of New Tecumseth
Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake
Norfolk County
Township of North Frontenac
Township of North Glengarry
Township of North Huron
Municipality of North Middlesex
Municipality of North Perth
Town of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands
Town of Orangeville
City of Orillia*
Township of Oro-Medonte
City of Owen Sound
Town of Parry Sound
Town of Pelham
City of Pembroke
Town of Penetanguishene
Town of Perth
Township of Perth East
Township of Perth South
Town of Petawawa
Town of Petrolia
Town of Plympton-Wyoming
City of Port Colborne
Municipality of Port Hope
Town of Prescott
County of Prince Edward
City of Quinte West
Town of Rainy River
Township of Ramara
Town of Renfrew
Township of Rideau Lakes
Township of Sables-Spanish Rivers
Town of Saugeen Shores
Township of Scugog
Township of Seguin
Township of Severn
Town of Shelburne
Municipality of Sioux Lookout
Town of Smiths Falls
Township of South Algonquin
Municipality of South Bruce
Township of South Frontenac
Municipality of South Huron
Township of Southgate
Municipality of Southwest Middlesex
Township of South-West Oxford
Township of Springwater
Township of St. Clair
Town of St. Marys
City of St. Thomas
Township of Stone Mills
City of Stratford
Municipality of Strathroy-Caradoc
Township of Tay
Tay Valley Township
Town of Tecumseh
Municipality of Temagami
City of Temiskaming Shores
Township of The Archipelago
Town of The Blue Mountains
Town of Thessalon
City of Thorold
Town of Tillsonburg
City of Timmins
Municipality of Trent Hills
Township of Uxbridge
Town of Wasaga Beach
Municipality of West Grey
Township of West Lincoln
Municipality of West Nipissing
Municipality of West Perth
Township of Whitewater Region
Township of Wilmot
Township of Woolwich 

Currently, there are 47 heads of council with strong mayor powers in the province of Ontario. Below is a list of these municipalities and the dates those powers were granted: