Council

Who decides, and how you can hold them to account

Guelph-Eramosa 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

• MayorChris Whitechris.white@get.on.ca
• Ward 1 CouncillorBruce Dickiesonbruce.dickieson@get.on.ca
• Ward 2 CouncillorCorey Woodscorey.woods@get.on.ca
• Ward 3 CouncillorSteven A. Liebigsteven.liebig@get.on.ca
• Ward 4 CouncillorMark Bouwmeestermark.bouwmeester@get.on.ca

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

  The budget and finance page lists an approved budget and a budget presentation for each year from 2013 to 2026. The 2026 budget says it was adopted on December 8, 2025. Source

• Yes
  Audited financial statements

  Statements are posted for 2004 to 2025. The 2024 statements carry a clean opinion ("present fairly") dated June 9, 2025. The 2025 statements are linked from a Dropbox address, which asks automated readers to stay out, so we did not open them. Source

• No
  Council pay and expenses (s. 284)

  We did not find a yearly statement of council pay and expenses on the budget and finance page, the Mayor and Council pages or the site map. The Township may publish it somewhere else, for example in a council agenda. Source

• Yes
  Meeting agendas and minutes

  The council meetings page links an agenda and minutes for each 2026 meeting. The files are hosted on Dropbox, which asks automated readers to stay out, so we did not read any minutes. Source

• Unknown
  Tender results

  The Township sends bidders to an outside tendering site. We did not look for awarded contracts. Source

• Unknown
  Integrity Commissioner and closed meeting reports

  The pages name the officers but we did not find any reports from them. Source

• Township YouTube channel

  The Township links this YouTube channel from the top of its home page. We did not check whether council meeting videos are posted there.

• Township Facebook page

  The Township links this Facebook page from the top of its home page. We did not read it.

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

• Statements of council remuneration and expenses, 2023 to 2025

  We did not find the yearly statement under the Municipal Act, 2001, s. 284 on the Township's site.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request the Township's yearly statements of remuneration and expenses paid to each member of Council (and to members of local boards, if the Township keeps them), for 2023, 2024 and 2025, and any report to Council that presented them.

  Copy the wording

• Plan for the County of Wellington debenture due November 30, 2026

  The 2024 statements list $2,022,500 of debt payments in 2026, and the 2026 budget shows debt charges of $504,816. The budget does not say how the difference is dealt with. Related question: How will the Township pay the debt that falls due in 2026, and why is it also borrowing for a new fire truck?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request the report, memo or schedule that shows how the Township plans to pay or renew the County of Wellington debenture due November 30, 2026, and the Township's most recent Annual Repayment Limit worksheet.

  Copy the wording

• Parks and Recreation Report 25/09 and the Committee of the Whole decision

  The 2026 budget says Report 25/09 gave Council options for the sport court and pickleball projects. We did not read it. Related question: Why did two $75,000 sport courts in the 2025 budget turn into $555,000 of courts (by our count) in the 2026 budget?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request Parks and Recreation Report 25/09 (September 2025), its attachments, and the minutes or resolution of the Committee of the Whole that dealt with it, and any invoices for the 2025 site work at Cross Creek Park and David Masson Park.

  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 Aird & Berlis LLP is the appointed Integrity Commissioner under By-law 52/2022. The page explains how to make a complaint. We did not find any Integrity Commissioner reports on the pages we read.

2. Closed meeting investigator: Ontario Ombudsman

   The Township's page says it uses the Ontario Ombudsman as its closed meeting investigator, and explains how to make a complaint. We did not look for Ombudsman reports about the Township.

3. Declarations of pecuniary interest

   The Township's Integrity Commissioner page says completed declarations are posted with the agendas and minutes, under the date of the meeting. We did not read them.