Council

Who decides, and how you can hold them to account

Tay Valley is run by an elected council of 8 people. They set the budget, approve big purchases and hire the senior staff who run the town day to day.

Current council

• ReeveRob Rainer
• Deputy ReeveFred Dobbie
• Councillor, Bathurst WardKorrine Jordan
• Councillor, Bathurst WardMarilyn Thomas
• Councillor, Burgess WardGreg Hallam
• Councillor, Burgess WardAngela Pierman
• Councillor, South Sherbrooke WardWayne Baker
• Councillor, South Sherbrooke WardKeith Kerr

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

  One page lists budget notices, meeting agendas, minutes, presentations, media releases and the adopted 2026 "Reeve's Budget - Final" for 2026, 2025 and earlier years back to 2012. Source

• Partly
  Audited financial statements

  The newest audited statements we found on the budget page are for 2024 (auditor's report dated December 2, 2025). We did not find 2025 statements on October 7, 2026. Statements for 2010 to 2024 are posted, with a few years missing from the list. 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 Township posts a Remuneration and Expenditure Policy on its council page. Source

• Partly
  Meeting agendas and minutes

  Budget-meeting agendas and minutes are PDFs on the budget page. The Township's meeting calendar site (events.tayvalleytwp.ca) answered a plain request with a block message (HTTP 403), so we did not use it and did not read regular council minutes. Source

• Partly
  Integrity Commissioner and closed meeting reports

  Integrity Commissioner annual reports are posted. The one closed meeting investigation report the Township lists (CMI #2024-01) did not open for us. Source

• Livestream of Council and Committee of the Whole meetings

  The Township says it has recently started livestreaming Committee of the Whole, Council, Committee of Adjustment and statutory public meetings, and that there is no livestream when a meeting is in closed session. We did not check whether recordings are kept.

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

• Planning legal fees in 2024 and 2025, by matter

  The 2024 budget gave $25,000 for the two planning legal lines. They ended at $175,436 (worked out by us) and the 2026 hearings line is budgeted at $0. A list by matter shows what the money was for. Related question: Why did legal costs for planning matters reach $175,436 in 2024 against a budget of $25,000, and why are they budgeted at $0 for 2026?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request a list of the Ontario Land Tribunal and other planning legal matters for which the Township paid legal fees in 2024 and in 2025, showing for each matter the total paid, the reserve or budget line it was paid from, and whether the matter is closed. Personal information of private parties may be removed.

  Copy the wording

• The report behind the 2024 landfill closure estimate

  The estimate rose by $1,062,500 in 2024. The statements do not say why. Related question: What caused the $1,062,500 jump in the Township's estimate of landfill closure costs in 2024, and how will it be paid for?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request the engineering or consultant report, and any staff report to Council, supporting the change in the landfill closure and post-closure care estimate recorded in the Township's 2024 financial statements, and any plan to fund the unfunded portion.

  Copy the wording

• Statements of council remuneration and expenses, 2023 to 2025

  We did not find the yearly statements under section 284 of the Municipal Act on the Township's pages. Related question: Why has the tax levy risen 6.26%, 8.46% and 5.93% in three years, and how much of that is policing and staff pay?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request the yearly statements of remuneration and expenses paid to each member of Council and to members of local boards for 2023, 2024 and 2025, as reported to Council.

  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

   An outside law firm acts as the Integrity Commissioner and reports yearly. Annual reports are posted for 2019 to 2025. The page says "There are no current Investigation Reports." The 2025 report says one complaint was received and dismissed, with no report to Council, and that the cost of complaints was $565.00.

2. Closed meeting investigator

   Council has appointed Local Authority Services as its closed meeting investigator. The page lists one report, CMI #2024-01, but the link to it returned "not found" (HTTP 404) when we tried it on October 7, 2026, so we did not read it.

3. Declaration of Interest Registry

   The Township posts a registry of declarations by members of Council, with the meeting, the item and the general nature of each declaration.

4. Reeve Decisions/Direction

   Since the Reeve gained "strong mayor" powers on May 1, 2025, the Township posts each written decision or direction, with a date, a number and the subject.