Council

Who decides, and how you can hold them to account

North Huron 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

• ReevePaul Hefferpheffer@northhuron.ca
• Deputy ReeveKevin Falconerkfalconer@northhuron.ca
• Councillor, Blyth WardRic McBurneyrmcburney@northhuron.ca
• Councillor, East Wawanosh WardChris Palmercpalmer@northhuron.ca
• Councillor, East Wawanosh WardAnita van Hittersumavanhittersum@northhuron.ca
• Councillor, Wingham WardLonnie Whitfieldlwhitfield@northhuron.ca
• Councillor, Wingham WardMitch Wrightmwright@northhuron.ca

Names and official email addresses from the town's council page. None of the members lists a public social media account there.

• Partly
  Budgets posted online

  The budgets page says the budget document is available from the Finance Department or at the municipal office, and links to the 2024, 2025 and 2026 budgets inside the council meeting portal (eScribe). The portal's document downloads asked our plain download to pass a browser check, so we did not read any budget document. Source

• Yes
  Audited financial statements

  Audited statements are posted for 2019 to 2025. The 2025 and 2024 statements both have a clean opinion ("present fairly") from Seebach & Company, both dated October 2, 2026. The 2023 file is a scan with no readable text, so we did not use it. Source

• Unknown
  Council pay and expenses statement

  We did not find a yearly statement of council remuneration and expenses on the financial reporting, council or budgets pages. Source

• Yes
  Meeting videos

  The Township says council meetings are livestreamed and recordings are available on its YouTube channel afterwards. We did not check them. Source

• Unknown
  Minutes up to date

  Council agendas and minutes sit in the eScribe portal, which we could not read by plain download, so we did not check whether minutes are current. Source

• Unknown
  Integrity Commissioner and closed meeting reports

  The accountability page names the officer but we did not find any reports from them. Source

• Township of North Huron YouTube channel

  The Township says council meetings are livestreamed on this channel and that recordings are available after each meeting. We did not check which recordings are 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

• 2025 capital budget: projects completed and carried forward

  Net capital purchases were $2,637,623 against a budget of $8,961,413. A project list shows which work was not done and which was carried into 2026. Related question: Why did the Township buy $2,637,623 of capital assets in 2025 when its budget planned $8,961,413, after spending $8,041,524 in 2024 against a plan of $4,271,300?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request the Township's list of 2025 capital budget projects showing, for each, the budgeted amount, the amount spent in 2025, whether it was completed, and the amount carried forward to 2026, and the most recent year-end capital status report to Council.

  Copy the wording

• Dates the 2024 and 2025 audited statements were received and approved

  Both sets of statements carry an auditor's report dated October 2, 2026. The council record shows when each was first received. Related question: Why do the 2024 and the 2025 audited statements both carry the same signing date, October 2, 2026?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request the Council report and resolution receiving each of the Township's 2024 and 2025 audited financial statements, and any earlier version of the 2024 statements signed or presented to Council or the audit committee.

  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 and closed meeting investigator

   The Township says it has appointed Aird Berlis LLP as its Integrity Commissioner and Closed Meeting Investigator. We did not find any reports from either role on the pages we read.

2. Conflict of Interest Registry

   The Township says its registry of written declarations of interest is under a Conflicts Registry tab on the agendas and minutes page, and that the Reeve's declarations under the strong mayor rules are on a separate Strong Mayor Decisions and Directions page. We did not read either.