Council

Who decides, and how you can hold them to account

Bonnechere Valley 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

• MayorJennifer Murphyjenniferm@eganville.com
• Deputy MayorTracey Sandersontraceys@eganville.com
• CouncillorJohn Eppsjohne@eganville.com
• CouncillorMerv Buckwaldmervb@eganville.com
• CouncillorMeredith Caplan Jamiesonmeredithj@eganville.com

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

• Partly
  Budgets posted online

  The Administration page posts a 2026 Budget Presentation (15 slides) and a 2026 Library Budget Presentation. The by-law that adopts the 2026 budget and the 2026 tax rates by-law are posted as pictures of pages with no text, which we could not read. We did not find a 2025 budget or a full budget book. Source

• Yes
  Audited financial statements

  Statements for 2023, 2024 and 2025 are posted. Each carries a clean opinion ("present fairly") from MacKillican & Associates; the 2025 report is dated May 5, 2026, the 2024 report May 20, 2025 and the 2023 report May 21, 2024. Source

• No
  Council pay and expenses (s. 284)

  We did not find the yearly statement of council pay and expenses on the pages we read (Administration, Council & Staff, By-Laws). The October 6, 2026 committee agenda has a Council Remuneration Report and a draft pay by-law. Source

• Partly
  Meeting minutes

  Committee and council minutes are posted for every meeting from January 13, 2026 to September 8, 2026. All 14 council minutes we downloaded for 2026 are pictures of pages with no text layer, so they cannot be searched or read by a screen reader, and we did not read them. Source

• Yes
  Meeting agendas

  Full committee and council agenda packages for October 6, 2026 are posted as text PDFs on the Council & Staff agenda page, with the previous meeting's minutes inside. Source

• No
  2022 election candidate finance statements

  The Township's election financial statements page listed no files when we read it on October 7, 2026. Source

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

• Breakdown of accounts receivable at December 31, 2025

  The statements show $2,539,607 owed to the Township, up from $451,793. A list by debtor type and amount shows what it is. Related question: Why did the money owed to the Township jump from $451,793 to $2,539,607 in one year, while its cash fell by about half?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request the Township's schedule of accounts receivable at December 31, 2025, showing the amount owed by each category of debtor (provincial grants, federal grants, other municipalities, and others), and the amount collected from each by September 30, 2026.

  Copy the wording

• Breakdown of 'Other' revenue for 2025

  'Other' revenue was $1,782,273 against a budget of $817,787. A list of its accounts shows what the extra was. Related question: Why did the Township finish 2025 about $925,729 ahead of its budgeted surplus, with 'Other' revenue more than double its budget?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request the general ledger account totals that make up "Other" revenue in the 2025 consolidated statement of operations, with the 2025 budget and actual for each account.

  Copy the wording

• Statement of council remuneration and expenses for 2025

  We did not find the yearly statement on the Township's website. Related question: Where is the Township's yearly council pay statement, and why does the new pay by-law take effect before Council has voted on it?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  Under the Municipal FIPPA, I request the Township's 2025 statement of remuneration and expenses paid to members of Council, as required by section 284 of the Municipal Act, 2001.

  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. Integrity Commissioner

   The Township's page says Council appointed a law firm, Cunningham, Swan, Carty, Little & Bonham LLP, as Integrity Commissioner on December 6, 2022 (By-Law 2022-080). A letter from the firm in the October 6, 2026 committee agenda package says its Integrity Commissioner is retiring effective December 31, 2026, and that it is up to Council whether to keep using the firm. We did not find any Integrity Commissioner reports on the page.