Article content

Doug Ford wants Ontario municipalities to have the same kind of strong-mayor system as many big cities in the U.S., saying a more powerful chief magistrate would be preferable to the “free-for-all” of current councils.

The suggestion is outlined in the book Ford wrote about his time at Toronto city hall, published 18 months ago and largely forgotten since he entered provincial politics in February.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Doug Ford wants to bring in a U.S.-style 'strong-mayor' system for cities: 'one person in charge' Back to video

“If I ever get to the provincial level of politics, municipal affairs is the first thing I would want to change,” the Progressive Conservative leader says. “I think mayors across the province deserve stronger powers. One person in charge, with veto power, similar to the strong mayoral systems in New York and Chicago and L.A.”

Ford hasn’t raised the issue during his campaign for Ontario’s June 7 election, but a PC spokeswoman suggested such change is still on his agenda, saying the leader favours reforms to make municipal government more efficient and effective.