Council

Who decides, and how you can hold them to account

Thames Centre is run by an elected council of 5 people. They set the budget, approve big purchases and hire the senior staff who run the town day to day.

Current council

• MayorSharron McMillansmcmillan@thamescentre.on.ca
• Deputy MayorMichelle Smibertmsmibert@thamescentre.on.ca
• Ward 1 CouncillorThomas Heemantheeman@thamescentre.on.ca
• Ward 2 CouncillorDanielle Lockiedlockie@thamescentre.on.ca
• Ward 3 CouncillorChantel Crockettccrockett@thamescentre.on.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 budget page links the 2024 and 2025 budget books. On October 5, 2026 we did not find a 2026 budget book on that page. Source

• Partly
  Audited financial statements

  Statements for 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 are posted. The auditor's report on the 2024 statements is dated September 3, 2026. We did not find 2025 statements on the page. Source

• Partly
  Council pay and expenses (s. 284)

  Schedules for 2024 and 2025 are posted as short PDFs. In both, the text behind the table comes out jumbled (amounts that do not line up with names), so we did not copy any pay figure into this pack. Source

• Yes
  Meeting agendas and minutes

  Agendas and minutes are on the Municipality's eScribe portal, linked from the council calendar page. We did not check how up to date the minutes are. Source

• Yes
  Conflict of interest registry

  Declarations are listed on the Integrity Commissioner page for 2022 to 2024, and a registry PDF for 2022 and 2023 is linked. Source

• Unknown
  Tender results

  The Bids and Tenders page links the 2026 procurement by-law. We did not look for awarded contracts. Source

• Municipality of Thames Centre on YouTube

  The Municipality links this YouTube channel from its website. Its 2025 budget book also links the budget debate on YouTube. We did not check how far back council meeting videos 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

• Audit planning and findings reports for 2024 and 2025

  The 2024 audit was signed on September 3, 2026. These documents show when the audit started and what slowed it. Related question: Why was the auditor's report on the 2024 statements not signed until September 3, 2026, and where are the 2025 statements?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request the auditor's audit planning report and audit findings report to Council or its audit committee for the years ended December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2025, and any report to Council on the timing of those audits.

  Copy the wording

• Staff report on the correction of the 2023 statements

  Note 16 lists three errors. A staff or auditor report would say how they were found and what controls changed. Related question: Why did the 2023 accumulated surplus have to be cut by $2,647,500 after it was first reported?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request any report to Council, or to its finance staff, describing the prior period errors corrected in note 16 of the 2024 consolidated financial statements, and any management letter from the auditor for 2023 and 2024.

  Copy the wording

• List of capital projects carried into 2025

  The 2025 budget book shows $4,812,786 remaining from 2024 and earlier. A project list shows what it is and when it will finish. Related question: Why were so many capital projects unfinished, and how much earlier budget was still unspent going into 2025?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request the list of capital projects approved in 2024 and earlier that had budget remaining on December 31, 2024, showing for each the approved budget, amount spent, amount remaining, funding source and expected completion date.

  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. Closed meeting investigator

   The Municipality names its closed meeting investigator as Aird & Berlis and says anyone who believes a meeting was closed wrongly can complain to that firm. We did not find any investigator reports on the pages we read.

2. Complaints about council members

   The page links a complaint policy, a formal complaint form and an informal complaint procedure. We did not find a named Integrity Commissioner or any Integrity Commissioner reports on the pages we read.

3. Declarations of pecuniary interest

   The same page lists declarations members made in 2022, 2023 and 2024, and points to a Conflicts Registry in the council calendar for 2025. We did not build a question on these: declaring an interest is what the rules ask a member to do.