Heather Wright/The Independent

Lambton Shores Mayor Doug Cook has already turned back some of the powers he’s been given under the Strong Mayor’s legislation to municipal staff.

CAO Stephen McAuley recently outlined for council the new responsibilities handed to the mayor at the beginning of May.

At that time 169 municipalities with councils made up of more than six people were granted the authorities.

Mayors were given sole authority to hire and fire the CAO and department heads, veto powers over council decisions, and the ability to present by-laws which only needed the approval of one third of council.

Budgets are now the mayor’s responsibility, non-negotiable unless not presented by February.

McAuley said Cook has “veto powers” for decisions of council that he doesn’t believe forward the province’s priorities, such as housing.

And he has the power to present his own by-laws, although McAuley said one third of council would have to agree.

While Cook was granted the powers, he’s already chosen not to use a large majority

of them.

“Mayor Cook has already delegated the hiring and firing dismissal of department heads and the structure to myself, with a couple caveats, and also the municipal organizational structure has been delegated to myself,” he said.

But McAuley said the mayor must be involved in the budget process. “It’s really the mayor’s budget that gets put forward for council to consider. And there’s a process hat council can amend the mayor’s budget, and again, he can accept or not. And then there’s a process to override that, and then he can direct the process for the budget.”

McAuley says he and Cook met to work through all the implications of the new legislation.

“I frankly, don’t see any major disruptions to how Lambton Shores operates, because clearly we have the right mayor in place.”

Cook said he “really didn’t need the powers because “we’re getting things done that we want to get done anyway. We don’t have any hiccups.”

Councillors voiced little concern about Cook’s actions. “My anxieties are with a mayor who isn’t as he appears,” said Councillor Glen Baillie. “It’s not a situation we’re in now, but I want to get some kind of comfort that the population and the councillors would know such things are happening and their costs.”

McAuley says all of the actions Cook does take under the Strong Mayors legislation will be in writing and available on the municipality’s website. But he says that is a commitment from Cook.

“Mayor Cook may agree to do things a certain way that is very transparent and reasonable and all those things, there’s nothing you can put in place that would kind of box

in a future mayor.”

While McAuley says it will be up to council to work together to avoid a rogue mayor from doing harm, Councillor Ronn E Dodge says voters will have the biggest role to play. “It really falls on the people out there, the voters. Pay attention to what you’re voting for, pay attention on election day and make it there, then you’ll find you get the best people.”