The Ford government is giving extraordinary authority to the heads of about two dozen additional municipalities as of July 1.

A majority are in the Greater Toronto-Hamilton Area.

Ajax                                                               Markham

Barrie                                                            Milton

Brampton                                                      Mississauga

Brantford                                                     Niagara Falls

Burlington                                                     Oakville

Caledon                                                        Oshawa

Cambridge                                                    Pickering

Clarington                                                   Richmond Hill

Guelph                                                        St. Catharines

Hamilton                                                       Vaughan

Kingston                                                       Waterloo

Kitchener                                                      Whitby

London                                                         Windsor

Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Steve Clark says it’s intended to help regions begin construction faster to help the province make good on its goal to build 1.5-milion homes by 2031.

Strong mayors also have responsibility for preparing and tabling their municipalities budget; instead of council, as well as hiring and firing department heads.

When Toronto and Ottawa received the ‘strong’ powers last December, former mayor John Tory expressed support while Ottawa’s Mark Sutcliffe said he doesn’t want them.

Several Toronto mayoral candidates have promised not to use them.