At the North Glengarry council meeting held on Monday, April 14, Mayor Jamie MacDonald emphasized that the expanded mayoral powers awarded by the province are not needed, noting that his fellow council members are entrusted with their positions by constituents.
Starting May 1, 2025, North Glengarry will be one of 169 additional municipalities included in the province’s expanded “strong mayor” powers.
The mandate was originally announced by Ontario Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Rob Flack on April 9, 2025, and is intended to streamline municipal governance and reduce delays in housing and transportation infrastructure construction for municipalities with six or more councillors.
MacDonald said the new powers are unnecessary, emphasizing that all council members—including himself—have equal voting rights.
“Each individual was elected to council with one vote, including myself,” he said. “We represent all our constituents to the best of our abilities and uphold our fiduciary duty as stewards of public funds and assets.”
“I feel it would be a disservice to our local democracy to take away the voices of all council members. We need full transparency and accountability to our ratepayers,” MacDonald concluded.
Under the new mandate, mayors have the authority to establish or dissolve departments and veto proposed by-laws that conflict with provincial priorities such as housing, roads, and transit development.
