The Town of The Blue Mountains acknowledges the Province of Ontario’s expansion of Strong Mayor Powers that came into effect on May 1st, 2025. Town staff have been working with the Mayor to understand the scope of the powers and to learn about the impacts of the changes.
“Municipalities, including Council and the Head of Council, are established by the Province under the Municipal Act, and we are required to operate within the framework it sets,” explained Mayor Andrea Matrosovs. “My continued commitment is to the community and to work within the new rules to continue to operate in a collaborative and democratic manner.”
Based on this provincial directive, Mayor Matrosovs has signed two Mayoral Decisions and one Mayoral Directive in order to:
- Delegate the authority to appoint the Chief Administrative Officer to Council;
- Delegate the management of the Town’s organizational structure and employment matters to the Chief Administrative Officer;
- Direct the Chief Administrative Officer and the Director of Corporate & Financial Services/Treasurer to prepare the draft 2026 Town Budget and 2026 Fees and Charges Bylaw by October 14, 2025.
“The use of strong mayor powers was required to execute these three Mayoral Decisions in order to return to what has been our Town’s practices,” said Mayor Matrosovs. “By signing these decisions, important Town processes related to the annual budget, CAO recruitment, organizational structure and employment matters will remain status quo.”
A dedicated webpage has been added to the Town website to ensure transparency and accountability regarding the use of Strong Mayor Powers. All Mayoral Decisions and Directives will be posted on the webpage.
In addition, an information report regarding strong mayor powers will be presented to Council from Acting CAO Adam Smith on Monday, May 12, 2025.
To learn more, please visit: www.thebluemountains.ca/
