Council

Who decides, and how you can hold them to account

Bancroft is run by an elected council of 7 people. They set the budget, approve big purchases and hire the senior staff who run the town day to day.

Current council

• MayorPaul Jenkinspjenkins@bancroft.ca
• Deputy MayorWayne Wigginswwiggins@bancroft.ca
• CouncillorTracy McGibbontmcgibbon@bancroft.ca
• CouncillorValerie Milesvmiles@bancroft.ca
• CouncillorGeorge Eastmangeastman@bancroft.ca
• CouncillorKevin Lawrenceklawrence@bancroft.ca
• CouncillorCharles Mullettcmullett@bancroft.ca

Names and official email addresses from the town's council page. None of the members lists a public social media account there.

Top number: pay. Second number: benefits and expenses together, such as health cover, mileage, conferences and training. Exactly what goes in it differs a little from town to town; the note below says what this town’s statement includes. Some members take the town’s health plan and some do not, so a higher second number is not a problem by itself. The statements give only totals; the receipts behind them can be requested from the clerk.

Each year links to the town's statement. From the yearly staff reports presented to council each March (Municipal Act s.284). “pay” is wages; “other” is travel plus conferences and training. The statements label Charles Mullett as Deputy Mayor in every year, but the town’s council page and the June 24, 2025 minutes name Wayne Wiggins as Deputy Mayor for 2024 to 2026, and his 2025 pay is the higher deputy rate. We show roles as the statements print them. The 2022 amounts for Mr. Eastman and Ms. Kavanagh are small because their terms began in November 2022. The town’s council page says Mr. Wiggins’s current term began September 28, 2023 and Mr. Lawrence’s May 27, 2024, which fits the part-year pay in those years. We did not use the 2021 report because its columns could not be read reliably.

• Partly
  Budgets posted online

  The 2020 to 2026 budget presentations are posted. The 2025 and 2026 ones show each department’s spending and tax, and the reserves, debt and grants, but not every account line. We did not open the “Past Budgets” folder. Source

• Yes
  Meeting agendas and minutes

  Full agenda packages and minutes for council and committees are on the town’s portal. Council minutes were posted through August 11, 2026 and the September 8 agenda was up when we looked. Source

• Yes
  Meeting videos posted

  The town’s YouTube channel carried the September 8 and September 22, 2026 council meetings. We saw only the newest 15 uploads, so we do not know how far back the videos go. Source

• Yes
  Council pay and expenses

  A staff report with each member’s pay, travel and conference costs goes to council every March. We found 2021 to 2025. Source

• Yes
  Conflicts of interest registry online

  The town’s portal has a folder for each year from 2019 to 2024 holding the signed declaration forms. The 2025 and 2026 minutes we read (36 council meetings) record no declarations, and there is no folder for those years. Source

• Yes
  Closed meetings reported in public

  Each notice of a closed session names the legal reason and a short subject, and the minutes record afterwards whether direction was given to staff. The subject line is brief, for example “Faraday Waste Management Board”. Source

• Yes
  Open tenders and bids posted

  Current and closed requests for tender or proposal are posted on the portal and on Biddingo, with addenda. Source

• Partly
  List of contracts awarded

  Winners are named in council reports, for example the report awarding the Dungannon landfill monitoring contract in February 2026 says how many proposals came in. We found no single list of awards, amounts and unquoted purchases. Source

• Yes
  Audited financial statements

  Statements for 2019 to 2025 are posted with a clean opinion each year. But the auditor’s report for 2021, 2022 and 2023 was signed 13 to 18 months after the year ended; 2025 was signed May 26, 2026. Source

• Yes
  Mayor’s decisions under strong-mayor powers

  Every mayoral decision is posted, 13 for 2025 and 14 for 2026 when we looked. Source

• Unknown
  Integrity Commissioner and closed-meeting reports

  The town’s page explains how to complain but lists no past reports. We do not know whether there have been any. Source

• Yes
  Candidates’ campaign finances

  The 2022 candidates’ financial statements are posted as one 66-page scan, with the clerk’s May 1, 2023 compliance report. It lists 11 of 15 candidates as compliant and four as not compliant. Source

• Council and committee portal

  Agendas, minutes, reports, by-laws and the document library for council, committees and boards.

• YouTube

  Council meetings are live-streamed here, and the Mayor posts a regular “Ask the Mayor” video. The newest regular and special meetings (September 8 and 22, 2026) were up when we looked.

• News, notices and postings

  Official notices and news from the town, linked from its website.

• Facebook

  The town’s Facebook page, linked from its website.

• Instagram

  The town’s Instagram account, linked from its website.

• X (Twitter)

  The town’s account, linked from its website.

1. Send the request in writing to the town clerk (the freedom of information coordinator), on the town’s form or in a letter, with the $5 application fee.
2. Describe the records, not the answer you want. Dates, departments and the kind of record (a list, invoices, emails) make a request quicker and cheaper.
3. The town has 45 business days to answer (the law changed in 2026; older guides say 30 days). It can charge for search time and copies, but must send an estimate first if the fees will be over $25.
4. Some parts can be held back, such as legal advice or personal information about other people. The town must say which part of the law it relied on.
5. If you are refused, or the fees seem too high, you can appeal to the Information and Privacy Commissioner within 30 business days of the town’s decision.

The town's request form (on its Forms page) · The law · Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario

• Every payment the town made

  The budget and the audited statements give totals by service, not who was paid. A list of payments is the most useful single record for spotting repeat suppliers, purchases split into smaller pieces and payments to businesses linked to council or staff.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  I request, under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act: A list of all payments made by the Town of Bancroft from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2025, showing for each payment the date, the name of the payee, the amount, and the description or account it was charged to (for example, the cheque register, EFT register or accounts payable listing). An electronic copy, such as a spreadsheet, is preferred.

  Copy the wording

• Landfill sharing agreements and what Bancroft paid under them

  The audited statements say the town shares the cost of one landfill and records $3,411,000 of closing costs for it. The town’s landfill motion in August 2026 refers to a neighbouring municipality using Bancroft’s landfill. The agreements and payments are not posted. Related question: What does Bancroft’s share of the shared landfill cost, and why does the Faraday Waste Management Board come up in closed meetings?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  I request, under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act: (1) Any agreement, memorandum of understanding or board by-law between the Town of Bancroft and the Faraday Waste Management Board, and any agreement between the Town and the Township of Wollaston, about the use or cost of a landfill site. (2) For each of 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025, the amounts the Town paid to the Faraday Waste Management Board or for the shared landfill site, and the amounts the Town invoiced to the Township of Wollaston for use of the Dungannon site. I am not asking for the content of any legal advice or solicitor-client communication.

  Copy the wording

• What was charged to the council budget as contracted services

  The Province’s return shows contracted services on the council line rising from $15,416 in 2024 to $44,496 in 2025. The budget does not say what they were. Related question: Why does Bancroft spend more than most similar towns on council?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  I request, under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act: For 2024 and 2025, a list of every payment charged to the Council department’s contracted services, professional fees or similar accounts, showing for each the payee, the amount, the date and a brief description of the service (for example integrity commissioner, closed meeting investigator, legal, training or consulting). I am not asking for the content of any legal advice.

  Copy the wording

• Audit letters and the reasons for late audits

  The audits for 2021, 2022 and 2023 were signed 13 to 18 months after year end. The town has not published why, or whether the auditor raised concerns. Related question: Why were Bancroft’s audited statements for 2021, 2022 and 2023 signed 13 to 18 months after the year ended (by our count)?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  I request, under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act: For each audit of the Town of Bancroft’s financial statements for the years 2021 to 2025: the audit reporting letter or management letter from the auditor to council, any report to council about the timing of the audit, and any correspondence in which the auditor or the Province asked about late statements or the late Financial Information Return.

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• How the landfill closing cost was worked out

  The audited statements record $4,308,000 of landfill closing and monitoring costs, and the town’s staff report says nothing is being saved for it. The estimate itself is not posted. Related question: Is Bancroft saving for the cost of closing its landfills?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  I request, under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act: The report, workings or consultant’s estimate used to calculate the landfill closure and post-closure obligation in note 6 of the Town of Bancroft’s 2025 audited financial statements, for each landfill site including the shared site, with the assumptions on timing, discount rate and inflation. Also any report to council on planning or funding landfill closing costs since January 1, 2023.

  Copy the wording

The wording is a starting point, not legal advice. Narrow the dates if the town says a request is too broad or too costly.

1. Speak to council

   Ask the clerk to put you on a council agenda as a delegation, or write to council. Meetings are held at 8 Hastings Heritage Way and live-streamed.

2. Ask for the records

   Anyone can ask the town for its records under freedom-of-information law, for a $5 fee. The wording for useful requests is above.

3. Integrity Commissioner

   For complaints that a council member broke the Code of Conduct or the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act. The town’s page names John Ewart of Ewart, O’Dwyer. Complaints go to the clerk, in writing, with a sworn affidavit.

4. Closed meeting investigation

   Anyone can ask for an investigation into whether a closed meeting was allowed. The town’s accountability page links a request form.

5. Ontario Ombudsman

   Looks into complaints about how Ontario municipalities treat people and run their affairs, once local options are used up. Free.