Council

Who decides, and how you can hold them to account

Grimsby 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

• MayorJeff Jordanjjordan@grimsby.ca
• Councillor, Ward 1Delight Davoliddavoli@grimsby.ca
• Councillor, Ward 1Reg Freakerfreake@grimsby.ca
• Councillor, Ward 2Don Howedhowe@grimsby.ca
• Councillor, Ward 2Lianne Vardylvardy@grimsby.ca
• Councillor, Ward 3Veronica Charroisvcharrois@grimsby.ca
• Councillor, Ward 3Jennifer Korstanjejkorstanje@grimsby.ca
• Councillor, Ward 4Jacob Baradziejjbaradziej@grimsby.ca
• Councillor, Ward 4Nick DiFlaviondiflavio@grimsby.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. Under section 284 of the Municipal Act. "Pay" is the column "Total Salary & Benefits" and "other" is the total less that, which is the training, conference, meeting and other expenses the statement prints. Each statement's text layer was rebuilt row by row by position and every row was checked against its printed total and the columns against the printed totals (the 2023 salary and total columns differ from the printed totals by two cents, which is rounding in the Town's own table). The statements print "Howe, William" and "Jordan, Jeffrey"; the Town's council page prints "Don Howe" and "Jeff Jordan", and we have not matched the two names. Board and committee appointees are left out.

• Yes
  Budgets posted online

  Consolidated budget books for 2019 to 2026 are posted on one page. The 2027 budget survey is open from September 15 to October 31, 2026. Source

• Partly
  Audited financial statements

  Statements for 2015 to 2024 are posted, with the 2024 audit report and committee report. We did not find 2025 statements on the page on October 5, 2026. Source

• Yes
  Council pay and expenses (s. 284)

  Statements for 2022 to 2025 are linked from the Mayor and Council page. We read 2023, 2024 and 2025. Source

• Unknown
  Meeting agendas and minutes

  Agendas and minutes are on an eScribe portal, which loads with scripts. We did not read any minutes, so we cannot say whether they are up to date. Source

• Unknown
  Integrity Commissioner reports

  The code of conduct page names the process and one bulletin. We did not find investigation reports on the pages we read. Source

• Town of Grimsby on Facebook

  The Town links this page from its website. We did not check what it posts.

• Town of Grimsby on Instagram

  The Town links this account from its website. We did not check what it posts.

• Live Stream and Archive Meetings

  The Town's page for watching council meetings live and in the archive. We did not check how far back the archive goes.

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

• Report FIN-25-26, 2024 Year-End Results and Reserve Transfers

  The 2024 report says the wastewater division ended with a $2,085,780 deficit and points to this report for the detail. We did not find it posted. Related question: Why did the wastewater service finish 2024 with a $2,085,780 deficit, and why are its costs rising so quickly?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request report FIN-25-26, 2024 Year-End Results and Reserve Transfers, with its appendices, and the wastewater division's 2024 budget-to-actual by account.

  Copy the wording

• The Region of Niagara reconciliation of the water and wastewater meter calibration error

  The Town owed about $1.6 million after the Region found a meter calibration error. The years covered and the calculation are not in the documents we read. Related question: Why did a metering error at the Region leave Grimsby owing about $1.6 million?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request the correspondence and calculations between the Town and the Regional Municipality of Niagara about the water and wastewater meter calibration error recorded as a reconciliation payable in the 2024 statements, including the years covered, the amount and how it was paid.

  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 Town's code of conduct page says it has an Integrity Commissioner, explains how to file a complaint (a $200.00 fee, refunded if the complaint goes to investigation) and links a September 2024 advisory bulletin on social media. We did not read any investigation reports.

2. Registry of conflict of interest declarations

   The Town posts a registry of declarations made at meetings, from 2023 on, each with the member, meeting, item and a form. We did not build a finding on it.

3. Mayoral decisions and directions

   The Mayor has strong-mayor powers. The Town posts a list of each Mayoral decision and direction since May 13, 2025, with a signed copy. The signed copies are scans, so we used only the Town's list, not the scans.