In the 2022 municipal election, all three mayoral candidates publicly opposed Strong Mayor Powers. Four years later, in the 2026 election campaign, three out of four mayoral candidates oppose these powers. There is however one crucial difference: this time, Strong Mayor Powers are already in effect.
Mayor Tom Mrakas won the 2022 election while opposing these powers. Yet in 2023, he accepted them. Now, as he seeks re-election, he intends to continue exercising powers he once publicly opposed.
It began with the provincial Ford government’s decision to allow mayors themselves to assume these powers by submitting a commitment letter pledging to meet specific housing targets. Mayor Mrakas chose to accept Strong Mayor Powers despite public opposition, and without first seeking Council’s approval.
The Ford government opened the door and Mayor Mrakas chose to walk through it.
And what has the community received in return? An “F” in housing delivery, the loss of potential $6 million in funding that Mrakas had promised we would receive, the cancellation of transitional housing, and the rejection of a council compensation increase on the grounds that voters hadn’t elected council members to give themselves raises. The irony? Mrakas argued that voters hadn’t given council a mandate for higher compensation, yet voters hadn’t given him a mandate for these POWERS either.
Strong Mayor Powers are undemocratic because they concentrate authority in one elected official at the expense of Council’s collective decision-making and public accountability.
If you oppose these powers, you understand the importance of democratic principles and accountable local government. If you support them, I’m not sure how you reconcile that support with those principles.
And if you support them only conditionally, arguing that they can be useful in certain circumstances, then you are still accepting the very powers you claim to oppose. Supporting Strong Mayor Powers when they serve a particular purpose is still supporting Strong Mayor Powers.
We didn’t vote for Strong Mayor Powers. The question now is whether we want a leader that believes they need them in 2026.
My message to voters is simple: vote for a mayor who commits to protecting local democracy by refusing to use of these powers, not one who intends to use them.
