Could N.S. be considering strong-mayor powers for Halifax?

Nova Scotia's municipal affairs minister is not ruling out new powers for Halifax's mayor.

John Lohr said Thursday that so-called "strong mayor" powers have been discussed across the country.

"I can't say right now yes or no, I'll just say [it] remains to be seen," Lohr said at Province House when asked whether the PC government would bring in legislation on the issue.

It's unclear what strong-mayor powers could look like in any future Nova Scotia legislation and whether the province would follow Ontario's lead.

Premier Doug Ford brought in legislation to grant strong-mayor powers to Toronto and Ottawa in late 2022, expanding them to dozens of municipalities in 2023, with the aim of cutting red tape to get housing built more quickly.

The powers allow mayors to act without the majority of council to override bylaws, and hire and fire municipal chief administrative officers and department heads. Strong mayors also have responsibility for preparing and tabling their city's budget, instead of council.

When asked if Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore requested such powers, Lohr said he's had many discussions with Fillmore, and former mayor Mike Savage, but said again "those things remain to be seen."

CBC asked Fillmore on Wednesday if he had asked the province for these powers, but he did not answer the question.

"Any such power is entirely within the premier's purview to decide to grant or not grant. And I've said in the past, and will say in the future, that I will work my best for the residents of HRM under whatever system is in front of me," Fillmore said at city hall after budget discussions Wednesday.

When asked a second time if he had requested those powers, Fillmore said, "It's entirely up to the premier to make those decisions, and that's all I'm going to say."

Pressed on whether he knows if the province is bringing in those powers for Halifax, Fillmore said, "I know nothing."

The PC government has brought in various bills that impact municipal responsibilities, including development approvals in the Halifax municipality, and decisions on transit and transportation infrastructure throughout the province.

David Arbuckle, executive director for the Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario, said any province considering similar strong-mayor powers should consult municipal politicians and staff to understand "some of the pitfalls."

When a mayor can hire and fire staff, who are supposed to offer independent expertise to council, Arbuckle said the lines become "blurred" and CAOs could become political appointments. Staff could end up prioritizing a mayor's desires, whether or not they're the best thing for a municipality, he said.

Even without the hiring aspect, giving a mayor veto power completely changes the council dynamic, Arbuckle said. Councillors have said the move effectively eliminates their own voice at council, while some political experts have said "it impoverishes our democracy at the local level."

"It really is something that I think ultimately is going to bear out as a negative overall in relation to the municipal sector," Arbuckle said Thursday.

The association has tracked the results of strong-mayor powers, which he said have not resulted in meeting the home-building targets set by Ford's legislation.

In fact, "we're seeing examples of some municipalities that have less housing starts than they did before the powers were brought in," Arbuckle said.

Premier Tim Houston could be considering taking a page out of Ford's playbook with the move. 

Houston showed support for Ford on Thursday at a campaign rally for the Ontario Progressive Conservative leader, in a surprise appearance to talk about removing interprovincial trade barriers.

Fillmore might welcome more power in the mayor's office, because he's already had ideas or preferences rejected by regional council in his first few months on the job after winning the mayor's seat in October. 

Council defeated Fillmore's motion to retract a list of nine possible designated homeless encampment sites, and scrapped the current plan for the Windsor Street exchange redesign given ballooning costs and missing bus lanes.  

Fillmore, who voted in favour of the redesign, took to social media days later with a video in which he said he was "shocked and disappointed" by the Windsor Street vote. He said council voted "inexplicably to cancel improvements" to the intersection, and encouraged residents to tell their councillors that continuing with the plan was the right move.