Council

Who decides, and how you can hold them to account

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

Current council

• MayorKevin Ashemayor@pickering.ca
• Regional Councillor, Ward 1Maurice Brennermbrenner@pickering.ca
• Regional Councillor, Ward 2Linda Cooklcook@pickering.ca
• Regional Councillor, Ward 3David Picklesdpickles@pickering.ca
• City Councillor, Ward 1Lisa Robinsonlrobinson@pickering.ca
• City Councillor, Ward 2Mara Nagymnagy@pickering.ca
• City Councillor, Ward 3Shaheen Buttsbutt@pickering.ca

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

• Yes
  Budgets posted online

  The 2026 current and capital budgets, user fees and highlights are posted, with 2025, 2024 and 2023. Some links go to the City’s Corporate Records (Laserfiche) site. Source

• Partly
  Audited financial statements

  Statements for 2021 to 2024 are posted. The latest we found is December 31, 2024, signed November 17, 2025. We did not find 2025. Source

• Partly
  Council pay and expenses (s. 284)

  The City posts a monthly list of expenses reimbursed to each member, from November 2022 to August 2026. We did not find a yearly statement of each member’s pay and expenses under section 284 of the Municipal Act, so we list no pay amounts. Source

• Partly
  Meeting agendas, minutes and video

  The City posts agendas, minutes and a live stream through its meeting calendar, and says the calendar has intermittent disruptions. We did not check whether minutes are up to date. Source

• Yes
  Integrity Commissioner reports

  Annual and periodic reports (2024, 2025, 2026) and nine recommendation reports are posted. Source

• Unknown
  Closed meeting investigator and reports

  The City names the Ontario Ombudsman for closed meeting complaints. We found no investigation reports and did not search the Ombudsman’s site. Source

• Unknown
  Election finances, 2022 candidates

  The City has a contributions page under Elections. We did not read it. Source

• Council and committee meeting calendar, agendas and live stream

  The City’s own calendar: dates, agendas, minutes and the live stream in the HTML agenda. The meetings page warns of “intermittent disruptions” to the calendar.

• City of Pickering on YouTube

  The City’s own video channel, linked from its meetings page.

• Let’s Talk Pickering: budget

  The City’s engagement site for the budget, with the budget highlights.

1. Send the request in writing to the city clerk (the freedom of information coordinator), on the city’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 city 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 city 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 city’s decision.

The city's request form (on its Forms page) · The law · Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario

• One-time money in the 2026 budget and the 2027 forecast

  The Treasurer says the 3.49% levy increase used one-time funding but the budget book gives only the reserve totals.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  I request, under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act: Please provide the most recent forecast or staff report showing, for each year 2026 to 2030, the City levy increase with and without transfers from the Rate Stabilization Reserve and the Casino Reserve, and the balance of each reserve at year end.

  Copy the wording

• Cost of the Integrity Commissioner process this term

  The periodic report gives about $70,000 for 16 months but not the earlier periods, staff time or legal costs.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  I request, under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act: Please provide the total amounts paid by the City from November 15, 2022 to the date of this request to Principles Integrity, and to any other lawyer or investigator, for Integrity Commissioner matters, Code of Conduct complaints and related legal proceedings, by year, and the total remuneration withheld from members of council under suspensions.

  Copy the wording

• Timeline of the 2025 audit

  The 2024 audit report was signed almost eleven months after year end and no 2025 statements are posted.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  I request, under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act: Please provide the audit plan and any communications to council setting out the expected completion date of the December 31, 2025 audit, and any report explaining the dates of the 2023 and 2024 auditor’s reports.

  Copy the wording

The wording is a starting point, not legal advice. Narrow the dates if the city says a request is too broad or too costly.

1. Integrity Commissioner

   Principles Integrity, appointed by By-law 7956/22. The City posts three annual or periodic reports and nine recommendation reports, all about one councillor. The commissioner says it will wind up by the end of January 2027.

2. Closed meeting complaints

   The City’s page sends complaints about closed meetings to the Ontario Ombudsman. We did not find a closed-meeting investigator report on the City’s site.

3. Gifts and benefits and disclosure statements

   Gifts above $200 must be disclosed within 30 days; gifts above $500 may not be accepted. Members’ disclosure statements are posted on the Integrity Commissioner page. We did not read them.

4. Lobbyist registry

   The City runs a lobbyist registry. We did not read it.

5. Strong Mayor powers decisions

   The Mayor’s decisions under the strong mayor rules are posted. We did not read them.