Mayor Charbonneau opposes Strong Mayor Powers

To the Residents of Saugeen Shores, 

I am writing to address the Province of Ontario’s proposal to impose strong mayor powers on the Town of Saugeen Shores. I am opposed to this policy change and want to share my concern about its potential impact on our community.

The Strong Mayor legislation effectively sidelines elected members of Council with respect to certain important matters affecting the operation and governance of the municipality. It would give the mayor increased power over the municipal budget and committees and enable the mayor to veto certain decisions by Council and to hire or fire senior staff without Council’s approval. The full details of these new powers can be found on the Ontario website.

Saugeen Shores has thrived for decades on the principle of shared leadership. We have an effective team of elected representatives working in partnership with a professional staff to achieve goals that are transparently set out in our strategic plan and annual business plans. This approach to governance is foundational to building trust between the municipality and the residents that it serves. I fear that the unilateral decision-making enabled by strong mayor powers would erode this trust and disrupt the collaborative environment that has long been at the heart of the democratic tradition of our Council and community. 

The provincial government has suggested that this expansion of strong mayor powers will help to deliver on provincial priorities to build more homes and infrastructure. I do not see how this could be the case. In recent years, our council has made significant strides in building our infrastructure and has found creative ways to enable housing, resulting in the construction of more than 600 multi-family residential units in the last two years alone. In my view, giving expanded power to the mayor threatens to disrupt the effective governance that has made us successful and one of the fastest growing communities in our region. 

In my opinion, it is crucial for the people of our community to be consulted before these major changes to the structure of your municipal government are advanced. Last night, Saugeen Shores Council approved a letter I wrote to be sent to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing outlining our opposition to these policy changes and advocating for a thorough consultation process with affected municipalities and their residents before any changes are implemented. I urge the residents of Saugeen Shores to join us in submitting comments to the province on this proposed expansion to O.Reg. 530/22. The legislation is open for comment until April 16, 2025.  

I am asking all residents to advocate for strong, collaborative Council governance in Saugeen Shores.  

Sincerely, 

Luke Charbonneau, Mayor
Town of Saugeen Shores