From the outset, Trent Hills Mayor Bob Crate and his council refused to buy into strong mayor powers.
Back in April, the provincial government extended strong mayor powers to 169 municipalities. This included Port Hope, Cobourg, Brighton, and Trent Hills. These came into effect in May.
Crate rejected these powers almost immediately. And recently, council passed all the bylaws to turn those powers back over to council and staff, keeping with the past.
Then, in early July, the council wrote a letter to Premier Doug Ford, calling the strong mayor powers undemocratic, unnecessary, and flawed.
In this interview, you will hear from Bob Crate on why he and his council took this approach.
Contrast Crate’s actions with two other mayors: Brighton Mayor Brian Ostrander and Cobourg Mayor Lucas Cleveland. You decide who is taking the right approach.
The show:
The full interview with bonus material:
Originally aired: August 1, 2025
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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