Council

Who decides, and how you can hold them to account

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

Current council

• MayorYvonne Hamlinofficeofthemayor@collingwood.ca
• Deputy MayorTim Fryertfryer@collingwood.ca
• CouncillorKathy Jefferykjeffery@collingwood.ca
• CouncillorDeb Dohertyddoherty@collingwood.ca
• CouncillorChris Pottscpotts@collingwood.ca
• CouncillorRob Ringrring@collingwood.ca
• CouncillorChris Bainescbaines@collingwood.ca
• CouncillorSteve Perrysperry@collingwood.ca
• CouncillorIan MacCullochimacculloch@collingwood.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 Town's one-page 2025 statement under the Municipal Act, section 284. "Pay" is the salary column. "Other" adds, for the same member, special meetings, professional development and discretionary spending, health premiums, CPP/EHT and travel, and any separate line for a board or association role (Great Lakes Mayors, FCM board, AMO board). Read from the text layer. The columns were checked: every column of the member rows adds up to the statement's printed totals once the committee of adjustment fees are included. Fees to appointed members of the Committee of Adjustment are left out. Only 2025 was posted.

• Partly
  Budgets posted online

  The 2026 Budget Book (215 PDF pages) is posted on the Budgeting & Taxation page. We did not find earlier budget books there. Source

• No
  Audited financial statements

  The Financial Reports page says to email the finance department to request a copy. We found none posted. They may be in a Council agenda we could not search. Source

• Partly
  Council pay and expenses (s. 284)

  The 2025 statement is posted on the Financial Reports page, and quarterly attendance and expense reports for the second quarter of 2025 to the first quarter of 2026 are on the Council page. We found no earlier years. Source

• Yes
  Meeting agendas, minutes and video

  The Town says agendas, minutes and video recordings are on its eScribe meeting portal, and Council meetings are live-streamed and recorded. We read the portal's home page only, not minutes. Source

• Unknown
  Integrity Commissioner and closed meeting reports

  The accountability page names the officers. We did not find reports from them. Source

• Town of Collingwood on YouTube

  The Town links this channel from its website, and its meetings page says Council meetings are live-streamed and recorded to YouTube. We did not check which videos are posted.

• Town of Collingwood on Facebook

  Linked from the footer of the Town's website.

• Rogers TV

  The Town's meetings page says Rogers TV airs only the first Council meeting of each month.

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

• Legal fees for the 2024 Official Plan appeals

  The 2026 budget raises legal costs for the appeals, but the budget tables do not show what has been spent. Related question: Why are legal costs budgeted to rise, and where does the $207,000 in the levy table show up in the legal expense line?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request a summary of all legal fees paid or owed by the Town of Collingwood for the appeals of the 2024 Official Plan, by month, from January 1, 2025 to the date of this request, and any report to Council on the budget for those appeals.

  Copy the wording

• Audited financial statements for 2023, 2024 and 2025

  The Town's page says to email for a copy. Related question: Where can residents read the Town's audited financial statements without asking for them?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request the audited consolidated financial statements of the Town of Collingwood for 2023, 2024 and 2025, with the auditor's reports, and the dates they were presented to Council.

  Copy the wording

• Funding agreements for the Water Treatment Plant Expansion

  The budget shows $38,319,000 in one column, with the shares of the province and New Tecumseth not split out. Related question: Who is paying for the $38,319,000 Water Treatment Plant Expansion in the 2026 budget?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request the current funding agreement or approval letter for any provincial grant for the Water Treatment Plant Expansion, the water servicing agreement with New Tecumseth for the expansion, and the latest staff schedule of the cost split by funding source.

  Copy the wording

• Council's response to the Judicial Inquiry recommendations

  The Inquiry asked for a public report on the first anniversary of its final report. Related question: Did Council publish the public report on its response to the 2020 Judicial Inquiry, as the Inquiry recommended?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request any report to Council, and any Council resolution, describing the Town's response to the recommendations of the Collingwood Judicial Inquiry final report of November 2, 2020, including any status table of the recommendations.

  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 (Principles Integrity)

   The Town says formal Code of Conduct complaints go to its Integrity Commissioner, Principles Integrity. We did not find any of its reports on the pages we read.

2. Closed meeting investigator: Ontario Ombudsman

   The Town says it has engaged the Ontario Ombudsman as its closed meeting investigator. We did not look for reports about Collingwood.

3. Lobbyist Registry

   The Town says the registry came into effect on January 20, 2020, and records substantive contacts between lobbyists and Council members or staff. We did not search it.

4. Conflict of Interest Registry

   The Town says all declarations of interest received in writing are on its Conflict of Interest Registry. We did not read it.