Council

Who decides, and how you can hold them to account

Southgate 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

• MayorBrian Milnebmilne@southgate.ca
• Deputy MayorBarbara Dobreenbdobreen@southgate.ca
• CouncillorJim Fergusonjferguson@southgate.ca
• CouncillorJoan Johnjjohn@southgate.ca
• CouncillorJason Ricejrice@southgate.ca
• CouncillorMartin Shipstonmshipston@southgate.ca
• CouncillorMonica Singh Soaresmsinghsoares@southgate.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 2026 Mayor's Budget page posts the budget presentation to council (dated February 4, 2026) and two capital forecast files labelled "draft 3". We did not find a single adopted budget book. The Township says the 2026 budget took effect March 1, 2026. Source

• Partly
  Audited financial statements

  The 2023 and 2024 audited statements are posted, both with a clean opinion ("present fairly") from KPMG LLP. The 2024 report is dated June 5, 2026, and a Township staff report says the 2025 audit began June 22, 2026. No 2025 statements were posted when we looked. Earlier years are available on request. Source

• Unknown
  Agendas and minutes

  Agendas and minutes are on the Township's eScribe portal. The portal's meeting list loaded, but every agenda and minutes file we tried returned a browser check instead of the document. We did not try to get around it, so we could not read any council minutes. The Township says past years' agendas and minutes are available from the Clerk's Department on request. Source

• Unknown
  Council pay and expenses statement

  We did not find a statement of council remuneration and expenses on the finance, council or news pages we read. It may be in a council agenda we could not open. Source

• Township of Southgate on YouTube

  The Township's agendas and minutes page says council videos and livestreams are on its YouTube channel. We did not check which meetings have videos 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

• Correspondence with the Township's bank about the audited-statements requirement

  Notes 2 in the 2023 and 2024 statements say the Township was not in compliance with the 120-day requirement. Letters or waivers from the bank would show whether it had any effect. Related question: Why were the 2024 audited statements not signed until June 5, 2026, and why has the Township not met its bank's deadline for audited statements two years running?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request any letter, waiver or other correspondence between the Township and its bank, from January 1, 2025 to the date of this request, about the requirement to provide audited financial statements within 120 days.

  Copy the wording

• Agreement and security for the developer's share of the Highway 10 bypass road

  The 2026 budget slides count on $7,282,745 in developer funding. The agreement and any security would show how firm that money is. Related question: How firm is the developer money behind the Highway 10 bypass road, whose estimated cost is $13,467,540?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request the agreement or agreements under which a developer is to fund part of the Highway 10 Bypass Road, any letter of credit or other security held for that funding, and the most recent staff report to Council on the project's cost and funding.

  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 says Council has appointed an Integrity Commissioner, who advises Council on its Code of Conduct and can receive and investigate complaints. The page links the Code of Conduct. We did not find any Integrity Commissioner reports on the pages we read.