The Ontario government has introduced two pieces of legislation aimed at municipal governance and the delivery of public works services in certain municipalities located in the Greater Toronto Area.

The first piece of legislation, known as the Municipal Accountability Act, 2024 (Bill 241), focuses on municipal governance and accountability and paves the way for a new, standardized provincial code of conduct for municipalities. In addition, Bill 241 seeks to establish a standardized investigation process for municipal integrity commissioners, and proposes increased powers for municipal integrity commissioners to address misconduct by municipal officials.

The second piece of legislation, named the Peel Transition Implementation Act, 2024, targets the delivery of certain public works services in  Mississauga, Brampton, and Caledon. The proposed legislation, if passed, would result in the transfer of responsibility for delivering certain public works services from the Regional Municipality of Peel to Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon.

Municipal Accountability Act, 2024: A Focus on Governance

A key part of the legislation is the proposed Municipal Accountability Act, 2024, which focuses on creating a standardized code of conduct for municipal councils across Ontario. One stated goal of the Act is to ensure consistent accountability measures throughout the province. If passed, the Act would allow for the establishment of a uniform code of conduct that all municipal councils must follow, introduce a province-wide, consistent process for integrity commissioner inquiries to handle code of conduct violations, and require members of council and certain local boards to undergo mandatory training to understand their obligations under the new code of conduct. One significant element of the Act is the introduction of penalties for serious violations. A member found to be in severe breach of the code could face removal and disqualification from office. However, this would require the recommendation of the municipal integrity commissioner, a supporting report from Ontario’s Integrity Commissioner, and a unanimous council vote (excluding certain members of council including the subject of the inquiry).

Peel Transition Implementation Act, 2024: Enhancing Local Autonomy

The Ontario government also introduced the Peel Transition Implementation Act, 2024, which focuses on transferring key public works services from the Region of Peel to the municipalities of Mississauga, Brampton, and Caledon. The Province has described the legislation as being aimed at giving these cities greater autonomy to manage services in line with their local needs. Certain key service transfers, effective July 1, 2026, include the ownership and maintenance of regional roads and related storm water systems to Mississauga, Brampton, and Caledon, as well as waste collection services and two community recycling centres in Mississauga being transferred from the Region of Peel. The Province has noted that these changes build on the previous transfer of land-use planning responsibilities to Mississauga, Brampton, and Caledon, which took effect on July 1, 2024.

The Province also announced that in effort to support the transition of services, it has appointed the Provincial Land and Development Facilitator (PLDF) to work with the municipalities and facilitate the transfer of applicable services, assets and liabilities.

A Shift Towards Local Autonomy and Accountability

The Ontario Government’s proposed legislation represents a significant shift in how municipalities will govern themselves and manage key public services. If passed, these changes will introduce significant shifts in local autonomy in certain regions of the province, and force municipalities to review and re-assess current mechanisms in place to monitor and ensure the accountability of municipal staff and council members.

Written by Neethan Selvan and Alex Cockburn