‘There shall be no strong mayors’: N.S. premier confirms

CITYnews halifax / By Chris Halef

Nova Scotia’s premier says the province will not be implementing any “strong mayor powers” during the upcoming session of legislature.

Premier Tim Houston confirmed the news Tuesday on The Todd Veinotte Show.

“There shall be no strong mayors in this session of legislature,” he said.

In a statement to CityNews Halifax, Mayor Andy Fillmore said he has been clear on what he intended to do as mayor.

“Democracy can be messy, but my commitment is to make it work for the people of HRM. From the day I ran for mayor, my priorities have been clear: keeping life affordable, building more homes, and reducing congestion.”

He said that his role is to “listen” and bring people together for the benefit of the region.

Related:

• Halifax council to ask Nova Scotia for consultation on strong-mayor powers
• Councillor says N.S. could give Halifax ‘strong mayor powers’

“Ultimately, we will be judged by our results—and I will work with any and all partners to deliver the best outcomes for the people who call our municipality home,” he said. :I will continue to work collaboratively with Council and with other levels of government to advance these priorities in the best interests of our residents. That includes finalizing the Regional Plan and pursuing other opportunities to unlock housing and growth.”

Fillmore began lobbying for strong mayor powers, arguing the strong-mayor model doesn’t erode democracy, but instead sharpens its edge. The story first popped up in June after a Halifax councillor claimed the government was considering the move.

“I’m told from folks I know in the provincial government that they’re modelling it on sort of what Ontario has done in giving strong mayor powers to some municipalities there, giving the potential to override council on certain decisions, hire and fire staff, etc.,” said District 9 Councillor Shawn Cleary in an interview with the Todd Veinotte Show. “Which, in my opinion anyway, endangers our direct democracy through the municipality.”

The councillor made the comments after Mayor Fillmore’s motion to pause new bike lanes amid ballooning costs and congestion concerns was defeated by council.

Currently, all elected councillors in Nova Scotia, including mayors, have a single vote on councils. In Ontario, mayors have the ability to propose by-laws or veto by-laws that benefit or interfere with “provincial priorities.”

Then in July, Halifax Regional Council unanimously approved a motion that would request that if the province were to make a move to implement the powers, it do a consultation first.

Houston’s comments were made while he was on The Todd Veinotte Show for an hour, answering people’s questions.

With files from CityNews Halifax’s Mark Hodgins and Natasha O’Neill.