Central Frontenac Sends "Replacement Letter" to Ministry

Jeff Green | Apr 30, 2025

Members of Central Frontenac Council were surprised by a document they received during their regular meeting on April 22nd.

They had met a week earlier (April 15) in a special meeting to talk about strong mayor powers. The subject of the special meeting was the announcement that Central Frontenac is on the list of “strong mayor” municipalities in Ontario as of May 1st.

Council met to discuss what those powers entail, and to respond to the province about them. They passed a motion asking CAO Cathy MacMunn to draft a letter to be sent in the name of Mayor Frances Smith, expressing their opposition to the powers and requesting they be removed from the list.

The letter that was sent to the ministry on April 16 was quite different from what they had intended, however.

“I am writing to inform you that I will be accepting Strong Mayor Powers as introduced by the Province of Ontario” is how the letter begins,” before walking back that statement, by saying she reserves the right to delegate powers, and to “decline certain powers or, where that is not permitted, refrain from exercising them.”

The letter concludes with the following: “I recognise and appreciate the concerns raised by Council during the special meeting held on April 15, particularly the request to remove our municipality from the list.

“However, based on the information currently available, I am not in a position to support that request at this time on behalf of the Township of Central Frontenac.”

“I can say that I was disappointed in the wording of the letter as it was not in the spirit of the motion that was passed by Council,” Councillor Phillip Smith told the News after reading the letter that was sent.

When contacted later, Chief Administrative Officer Cathy MacMunn said that in response to the concerns raised by members of council, a new letter was sent to the Ministry on April 24.

The new letter was signed by CAO MacMunn.

It says that Council passed the following motion at their meeting on April 15.

“That Council authorised the CAO/Clerk to send a letter to the government, in opposition to the government’s proposed expansion of Strong Mayor Powers for the Township of Central Frontenac, and are requesting to be removed from the list.”

The Minister has not responded to either letter, nor has it responded to letters sent by North or South Frontenac.