Mayoral powers, decisions and directions under the Municipal Act
Learn more about the Mayor's special powers and duties assigned by the province. Review mayoral decisions made under the Municipal Act.
Effective May 1, 2025, the Province announced that Strong Mayor Powers will be extended to an additional 169 municipalities, including the Town of Wasaga Beach. These changes are being put in place to help deliver on provincial priorities, providing resources to heads of council to accelerate the implementation of key shared municipal-provincial priorities such as building more homes, transit and other infrastructure across Ontario.
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Strong mayor powers
The Mayor has special powers and duties under Part VI.1 of the Municipal Act, 2001. These include powers to:
- appoint and dismiss senior managers (either by the Mayor or their delegate)
- create committees of council, assign their functions, and appoint their chairs and vice-chairs (either by the Mayor or their delegate)
- propose the city’s budget (subject to council amendments, a Mayoral veto, and a council override process)
- submit matters for council's consideration if the Mayor believes it supports a provincial priority
- veto bylaws if the Mayor believes it supports a provincial priority
- direct city staff in writing
The Mayor must exercise these powers in writing and make them available to the public, subject to the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
Review mayoral decisions and directives made under the Municipal Act, 2001
| Date | Decision Number | Direction Number | Subject matter |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 13th, 2025 | MDE-2025-01 | To delegate certain employment related matters and organizational structure | |
| May 13th, 2025 | MDE-2025-02 | To delegate certain Chief Administrative Officer and Committee Matters |
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