Council

Who decides, and how you can hold them to account

Blandford - Blenheim is run by an elected council of 5 people. They set the budget, approve big purchases and hire the senior staff who run the town day to day.

Current council

• MayorMark Petersonmpeterson@blandfordblenheim.ca
• CouncillorDaryl Barnesdbarnes@blandfordblenheim.ca
• CouncillorG. Bruce Banburybbanbury@blandfordblenheim.ca
• CouncillorNancy Demarestndemarest@blandfordblenheim.ca
• CouncillorTina Youngtyoung@blandfordblenheim.ca

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

• Yes
  Budgets posted online

  The budgets page lists "Approved Capital and Operation Budgets" for 2016 to 2026 as PDFs. Source

• Yes
  Audited financial statements

  Consolidated statements are posted for 2014 to 2025. The 2025 statements carry a clean opinion ("present fairly, in all material respects") with the auditor's report dated June 3, 2026. Source

• Unknown
  Council pay and expenses (s. 284)

  We did not find a yearly statement of council pay and expenses on the budgets or council pages we read. Source

• Unknown
  Meeting agendas and minutes

  The Township links an eScribe portal and an archive page of agendas and minutes. We did not read them, so we cannot say whether they are up to date. Source

• Yes
  Election candidate finances (2022)

  The 2022 election page links the candidates' financial statements as PDFs. We did not read them. Source

• Blandford-Blenheim Township on YouTube

  The Township links this YouTube channel from its agendas and minutes page. We did not check whether council meeting videos are posted there.

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

• Princeton Fire Hall debenture and financing

  The development charges report says a $2.0M debenture is to be issued when construction is complete. The 2026 budget shows $3,000,000 of one-time Other Revenue in the fire department without saying what it is. Related question: How will the Township pay for the Princeton Fire Hall, and what is the $3,000,000 of "Other Revenue" in the 2026 fire budget?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request the Township's report or by-law authorizing debenture financing for the Princeton Fire Hall, the repayment schedule and interest rate if it has been issued, and any staff report that explains the $3,000,000 "Other Revenue" line in the 2026 fire department budget.

  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. Registry of declarations of pecuniary interest

   The Township's council page says members must file written disclosures with the Clerk and carries a registry of them. We did not look at any underlying meeting minutes.