This past Wednesday at our City council meeting I put forward a motion in response to Bill 39, seconded by my colleague Councillor Laine Johnson, that passed on unanimous consent.
The motion asks that Ottawa City Council oppose Bill 39 and request that the Province of Ontario maintain the requirement under Municipal Act, 2001 to have Majority approval (50% plus one) to pass a by-law or resolution at Ottawa City Council and that a copy of this motion be sent to the Premier of Ontario and the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Bill 39 provides to the Mayors of Toronto and Ottawa the ability to pass bylaws with the support of one-third of City Council, and veto amendments to City budgets with the support of one-third of City Council, among other measures. Thank you to my council colleagues for your support.
On November 16, 2022, the Ontario government introduced Bill 39, Better Municipal Governance Act, 2022, for First Reading. As of November 23, 2022, Bill 39 had passed Second Reading and has been referred to Committee for further consideration.
