Council

Who decides, and how you can hold them to account

Port Colborne is run by an elected council of 9 people. They set the budget, approve big purchases and hire the senior staff who run the city day to day.

Current council

• MayorWilliam C. Steele
• Councillor, Ward 1Mark Bagu
• Councillor, Ward 1Dave Elliott
• Councillor, Ward 2Tim Hoyle
• Councillor, Ward 3Gary Bruno
• Councillor, Ward 3Frank Danch
• Councillor, Ward 4Monique Aquilina
• Councillor, Ward 4Ron Bodner
• Regional CouncillorVance Badawey

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 capital and levy budget report, its amendment memo, user fees and rates budgets are posted, with budgets back to 2020. Source

• Yes
  Audited financial statements

  The 2025 statements carry a clean opinion ("present fairly") from Doane Grant Thornton LLP dated June 30, 2026. The 2024 statements carry a clean opinion dated September 15, 2025. Statements are posted back to 2020. Source

• Unknown
  Council pay and expenses (s. 284)

  We did not find the yearly statement of council remuneration and expenses on the pages we read. The council page prints a yearly stipend of $46,175 for the Mayor and $22,973 for councillors. We did not fill a pay table. Source

• Unknown
  Meeting agendas and minutes

  The City says agendas and minutes for 2021 to 2025 are on its meeting calendar site. We did not read any minutes. Source

• Yes
  Integrity Commissioner reports

  Annual reports for 2022 to 2026 are posted on one page. Source

• City of Port Colborne on YouTube

  The City says council meetings are streamed live on its YouTube channel and that videos are a media alternative to the minutes. We did not check which meetings are posted.

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

• Open capital and related projects at December 31, 2025

  The City acquired $39,071,384 of capital assets in 2025 against a budget of $10,249,350. A list of open projects shows the year each was approved, the amount approved, the amount spent and the amount left. Related question: Why did the City add $39,071,384 of buildings and pipes in 2025 when its budget planned $10,249,350?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request the City's list of all open capital and related projects at December 31, 2025, showing for each the year it was approved, the amount approved, the amount spent to date, the amount remaining, the funding source and the expected completion date.

  Copy the wording

• Repayment plan for the marina, economic development and allocated capital reserve deficits

  Three reserves were negative at the end of 2025. The City says they will be repaid from user fees, land sales and future debt. A schedule shows how and when. Related question: Why were the marina and economic development reserves lower at the end of 2025 than the City forecast in November?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request any staff report, schedule or memo showing the planned repayment, by year, of the negative balances in the Sugarloaf Marina reserve, the Economic Development reserve and the Allocated capital and related projects reserve at December 31, 2025, including the expected land sales and debt issues used.

  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

   The City posts annual reports from an outside Integrity Commissioner for 2022 to 2026. The report for February 25, 2025 to February 24, 2026 (dated June 18, 2026) says there were no requests for advice and one Code of Conduct complaint, which was summarily dismissed, and that billings were $4,321.57. The report for the year before says no complaints were received and billings were $4,124.51.

2. Strong mayor powers

   The City says the Province extended strong mayor powers to Port Colborne on May 1, 2025, and that the Mayor must exercise them in writing and make them public. The City lists them on its Mayoral Powers Decisions and Directions page. We did not read the individual directions.