A brief response to an inquiry from Halifax Examiner reporter Suzanne Rent, which was published on June 27 2025 in a roundup of responses from many of my council colleagues
This has nothing at all to do with Mayor Fillmore. This is my commentary on what I view as the principal reasons strong mayor powers are undesirable in the Halifax Regional Municipality.
Our governance structure was not on the ballot in October
While it’s easy to say this may not have changed the outcome of the election, it’s not irrelevant either that this degree of power conferred upon a mayor was not a consideration as HRM residents cast their ballot for mayor or for their local councillor. To unilaterally impose a change to the structure and very nature of governance in HRM is wrong, and I hope Premier Houston recognizes that HRM residents – not to mention residents of every other municipality that could be affected by the imposition of strong mayor powers – deserve to be consulted on how they view this matter. It consequentially shifts the dynamics of representation and the balance of power in the municipality.
Equal, fair and non-partisan representation is naturally messy… and incredibly productive
This is core to municipal governance when unimpeded by partisan concerns. There are no “permanent factions” as there are in politics “benefiting” from parties. Coalitions of support are built upon the merits of the issue and the wants and needs of residents in different districts. It’s messy at times, but that is where serious and productive debate occurs. Partisanship rewards compliance and, let’s be honest, far less robust challenges to the norms than occur when everyone is free to express their opinion and that of their community members. The popular understanding is that municipal elected officials are closest to the people, closest to the everyday impacts on residents lives, and put in the most work. Why? Because we don’t have a party machine behind us, we don’t have an expectation that our idea will be supported due to the color of our flag. We argue and earn the support and respect of our peers on an issue-by-issue basis and that is how we are of the greatest value to our residents and remain accountable to them.
A Mayor’s strength is earned by action not granted by decree
A Mayor can have as much or as little power as he wants without the Premier’s help. A Mayor can choose to be a consensus builder, reaching out to councillors, socializing policy ideas starting with back-of-the-napkin broad concepts, working through the details and gaining insights that reflect the concerns and priorities of the very different communities that make up the whole of HRM. Admittedly, it’s hard work. Strong mayor powers are an easy out. But the reward of that effort isn’t just the vote count, it’s the buy-in it engenders among councillors, staff and the residents – give and take collaboration means people feel heard, they feel that are getting value for their time and their tax dollar in what the city brings to their lives. And we councillors, in turn, would be cheerleaders rather than opponents. Certainly not on every issue, but on balance, that’s where it could go.
The voice of my residents deserves to be heard, not silenced by unearned power
I was duly elected to represent my fellow residents of Bedford-Wentworth – a district in which I have lived for 40 years. I have been an active member of this community, raised a family, and even my children have now settled in Bedford. District 16 residents sent me to city hall to represent them with one vote among 16 others. We have natural urban, suburban and rural districts that are, all in all, roughly equally represented among council. That fact provides a natural imbalance of power that is very effective in ensuring that council members with differing priorities in their districts have to put in the work to ensure their residents’ point of view is heard. A decision could go forward in my district on the basis of a single vote and ultimately prove positive for everyone even if agreement on it was split. To have that overruled by a single person is to take away the voices of a district – silenced by a strong mayor.
Strong Mayor risks making the Mayor weaker
When a partisan body like the Provincial Government only has to influence one person to get what it wants done rather than itself convincing a majority at council of its goals, the Mayor then becomes a target, weakening his authority and compromising his capacity to govern objectively. Now the crushing weight of what the government of the day wants to influence in the municipality will fall to a single individual to resist. It may not be a deliberate transference of power to the province but it results in one.
I may be new to elected office, but I’m not new to leading people and I recognize just how powerful genuine leadership can be. Shared struggle, a give and take of ideas, making concessions to find common ground while still having difficult debates to challenge one another and come to consensus, rewards the leader that puts in that effort. The “weak mayor” system we have now is intended by its very structure to inspire that form of leadership because of the greater reward – the better outcome for residents that are promised by putting in the work, even if it’s not easy. Frankly, it shouldn’t be. That’s why it works. This style of leadership, a style of leadership we are afforded now, can pay dividends to our relationship with the province in a way strong mayor powers simply can’t.
It’s in Premier Houston’s hands.
You have a strong and equal voice among peers at council now. That is taken away when one person on council has more authority than others. If this concerns you, I recommend emailing Premier Houston and your MLA to share your concerns. Stand up for fair, equal and non-partisan representation for yourself, your family, and your friends in HRM.