On October 19, 2022, IMFG convened a public panel discussion entitled “Strong(er) Mayors – What Difference Will They Make?” The speakers were Karen Chapple, Director of the School of Cities at the University of Toronto; City Hall journalist Matt Elliott; Alison Smith, Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto; and Gabriel Eidelman, Assistant Professor at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto.
The panel was moderated by Zack Taylor, Associate Professor of Political Science at Western University. The discussion and follow-up questions by the audience brought to the surface a variety of perspectives, both for and against, on the “strong mayor” provisions of the Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act passed by the Ontario legislature on September 8, 2022. This commentary contextualizes and summarizes the speakers’ remarks. It also takes stock of the additional provisions in the Better Municipal Governance Act introduced on November 16, 2022.
Read the commentary.
Watch the video of the panel.