The bill, called the Municipal Government Improvement Act, was introduced in the Legislature on Wednesday afternoon. “The proposed changes support our bold and transformative plan to build 1.5 million homes over the next 10 years,” Housing Minister Steve Clark said when introducing the bill. Regional presidents are often either appointed or elected during a popular vote or by a vote of the city council. The proposed legislation would allow the minister of municipal affairs and housing to appoint the chairs for the regions of Niagara, Peel and York for the current council term. Clark confirmed that he intends to reappoint the existing presidencies. The province will also create “provincially appointed facilitators” to assess the regional governments of Durham, Halton, Niagara, Peel, Waterloo and York. The legislation also allows the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa — the two municipalities that received strong mayoral powers this month — to propose and amend laws related to provincial priorities and allow council to approve them with a majority vote third of its members. Provincial priorities have been defined as anything related to housing, including the construction and maintenance of related infrastructure such as transit and roads. The province is also repealing the Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve Act “to help remove barriers to building desirable homes in Pickering.” This is breaking news. More to come.
