Strong Mayor Powers

The Mayor has special powers and duties under Part VI.1 of the Municipal Act, 2001. These include powers to:
Bring matters to Council that advance certain Provincial priorities and veto any by-laws passed by Council that may interfere with the advancement of those priorities:

• Appoint the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO)*
• Hire and dismiss certain municipal senior managers and determine the organizational structure of the Township of Whitewater Region*
• Create committees of Council, assign their functions, and appoint the Chairs and Vice Chairs of committees of Council
• Propose the Municipality’s budget subject to Council amendments, a mayoral veto, and a Council override process
• The Mayor is required to exercise these powers in writing and make them available to the public, subject to the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

*the Mayor may choose to delegate these specific powers and duties.

Statement from Mayor Neil Nicholson Strong Mayor Powers:

"As the Mayor of the Township of Whitewater Region, I am committed to upholding and defending the democratic process that forms the foundation of our municipal governance. In light of the strong mayor powers granted to me, I have made a conscious decision to delegate these powers back to our elected Council and the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) wherever possible.
Our Council was elected by the people of Whitewater Region to exercise these powers, and it is my firm belief that this is the way it should be. By entrusting these responsibilities to Council and the CAO, we ensure that the voices of our community are heard and respected in every decision we make. We believe we can achieve the Provincial priority of building and maintaining infrastructure that supports housing, including transit, roads, utilities, and servicing by working together and do not require the Strong Mayor powers to achieve this.
This approach not only reinforces the democratic principles we cherish but also promotes transparency, accountability, and collaboration within our municipal government. Together, we will continue to work towards a brighter future for the Township of Whitewater Region, guided by the collective wisdom and will of our community.
These changes are being put in place to help deliver on provincial priorities and are detailed under Part VI.1 of the Municipal Act, 2001.
The approaches as Mayor that I will be following to provide accountability and transparency are as follows:
• A standard operating procedure to explain the procedures of delegating strong mayor powers; including by-law veto process, and the budget process and;
• A dedicated webpage to the Townships Strong Mayor Powers will be created and will include all directions and decisions implemented by the Mayor.."

Mayor Veto Procedure

Mayor Budget Procedure

Mayor Directive Procedure