Chamber
ontario
Stage
Introduced
This Ontario bill restructures how regional councils are composed and how their heads of council are selected, starting after the 2026 election.
Key Changes
- The heads of council for eight regional municipalities will be appointed (by the Minister or by council members) rather than directly elected by voters, starting after the 2026 election.
- The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing gains the power to appoint or remove heads of council for the listed regional municipalities.
- The County of Simcoe's council will be restructured to include an appointed head plus the 16 lower-tier municipal heads of council.
- The Regional Municipality of Niagara's council will be restructured to include an appointed head plus the 12 lower-tier municipal heads of council.
- The Minister gains authority to assign weighted votes to members of upper-tier municipal councils through regulation.
- Any nominations already filed for head of council in the affected municipalities (and all Niagara Regional Council seats) are deemed withdrawn upon Royal Assent.
Gotchas
- Nominations already filed for the affected positions are automatically deemed withdrawn upon Royal Assent, which could affect candidates who have already invested time and money in their campaigns.
- The Minister's regulations can override conflicting provisions of other Acts, giving the provincial government broad authority to shape how these elections and councils operate.
- Regulations made under this bill can be applied retroactively, meaning rules could take effect before they are officially filed.
- The Niagara Regional Council's review of its council composition is delayed until after the 2034 election (rather than 2026 like other regions), limiting its ability to adjust representation in the near term.
- The bill gives the Minister power to assign weighted votes to upper-tier council members through regulation, which could give some councillors more voting power than others without requiring further legislative approval.
Who's Affected
- Residents of Durham, Halton, Muskoka, Niagara, Peel, Simcoe, Waterloo, and York regions who previously voted directly for regional heads of council
- Candidates who had already filed nomination papers for regional head of council or Niagara Regional Council positions in 2026
- Regional and lower-tier municipal councillors and heads of council in the affected municipalities
- The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, who gains significant new appointment and removal powers
- Lower-tier municipal mayors and heads of council, who will now automatically sit on regional councils in Simcoe and Niagara
Vibes
0 responses
Gotchas
- Nominations already filed for the affected positions are automatically deemed withdrawn upon Royal Assent, which could affect candidates who have already invested time and money in their campaigns.
- The Minister's regulations can override conflicting provisions of other Acts, giving the provincial government broad authority to shape how these elections and councils operate.
- Regulations made under this bill can be applied retroactively, meaning rules could take effect before they are officially filed.
- The Niagara Regional Council's review of its council composition is delayed until after the 2034 election (rather than 2026 like other regions), limiting its ability to adjust representation in the near term.
- The bill gives the Minister power to assign weighted votes to upper-tier council members through regulation, which could give some councillors more voting power than others without requiring further legislative approval.
Summary
Bill 100, the Better Regional Governance Act, 2026, makes significant changes to how several Ontario regional municipalities and counties govern themselves. Starting after the 2026 municipal election, the heads of council for eight regional municipalities — including Durham, Halton, Muskoka, Niagara, Peel, Simcoe, Waterloo, and York — will no longer be directly elected by voters. Instead, they will be appointed either by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing or by the members of the regional council itself. The Minister also gains the power to remove a head of council and appoint a replacement. The bill also changes the composition of the councils for the County of Simcoe and the Regional Municipality of Niagara. Simcoe's council will consist of an appointed head plus the heads of council of each of its lower-tier municipalities (16 members total). Niagara's council will similarly consist of an appointed head plus the heads of council of its 12 lower-tier municipalities. The bill also gives the Minister new authority to assign weighted votes to members of upper-tier municipal councils through regulation. Additionally, the bill cancels any nominations already filed for the position of head of council in the affected municipalities, as well as all nominations for any seat on Niagara Regional Council, deeming them withdrawn as of the date the bill receives Royal Assent. This effectively resets the 2026 election process for these positions.
Automatically generated from bill text using Claude
Vibes
0 responses
Recorded Votes
| Date | Description | Yeas | Nays | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 23, 2026 | Motion for closure on the motion for Second Reading of Bill 100, An Act to amend the Municipal Act, 2001 and the Municipal Elections Act, 1996. | 57 | 33 | Carried |
| Apr 23, 2026 | Second Reading of Bill 100, An Act to amend the Municipal Act, 2001 and the Municipal Elections Act, 1996. | 57 | 33 | Carried |