Coughlin uses strong mayor powers to authorize Barrie's annexation framework in Springwater

Springwater Mayor Jennifer Coughlin's use of strong mayor powers was the difference in its council giving the OK to the City of Barrie’s annexation framework during Wednesday’s meeting.

In a negative vote, put on the floor after an amending motion, the vote to reject Barrie’s proposal passed 4-3. However, Coughlin enacted her strong mayor powers to follow through with the City’s boundary adjustment agreement, despite impassioned opposition.

The passing of the framework, while under different circumstances, comes after the Township of Oro-Medonte council voted 6-1 on Tuesday to conditionally accept Barrie's proposal.

The overall expectation among Springwater Township council was that some of its land would go to the City of Barrie, no matter what. It was the method—either annexation or legislative restructuring—that was in question.

The negative vote came after Coun. Anita Moore's motion to amend the first votable option, which, if agreed upon, would be in favour of annexation. Seen as a compromise, her motion detailed a different map that removed the key employment lands from the annexation, as proposed by the County of Simcoe at a special council meeting on Tuesday.

She requested that the provincial Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Rob Flack be requested to review and consider the map from the County of Simcoe, considering he does have the authority to implement the annexation proposal, even if council had rejected it.

"We need to let the minister know that [the proposed amendment] is something we can live with," Coun. Phil Fisher said during discussions. "[Option 1] is an abomination that, frankly, very few members of this council had any input on and the public, by and large, does not agree with."

"This gives us an opportunity to lose the least amount of land and not sell our future, which unfortunately is what the framework is doing," Coun. Danielle Alexander added.

The map has not been voted on or endorsed by County council.

Moore's motion was supported by three other councillors, who continued to argue that some members of council or the public were not given a proper opportunity to be involved with the negotiation process as early as 2023. Although those claims were shut down by both Mayor Coughlin and Coun. Matt Garwood.

"When this framework agreement was brought to this council for input, rather than this council choosing to have input... we chose no thank you and pushed it away, not to receive it," Coughlin said. "It was not that it wasn't given, it was a choice."

Nearly another hour of debates and deliberations took place regarding the lack of council cooperation in the negotiation process, more concerns with cross-border servicing, Springwater's own housing needs and long-term interests, and more. But, all it was doing was further delaying the inevitable: a vote, which council deferred from its October 15 meeting.

"You may not like it, but it is the most significant compensation that has been offered in Ontario to date," Coughlin explained to council. "If you want to give [the land] away, vote against the agreement. Let the province come and annex it, and we'll get nothing."

Once the 4-3 vote was recorded and Option 2 passed, Coughlin announced she was introducing a bylaw using strong mayor powers to authorize the execution of the City of Barrie's boundary adjustment restructuring proposal.

Upon the announcement, some in the gallery audibly expressed their dismay, with some calling for Coughlin's resignation.

Coughlin says that the bylaw could potentially support the provincial priority of building 1.5 million homes residential units by December 31, 2031, as well as other housing supports. However, some on council believe that the use of strong mayor powers is unnecessary.

"My hope would be that the reasonable plan would be not as generous as what we were giving up to the City of Barrie here, yet it still meant we would meet the provincial priorities," Deputy Mayor George Cabral explained to Mayor Coughlin. "Yet, you've still used strong mayor powers with respect to the housing to override that."

Before the council moved on, Coun. Fisher introduced a motion, which carried, to have the Township's hired solicitor challenge the validity of the bylaw and seek an injunction to restrain the municipality from acting upon it. He later called it "an abuse of strong mayor powers."

"The argument's always been that the province will do something, right?" Fisher said. "But, we seem to have used strong mayor's powers to rush what we know to be a bad deal in the place of what this 'something' would be. "By that rationale, wouldn't you just let the province do what they wanted anyway?"

Usage of strong mayor powers has only occurred a select number of times since some municipalities were awarded them through the Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act, 2022. Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall notably used strong mayor powers for the first time when pausing work on a waterfront sports field in August 2024.

In the original framework, approved by City of Barrie council, Springwater stands to lose 1,126 hectares, of which 596 hectares are considered to be developable. In return, the township will receive $15,000 per developable acre, totalling more than $22 million, among a range of other concessions reiterated by Nuttall in correspondence to County council.

Now, all three councils' resolutions will be forwarded to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, with a request to implement the restructuring proposal through a minister's order, in accordance with the Municipal Act.

The City of Barrie wants the restructuring in place by January 1, 2026.

VOTING BREAKDOWN