LAURIE WEIR

Mayor Arie Hoogenboom used newly granted strong mayor powers to veto a council decision then claimed provincial backing, only to be publicly contradicted by his own MPP.

The controversy, which has drawn coverage from CBC and heated debate on social media, escalated further this week when Hoogenboom invoked strong mayor powers for a second time, ordering staff to tally council voting records and integrity complaints.

In May, Hoogenboom used his strong mayor authority to override a 5–3 council vote to seek quotes for a renovation of the township’s current administrative building in Chantry. The mayor supports relocating the office to Elgin, which he says could facilitate housing development.

In a CBC interview following the veto, Hoogenboom said he had spoken with the province and was assured he was “well within” his authority, adding, “That would be through the MPP office, Mr. Clark.”

But Leeds–Grenville–Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes MPP Steve Clark swiftly denied that claim, issuing a blunt statement on June 3:

“Mayor Arie Hoogenboom’s comments that my office provided advice regarding the use of strong mayor powers is categorically false,” Clark wrote. “It is not the role of an MPP’s office to provide guidance to municipal officials. I encourage him to do the honourable thing and immediately retract his untruthful comments.”

Coun. Paula Banks raised concerns about undisclosed discussions between the mayor and a landowner in Elgin, including a possible deal involving an entrance permit from the Ministry of Transportation, an arrangement not previously disclosed in council.

The debate spilled onto local Facebook forums, where residents questioned both the use of the strong mayor powers and the definition of “advice.” One commenter noted that telling someone to contact the Ministry of Municipal Affairs “sounds like advice to me.” 

Second use of strong powers targets council dissent

Amid the backlash, Hoogenboom issued a second strong mayor directive on June 4, instructing the CAO to compile:

• A full list of recorded votes taken by council since the start of the term, and
• All integrity complaints filed or dealt with, including which members were cited.

The mayor justified the move under section 284.3 of the legislation, marking his second formal directive in less than two weeks.