Nova Scotia·NewMunicipalities in northern Nova Scotia are taking a stance against strong mayor powers. The idea has been floated by Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore, and there is fear legislation could be coming this fall.Province says it has made no decision on introducing legislation during fall sittingLuke Ettinger · CBC News · Posted: Sep 12, 2025 12:21 PM EDT | Last Updated: 6 minutes agoMunicipality of Cumberland Mayor Rod Gilroy doesn’t see the need for additional powers in his position. (Luke Ettinger/CBC)Municipality of Cumberland Mayor Rod Gilroy doesn’t want the additional powers of a so-called strong mayor.On Tuesday, Municipality of Cumberland council unanimously voted to write a letter in opposition to strong mayor powers to the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities and to the province.”The mayor is a co-ordinator, a coach, a quarterback, a teammate, and responsible for being the liaison between the council and senior staff,” Gilroy said.”Why try and fix something that’s not broke?”This view is in contrast to Halifax Regional Municipality Mayor Andy Fillmore, who’s been lobbying for legislation similar to Ontario. Fillmore argues strong mayor powers would help him deliver on campaign promises. Starting in Toronto and Ottawa, then expanding to other jurisdictions, many mayors in Ontario have sole control over hiring and firing staff. The Ontario rules also enable a mayor to veto a council decision if they think it would better align with provincial priorities, such as building housing. Cumberland CAO Greg Herrett says the Association of Municipal Administrators of Nova Scotia believes the government is drafting legislation similar to Ontario. He told council that time is short with the legislature’s fall sitting due to start Sept 23. “I’ve been in municipal government for almost 30 years, 20 of those as a CAO,” said Herrett. “I believe strongly that strong mayor powers will eventually lead to chaos in many municipalities.”We think that local government requires functional foundations that execute the will of the whole council, and not just one individual.”Herrett said the move risks the politicization of the CAO and senior management roles.A July briefing note from the Association of Municipal Administrators of Nova Scotia said strong mayor legislation would reduce public confidence in municipal institutions by weakening the role of senior management as well as members of council. No decision yetHeather Fairbairn, a spokesperson for the Department of Municipal Affairs, said there has been no decision made on introducing legislation this fall. “The province has conducted jurisdictional analysis and consulted with the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities on governance reform,” she said. “Our goal is to ensure that municipalities have the tools to be responsive to community needs while strengthening democratic accountability.”The Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities has conducted a survey of mayors and councillors on strong mayor powers. A spokesperson for the organization declined to comment on Thursday. Town of Truro CAO Michael Dolter said it remains to be seen how legislation in Ontario and Nova Scotia will compare. He said there is no evidence that strong mayor powers have helped speed up housing construction, as an example.”Personally, I don’t think it’s required and I don’t think it’s going to improve anything,” Dolter said.”At the end of the day, if the province makes the decision, then the council will have to make a decision on what they do with that legislation.” Growing opposition While the matter has not come before Truro council, other municipalities are taking a stance. On Thursday, Town of Stewiacke council voted to write a letter to PC MLA Scott Armstrong in opposition to strong mayor powers. Gilroy said there was a similar sentiment at a meeting of regional municipal officials in Upper Nappan earlier this week. ABOUT THE AUTHORLuke Ettinger is a reporter with CBC Nova Scotia based in Truro. Reach him at luke.ettinger@cbc.ca.
Some N.S. municipalities oppose strong mayor powers
