The premier of Nova Scotia says strong mayor powers are not going to be implemented any time soon.
Tim Houston told reporters Thursday, they are not on his mind.
“It was kind of on a lot of other people’s radar, but it wasn’t on mine. It’s not something that I’m thinking about in a list of issues and opportunities,” said Houston.
There was a lot of chatter over the summer about possibly giving strong mayor powers to Andy Fillmore, the mayor of Halifax.
Fillmore was not opposed to the idea, with the buzz only getting louder when Houston strongly opposed Halifax Council’s decision to make Morris Street – a busy downtown roadway – one way.
Houston threatened to reverse the vote by Council if they did not do it themselves and said the province was considering options to help HRM manage itself, “for the citizens”.
Strong mayor powers would give Fillmore veto power on municipal decisions with little council support.
The idea received strong opposition from some Council members and a warning from political science professor, Dr. Tom Urbaniak who cautioned that it would be a significant change to how a municipal government operates.
