From the Beehive E150 - Municipal Responsibilities 101: What to Know Before You Vote

What powers does the City of St. Thomas actually have? With a municipal election coming this fall, Mike spoke with St. Thomas City Manager Lisa Higgs to clear up a question that trips up many voters: what does the City of St. Thomas actually control, and what doesn't it?

​In Ontario, municipalities get their powers from the province under the Municipal Act. The City of St. Thomas is responsible for local roads, animal control, solid waste collection, by-law enforcement, parks and recreation, and services like Valley View Home. It is not responsible for health care, which falls under the province, or for national matters like banking, Canada Post, and defence, which are federal.
Some areas are more complicated. St. Thomas owns and operates the St. Thomas Municipal Airport, but airports are federally regulated, so the city does not set the rules that govern it. Roads around St. Thomas are also split between multiple authorities: city streets fall under the municipality, Highway 3 is a provincial highway, and roads like Sunset Drive, Highbury Avenue, and Wonderland Road fall under Elgin County or neighbouring municipalities such as Central Elgin and Southwold.
This conversation is a practical guide for St. Thomas and Elgin County residents heading into election season, clarifying what city council candidates can and cannot promise to change.
Topics covered:

• How Canadian constitutional federalism divides power between federal, provincial, and municipal governments
• What the Ontario Municipal Act allows cities to control
• Why health care is a provincial responsibility, not a municipal one
• How airport operations work under federal regulation
• Which authority controls which roads in and around St. Thomas

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