Council

Who decides, and how you can hold them to account

LaSalle is run by an elected council of 7 people. They set the budget, approve big purchases and hire the senior staff who run the town day to day.

Current council

• MayorCrystal Melochecmeloche@lasalle.ca
• Deputy MayorMichael Akpatamakpata@lasalle.ca
• CouncillorTerry Burnstburns@lasalle.ca
• CouncillorMark Carrickmcarrick@lasalle.ca
• CouncillorJeff Renaudjrenaud@lasalle.ca
• CouncillorAnita Riccio-SpagnuoloARiccio-Spagnuolo@lasalle.ca
• CouncillorMike Seguinmike.seguin@lasalle.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 2026 proposed budget book and the 2026 approved detail by account are posted on one page. The 2025 approved budget detail is posted as a scanned image, which we could not read as text, so we used nothing from it. Source

• Yes
  Audited financial statements

  The 2025 consolidated statements carry a clean opinion ("present fairly") from KPMG LLP dated June 25, 2026. The auditor's findings report to Council is posted beside it. We found only the 2025 set on the page, with 2024 shown as comparison figures. Source

• Unknown
  Council pay and expenses (s. 284)

  We did not find a yearly statement of council remuneration and expenses on the pages we read or in the Town's site map. It may be in the meeting portal, which we could not read. We have not filled in a pay table. Source

• Unknown
  Meeting agendas and minutes

  Agendas and minutes are on the Town's Council Calendar (events.lasalle.ca). When a script asked that site for its robots.txt it answered that access was blocked for security reasons, so we did not read any minutes. The Town's page says the calendar can be slow and that a new platform is expected in 2027. Source

• Yes
  Mayor's decisions under strong-mayor powers

  Four 2025 mayoral decisions (MD-2025-001 to MD-2025-004) are posted, including the direction for preparing the 2026 budget and the notice that the Mayor would not veto any budget changes council made on November 27 and 28, 2025. Source

• Unknown
  Closed meeting reports and investigator findings

  The Town explains the closed meeting rules. We did not read minutes, so we do not know how often council meets in closed session or what it reports back. Source

• Town of LaSalle on YouTube

  The Town's agenda and meeting page says the public can watch council meetings live on the Town's YouTube channel. We did not check how long past meetings stay posted.

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

• How Fire Station #2 was paid for

  The Town borrowed $9,000,000 in 2025 while holding $131,531,561 in cash and short-term investments. The documents we read do not split the cost between reserves, grants and the loan. Related question: Why did LaSalle borrow $9,000,000 for Fire Station #2 in 2025 while holding $131,531,561 in cash and short-term investments?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request the Council report approving the $9,000,000 debenture for Fire Station #2, and the Town's schedule of how the total cost of Fire Station #2 was funded (reserves, grants, development charges and debt).

  Copy the wording

• 2025 developer and user contributions, cash and assets

  The 2025 statements show $11,439,109 in contributions from developers and users against a budget of $412,000, of which $8,035,206 was contributed assets. A list shows what was handed over and how it was valued. Related question: Why did LaSalle report a 2025 surplus of $22,942,062 when its budget showed $11,838,200?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request the schedule supporting the 2025 "Contributions from developers and users" of $11,439,109, showing cash received and tangible capital assets contributed by developers, with the value given to each asset and how it was valued.

  Copy the wording

• Commercial, industrial and business taxation, 2024 and 2025

  Note 10 shows these taxes falling from $6,053,338 to $3,070,635. A breakdown by tax class and by refunds or appeals would show the cause. Related question: Why did LaSalle's commercial, industrial and business property taxes fall from $6,053,338 to $3,070,635 in one year, when the budget book says only that this share is shrinking year over year?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request the schedule that supports Note 10 of the 2025 consolidated financial statements for 2024 and 2025, showing taxation revenue by property class, and any refunds, write-offs or assessment appeal adjustments charged to commercial, industrial and business classes in each year.

  Copy the wording

• 2025 quarterly budget variance reports

  Environmental services and recreation spent $3,388,677 and $2,583,307 more than budgeted. The budget book says quarterly reports explain these variances to Council. Related question: Why did water, sewer and garbage spending run $3,388,677 over budget in 2025, and recreation $2,583,307 over?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request the quarterly financial reports and budget variance reports presented to Council for 2025, including any explanation of variances for environmental services and recreation and cultural services.

  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 says it hired the law firm Davies Howe LLP as Integrity Commissioner on November 28, 2023, for a three-year term starting January 1, 2024. One report is posted: a February 25, 2026 report on an application about a council vote of September 9, 2025 on about $2.75 million for pickleball courts. The report says the commissioner found no conflict of interest and did not apply to a judge. The report does not name the council member.

2. Closed meeting complaints: Ontario Ombudsman

   The Town's closed meetings page says complaints that a closed meeting broke the rules go directly to the Ontario Ombudsman. We did not look for any Ombudsman report about LaSalle.

3. Disclosures of pecuniary interest

   The Town posts a list of each member's disclosures by year, with the meeting date, the member, the agenda item and the reason. We saw that the 2026 list exists. We did not read every entry.