Council

Who decides, and how you can hold them to account

Greater Madawaska 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

• MayorRob Weirrweir@greatermadawaska.com
• Councillor, Ward 1Jeff Levesquejlevesque@greatermadawaska.com
• Councillor, Ward 1Rob Tripprtripp@greatermadawaska.com
• Councillor, Ward 2Taylor Popkietpopkie@greatermadawaska.com
• Councillor, Ward 3Lois Thomsonlthomson@greatermadawaska.com

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

  One page lists the adopted budget by-laws and budget presentations from 2017 to 2026, and the 2027 Budget Directive presentation of September 17, 2026. Source

• Yes
  Audited financial statements

  Statements for 2017 to 2025 are posted. The 2025 statements carry a clean opinion ("present fairly") dated April 20, 2026. The 2024 statements carry the same wording, dated April 17, 2025. One page of the 2025 PDF (the statement of financial position) has no readable text, so we used nothing from it. Source

• Unknown
  Council pay and expenses (s. 284)

  The Township's monthly council highlights list "2025 Council Remuneration and Expenses" (February 2026) and "2026-2030 Council Remuneration" (March 2026) as council items. The reports themselves are on the meeting portal, which blocks automated readers. We found no pay statement on the Township's own pages. Source

• Unknown
  Meeting agendas and minutes

  The Township says agendas are posted at least 24 hours before a meeting and minutes appear in the next meeting's agenda. They are on a portal whose robots.txt blocks automated readers, so we could not check. The Township's own page posts monthly council highlights, and council summaries for 2022 to 2024. Source

• Yes
  Meeting videos

  The Township says council meetings are livestreamed and that most past meetings can be watched on its YouTube channel. We did not check the channel. Source

• Yes
  Answers to candidates' questions

  For the October 26, 2026 election the Township posts the questions candidates sent the Clerk and its answers, shared with every candidate. Several of those answers explain budget figures. We used them as the Township's own explanation. Source

• Township YouTube channel

  The Township links this YouTube channel from its home page. Its Agendas and Minutes page says council meetings are livestreamed and most past meetings stay available there. We did not open the channel to check.

• Township Facebook page

  The Township links this Facebook page from its home page.

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

• Valuation of the Peaks Village lots recorded in 2025

  The 2025 statements add $970,239 of land, and the Township links part of it to the Peaks Village lots, but does not say what value the lots were given or how. Related question: What value was put on the eight Peaks Village lots the Township took over, and what will it cost to finish that subdivision?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request the value recorded in the Township's 2025 financial statements for the eight Peaks Village subdivision lots taken as security, any appraisal or staff report used to set that value, and the staff report supporting the $330,000 "Peaks Village" line in the 2027 capital projects list.

  Copy the wording

• Bridge from the 2025 budget to the audited statements

  The Township says the gap between its 2025 budget and the audited results is accounting, but gives no amounts. Related question: Why do the Township's 2025 audited results show about $1.76 million more expenses than its budget, and how much of that is accounting?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request any schedule or working paper that reconciles the 2025 Operating Budget to the Consolidated Statement of Operations and Accumulated Surplus, showing amortization, debt payments, transfers to reserves and other adjustments line by line.

  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 says an outside law firm is its Integrity Commissioner for April 16, 2026 to April 16, 2030 (By-Law 24-2026). The page links one Integrity Commissioner report dated August 18, 2026. It sits on the Township's meeting portal, which blocks automated readers, so we did not read it.

2. Registry of Pecuniary Interest

   The Township posts a table of declarations of pecuniary interest for the 2022 to 2026 council and the one before it, with the forms. We did not build any question on it.