Ford wrote that if he reached provincial politics he'd give Ontario mayors stronger powers, including a veto
“If I ever get to the provincial level of politics, municipal affairs is the first thing I would want to change. I think mayors across the province deserve stronger powers. One person in charge, with veto power, similar to the strong mayoral systems in New York and Chicago and L.A.”
Doug Ford, · Ford Nation book (with Rob Ford), HarperCollins
What happened · May 1, 2025
Ford's government created strong-mayor powers, including a veto, and extended them to more than 200 municipalities.
Bill 3, the Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act, 2022, received Royal Assent on Sept. 8, 2022. It gave the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa powers that include vetoing by-laws that could interfere with a prescribed provincial priority. Bill 39 (December 2022) let those mayors pass certain by-laws with one-third of council's support. The powers were extended to dozens more municipalities in 2023 and to 169 more effective May 1, 2025, bringing the total to 216, many of them small rural townships. A May 2026 Toronto Star analysis found that only about 2 per cent of more than 4,200 strong-mayor decisions were aimed directly at creating housing, the stated purpose of the powers.
Promise: Toronto Star
Outcome: Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor, Ontario Newsroom, Toronto Star