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Not the full picture. Built from public records, which leave things out.Read by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date. Check the sources, and tell us if you spot a mistake. What this site can't tell you
Read by hand. We read Cambridge's own documents for this site in October 2026; the Sources page lists which ones. The comparisons with other places still come from the Province's yearly reports.

Council

Who decides, and how you can hold them to account

Cambridge is run by an elected council of 9 people. They set the budget, approve big purchases and hire the senior staff who run the city day to day.

Current council

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

How open is Cambridge?

What a resident can find online without asking, as of October 5, 2026.

  • Partly
    Budgets posted online

    The approved 2026 and 2025 budget books are posted as PDFs. The city’s page says that for earlier budget documents, residents should email the finance office. Source

  • Partly
    Audited financial statements

    The 2025 consolidated statements are posted, with a clean opinion ("present fairly") from KPMG LLP dated June 11, 2026. For 2024 the page posts the annual report, but says the 2024 consolidated statements must be requested by email. Source

  • No
    Council pay and expenses (s. 284)

    The city’s Council Expenditures page says the Treasurer gives Council the yearly statement of honorariums and expenses by March 31, but tells residents to email the Clerk to get the reports. We did not find the statements posted. Source

  • Partly
    Meeting agendas, minutes and video

    Agendas and minutes are in the city calendar. The Agenda & Minutes page carries a notice that the city is updating its website and that agendas and minutes may not be available online. Meetings are live-streamed on YouTube. We did not open the calendar’s agenda files. Source

  • Unknown
    Integrity Commissioner reports

    The city names its Integrity Commissioner and the complaint steps. We did not find a list of reports on the page. Source

  • Yes
    Candidate election finances

    The city posts scanned PDF copies of candidates’ and third-party advertisers’ financial statements and says staff have not verified or edited them. We did not read the scans. Source

  • Unknown
    Council 2027 budget dates

    On October 5, 2026 the city’s Budget page and Engage Cambridge page gave no 2027 budget meeting dates. The Agenda & Minutes page listed council meetings on November 17, December 1 and December 15, 2026 only. Source

Where the city speaks for itself

Cambridge's official channels, as linked from its own website. Council members may also post on their own pages; we link only to official municipal channels.

Ask for the records

Anyone can ask the city for its records under Ontario's Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA). You do not have to say why. Here is how it works, and the wording for the records that would answer the questions on this site.

  1. Send the request in writing to the city clerk (the freedom of information coordinator), on the city’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 city 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 city 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 city’s decision.

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

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

How to raise a concern

From the gentlest step to the most serious. Start at the top.

  1. Integrity Commissioner

    Looks into complaints that a council member broke the Code of Conduct. The city names Aird & Berlis LLP as its Integrity Commissioner. Complaints go on a Request for Inquiry form through the City Clerk. We did not find a list of past reports on the city’s page.

  2. Closed-meeting investigator

    Looks into whether Council or a committee met in closed session when it should not have. The city says Council approved Local Authority Services Inc. to do the investigations, and that findings go to an open meeting of Council. We did not find a list of reports.

  3. Ontario Ombudsman

    The city says it uses the provincial Ombudsman as its municipal ombudsman. Residents can complain to the Ombudsman about city decisions, recommendations and omitted acts.

  4. Mayoral decisions (strong-mayor powers)

    The city says the Mayor must put strong-mayor decisions in writing and make them available, and lists them in a table on its Strong Mayor Legislation page. We did not read the table.