Owen Sound City Council will formally address the province’s Strong Mayor powers at its upcoming May 12 council meeting.
As of May 1, 2025, Owen Sound has been legislatively designated by the Province of Ontario as a Strong Mayor municipality, joining 170 others across the province.
The designation grants the Mayor expanded authority over key municipal decisions, including staffing, budgeting, and by-law approvals that conflict with provincial priorities.
In response, Mayor Ian Boddy has chosen not to exercise these new powers. Instead, he will delegate them back to City Council and City Manager Tim Simmonds through official Mayoral Decisions, which will be published as part of the May 12 Council Agenda.
At that meeting, Council will also reaffirm its formal request to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing to remove Owen Sound from the list of designated Strong Mayor municipalities. While the province introduced the expanded powers to help fast-track priorities like housing and infrastructure, Owen Sound officials maintain that a collaborative, council-led governance model is better suited for the city’s needs. Mayor Boddy stated that municipalities had little choice in the matter.
"The reality is that these powers are being implemented whether municipalities want them or not. Council recognized this and used the time wisely, not to delay action, but to ensure the city is equipped to navigate the changes responsibly," Boddy explained. "In doing so, Owen Sound has positioned itself ahead of many municipalities that have yet to engage meaningfully with the operational, legal, and procedural realities these powers entail.”