Council adopts amended motion, commits to leading coordinated legal and advocacy effort
LAURIE WEIR
Rideau Lakes Township has deepened its opposition to Ontario’s strong mayor legislation, passing a revised motion May 22 at a special meeting that calls for a united municipal front across the province to push back against what it describes as a threat to democratic governance.
The motion, moved by Coun. Paula Banks and seconded by Coun. Sue Dunfield, was passed unanimously during a special meeting of council. Mayor Arie Hoogenboom and councillors Ron Pollard and Marcia Maxwell were absent. The meeting was chaired by Deputy Mayor Deborah Anne Hutchings, who recently assumed the role as part of the township’s rotating schedule.
The amended resolution reaffirms the majority of council’s opposition to the legislation and outlines Rideau Lakes’ intention to play a leadership role in a coordinated provincial response. It commits the township to contributing financial support toward a collective legal, advocacy and communications effort and calls on all 444 Ontario municipalities to formally reject the provincial framework.
“This isn’t about Rideau Lakes. It’s about fundamental rights of everyone in Ontario,” said Coun. Paula Banks. “We could have part-time mayors with no education or background making decisions that affect entire communities. That should scare everyone in this province.”
The motion emphasizes the risks for rural municipalities, warning that strong mayor powers could undermine the role of non-partisan senior staff and create instability in communities with part-time elected officials and limited administrative capacity. It states that the new powers allow a single elected official to override or dismiss senior staff without full council oversight, threatening transparency and accountability in local government.
Coun. Jeff Banks also spoke in support of the resolution, calling the legislation “an attack on democracy.”
“We were duly elected, and we should all have a say,” he said. “This framework lets one person override bylaws in their opinion. That’s undermining democracy.”
The resolution notes that more than 50 municipalities across Ontario have passed similar motions and calls on councils across the province to coordinate in seeking legal and constitutional advice to challenge the Ford government’s legislation. A website and petition supporting the effort are currently in development.
The May 22 meeting came on the heels of rising tensions around a local governance issue: the future of the Chantry municipal offices. During a recent committee meeting, a majority of council voted to move forward with an RFP to retrofit the building — a move opposed by the mayor, Pollard and Maxwell.
In a May 14 notice from the mayor titled “Consideration of Veto – Bylaw 2025-069,” Hoogenboom advised that he was considering the use of strong mayor powers to veto the confirmatory bylaw that authorized staff to tender the additional work.
“Please be advised that I am considering a veto under the provincial strong mayors powers legislation of the confirmatory bylaw passed on May 12 which authorized staff to put out for tender the additional retrofit of the Chantry municipal offices,” he wrote. “Should I proceed with this veto I will provide my full rationale in the time frame set out in the legislation.”
At the committee meeting where this work was moved forward, Hoogenboom spoke of his opposition to it, citing the cost factors and that the municipality couldn’t afford the $4.5M retrofit at this time.
“This is the largest single capital expenditure we’ve made in 25 years,” Hoogenboom said during that May 12 meeting. “There has been no formal public consultation, financing is not yet secured, and the township risks taking on long-term debt at a time when interest rates and construction costs remain uncertain.”
The next regular meeting of council is scheduled for June 2. The Municipal Services Committee is set to meet May 26, though the Chantry retrofit does not currently appear on the published agenda. However, past meetings have seen late additions.
