We have two updates to share with members regarding our advocacy work regarding Bill 9: Municipal Accountability Act and strong mayor powers implementation.
Joint Letter: AMCTO Working with Other Staff Associations to Stand Up for Municipal Staff
As a follow up to our presentation and written submission to the Standing Committee on Heritage, Infrastructure and Cultural Policy regarding Bill 9, Municipal Accountability Act, we are continuing to advocate for municipal administrative leaders and staff. We are proud to collaborate with the Association of Road Supervisors (AORS) on the following joint letter to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing calling for amendments to Bill 9 ahead of the legislature resuming on October 20.
This letter is a necessary call to action as no meaningful changes have been made to the legislation. Despite our previous advocacy along with thoughtful recommendations from other municipal associations, elected officials, municipal legal experts, integrity commissioners, and members of the public, further amendments are required to adequately address municipal staff safety and ensure proper workplace codes of conduct.
In particular, we remain concerned about the limited protections available to municipal staff. Our letter highlights the following amendments our collective groups would like to see:
- Whistleblower Protection – Staff who report misconduct must be able to do so without fear of reprisal, job loss, or further harassment.
- Independent Oversight – Establish a provincial integrity commissioner panel to adjudicate egregious cases, ensuring consistency, fairness, and independence from local political pressures.
- Threshold for Removal – If council is to retain authority, the current requirement for unanimous support should be replaced with a more reasonable two-thirds majority.
- Workplace Discrimination – Explicitly include discrimination as a code of conduct violation, recognizing it as a form of abuse.
- Proportional Penalties – Expand available sanctions to include a more progressive range, including suspension, removal for egregious acts, and ineligibility to re-run for two terms, with mandatory disclosure of past removal when seeking office.
- Automatic Leave for Criminal Charges – Any member of council charged with assault should be placed on leave until their case is resolved, and if convicted, be automatically removed from office.
- Integrity Commissioner Standards – Require minimum qualifications, training, and consistency in the role, and provide integrity commissioners with clear authority to dismiss frivolous or vexatious complaints.
- Duty to Report – Codify responsibility across councils and staff to report harassment, discrimination, or violence to ensure safe workplaces are everyone’s responsibility.
We maintain that municipal workplaces must be safe, respectful, and harassment-free as expected and supported by standards for all other workplaces in Ontario. We will continue to advocate for the protection of municipal staff through the regulatory process associated with this legislation.
Letter to MMAH Seeking Guidance and Clarity on Strong Mayor Implementation
As you may recall, we wrote to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing in June 2025 seeking guidance and further clarity on several aspects of the strong mayor legislation. This included questions on important matters such as the interplay between strong mayor powers and restricted acts and multi-year budgeting.
While we have received the Ministry's response, it was disappointing to not receive answers to our specific questions. Their letter indicates that they are reviewing feedback and inquiries that they receive as part of their review of the framework.
As an association, we will continue to look for ways to bring forward your concerns regarding implementation and advocate for legislative clarity.
We continue to support our members in implementing strong mayor legislation by holding monthly drop-in sessions and hosting a shared resource library. We will also be updating our research on strong mayor use in municipalities across Ontario in the coming months. Please stay tuned for more information.
For more information or questions about our advocacy initiatives, please contact us.