Council

Who decides, and how you can hold them to account

Tweed 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

• MayorDon DeGenovamayor@tweed.ca
• Deputy MayorJamie DeMarshdeputymayor@tweed.ca
• CouncillorJim Flielerjflieler@tweed.ca
• CouncillorJacob Palmateerjpalmateer@tweed.ca
• CouncillorPeter Valiquettepvaliquette@tweed.ca

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

Declared conflicts of interest

Declaring a conflict and staying out of the discussion and vote is what the law requires, and doing it is the right thing. This list is here so residents can see, in one place, what the town's own registry should show.

• Sep 29, 2026Council MeetingMinutes on the town portalVideo (1 h 18 min)
• Sep 1, 2026Council MeetingMinutesVideo (53 min)
• Aug 11, 2026Council MeetingMinutesVideo (2 h 29 min)
• Jul 21, 2026Council Meetingclosed sessionMinutesVideo (3 h 32 min)
• Jun 23, 2026Council MeetingMinutesVideo (1 h 54 min)
• Jun 5, 2026Special Council Meetingclosed sessionMinutesVideo (23 min)
• Jun 2, 2026Council Meetingclosed sessionMinutesVideo (2 h 9 min)
• May 19, 2026Council MeetingMinutesVideo (1 h 47 min)
• Apr 28, 2026Council Meetingclosed sessionMinutesVideo (1 h 55 min)
• Apr 7, 2026Council MeetingMinutesVideo (1 h 39 min)
• Mar 17, 2026Council MeetingMinutesVideo (2 h 41 min)
• Feb 24, 2026Council Meetingclosed sessionMinutesVideo (1 h 59 min)

Videos from the town's YouTube uploads, checked Sep 30, 2026.

Recorded votes

Most council decisions are made by a show of hands without names written down. A member can ask for a recorded vote, and then the minutes list how each member voted. These are all the recorded votes we found this term, described in our own words. Read the minutes for the exact motion.

1. Aug 11, 2026Carried 3–2

   Approve the meeting agenda as presented. Two members had moved to strike two road reports (Rapids Road; Morton, Palmateer, Lynch and Labarge roads) as already decided; that motion was defeated.

   For: DeGenova, Palmateer, Valiquette · Against: DeMarsh, Flieler · Minutes · Video

2. Aug 11, 2026Defeated 2–3

   Undo a decision made at the July 21 meeting (item 12.5 of that meeting).

   For: DeMarsh, Flieler · Against: DeGenova, Palmateer, Valiquette · Minutes · Video

3. Aug 11, 2026Carried 3–2

   Pulverize a 4.4 km section of Rapids Road, and leave the choice of its final surface to the next council once a road assessment tool is available.

   For: DeGenova, Palmateer, Valiquette · Against: DeMarsh, Flieler · Minutes · Video

4. Aug 11, 2026Carried 3–2

   Adopt three new property tax policies (billing and collection, tax sales, and cancellations, reductions and refunds) and send some tax relief applications to the provincial Assessment Review Board.

   For: DeGenova, Palmateer, Valiquette · Against: DeMarsh, Flieler · Minutes · Video

5. Aug 11, 2026Carried 3–2

   By-law 2026-59, which puts the three new property tax policies into effect.

   For: DeGenova, Palmateer, Valiquette · Against: DeMarsh, Flieler · Minutes · Video

6. Aug 11, 2026Carried 3–2

   By-law 2026-60, which sends certain property tax relief applications to the Assessment Review Board instead of council.

   For: DeGenova, Palmateer, Valiquette · Against: DeMarsh, Flieler · Minutes · Video

7. Jul 21, 2026Defeated 0–5

   Lower the speed limit on Lingham Lake Road from 80 to 50 km/h.

   For: nobody · Against: DeMarsh, Flieler, Palmateer, Valiquette, DeGenova · Minutes · Video

8. Jul 21, 2026Defeated 0–5

   A resolution on Registered Plan of Subdivision HSR-198, saying the municipality would not object to a provincial zoning order.

   For: nobody · Against: DeMarsh, Flieler, Palmateer, Valiquette, DeGenova · Minutes · Video

9. Jul 21, 2026Defeated 2–3

   Undo the decision to convert 9.23 km of surface-treated roads back to gravel, and defer it to the 2027 budget.

   For: DeMarsh, Flieler · Against: Palmateer, Valiquette, DeGenova · Minutes · Video

10. Jul 21, 2026Carried 4–1

    Buy traffic counting equipment (up to $15,000, from money set aside for an electronic sign) and develop a policy for converting roads to gravel.

    For: Flieler, Palmateer, Valiquette, DeGenova · Against: DeMarsh · Minutes · Video

11. Jun 23, 2026Carried 3–2

    Receive the staff report on surface-treated roads (converting some failing roads back to gravel).

    For: Palmateer, Valiquette, DeGenova · Against: DeMarsh, Flieler · Minutes · Video

12. Jun 23, 2026Carried 4–1

    By-law 2026-43: revised wage scale and council and staff wages, benefits and vacation for 2025 and 2026.

    For: DeMarsh, Palmateer, Valiquette, DeGenova · Against: Flieler · Minutes · Video

13. Jun 23, 2026Carried 4–1

    By-law 2026-44: apply to Ontario Infrastructure and Lands Corporation for a long-term loan for capital work.

    For: DeMarsh, Palmateer, Valiquette, DeGenova · Against: Flieler · Minutes · Video

14. Mar 17, 2026Defeated 2–3

    A motion on the property tax payment schedule (the fourth tax installment).

    For: DeMarsh, Flieler · Against: DeGenova, Palmateer, Valiquette · Minutes · Video

15. Mar 17, 2026Carried 3–2

    A motion on how residents can pay the municipality, including options other than going fully cashless.

    For: DeMarsh, Flieler, DeGenova · Against: Palmateer, Valiquette · Minutes · Video

16. Feb 24, 2026Carried 3–2

    Staff to follow council's direction from a closed session on an employee performance review and compensation.

    For: DeGenova, Palmateer, Valiquette · Against: DeMarsh, Flieler · Minutes · Video

17. Nov 25, 2025Carried 3–2

    Bring back the previously defeated by-law to change the make-up of council, after the clerk gets an outside opinion on the procedure.

    For: DeGenova, Palmateer, Valiquette · Against: DeMarsh, Flieler · Minutes · Video

18. Oct 28, 2025Defeated (tie)

    By-law 2025-91 to change the make-up of council. The minutes record a tie with one member absent, but do not list how each member voted.

    Minutes · Video

19. Oct 14, 2025Defeated 2–3

    A motion opposing battery energy storage system (BESS) facilities in Tweed.

    For: DeMarsh, Flieler · Against: DeGenova, Palmateer, Valiquette · Minutes · Video

20. Sep 9, 2025Carried 3–2

    Proceed with changing the make-up of council, with an amendment so councillors are not obliged to serve a term as Deputy Mayor; a by-law to follow.

    For: DeGenova, Palmateer, Valiquette · Against: DeMarsh, Flieler · Minutes · Video

21. Jan 28, 2025Carried 3–2

    Start the process of changing the make-up of council: hold a public meeting in May 2025 and set a December 31, 2025 deadline for a possible by-law.

    For: DeGenova, Palmateer, Valiquette · Against: DeMarsh, Flieler · Minutes · Video

Top number: pay. Second number: benefits and expenses together, such as health cover, mileage, conferences and training. Exactly what goes in it differs a little from town to town; the note below says what this town’s statement includes. Some members take the town’s health plan and some do not, so a higher second number is not a problem by itself. The statements give only totals; the receipts behind them can be requested from the clerk.

Each year links to the town's statement. Typed by hand from the town's yearly Statement of Remuneration and Expenses for council (Municipal Act, s. 284). Only the two total lines are used: pay, and benefits with mileage and conferences. Committee of Adjustment members on the same reports are appointed residents and are left out.

From the statements posted on the town's election page, read Sep 30, 2026. People who have not held office are shown by their initials; the town's page has the full statements. Donors' names are on the statements but not here. School board candidates are left out. Statements for the October 26, 2026 election are due by March 26, 2027.

• Yes
  Budgets posted online

  Budgets from 2011 to 2026 are posted. Recent ones are links to a staff member’s OneDrive, which can break when staff change, and several older ones are scans that cannot be searched. Source

• Yes
  Meeting agendas and minutes

  Posted on the eScribe portal from 2020 onward, and on the website before that. Source

• Partly
  Meeting videos kept online

  Every regular council meeting since June 2024 is still on YouTube, and recent ones are linked from the council page. The meetings page still says videos come down once the minutes are approved, and 2023 videos are gone. Source

• Yes
  Council pay and expenses

  Yearly council remuneration reports are posted for 2019 to 2025. Source

• No
  Conflicts of interest registry online

  The registry on the meeting portal has no entries, although declarations appear in the minutes. The law requires a registry the public can inspect, but not necessarily online; we could not find one online. Source

• Yes
  Open tenders posted

  Current tenders and requests for quotes are posted on the Tender Opportunities page. Source

• No
  List of contracts awarded

  We found no record of past tenders, bidders, winners or amounts. Only some awards appear in the minutes. Source

• Unknown
  Integrity Commissioner and closed-meeting reports

  The pages explain how to complain, but list no past reports. We read every set of council minutes from June 2020 to September 2026 and found no report from the Integrity Commissioner or the closed-meeting investigator presented to council, only the Integrity Commissioner’s reappointment in July 2025. That suggests there have been none, but a complaint that ended without a report would not show up. Source

• Partly
  Audited financial statements

  Posted on the town’s records portal for 2009 to 2023. The 2023 statements were signed by the auditor on May 22, 2024. We did not find the 2024 or 2025 statements there or on the meeting portal. Source

• Yes
  Candidates’ campaign finances

  Every 2022 candidate’s financial statement is posted on the election page. Source

• Partly
  Yearly financial report to the Province (FIR)

  Filed for 2019 to 2024. The 2025 report is not in the Province’s latest release. Source

• Meetings, live on YouTube

  Council meetings are streamed here. Every regular meeting since June 2024 is still up, although the town’s meetings page says videos come down once the minutes are approved.

• Meeting agendas and minutes

  Every agenda and the approved minutes, plus the conflicts registry page.

• Council News and Notes

  An e-newsletter the town publishes in the days after each council meeting, including a message from the Mayor.

• News and Notices

  Official notices, such as the July 2026 tax withdrawal updates.

• Facebook

  The municipality's Facebook page.

• YouTube

  The municipality's general YouTube channel.

• X (Twitter)

  The municipality's account.

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

• Every payment the town made

  The yearly reports give totals by service, not who was paid. A list of payments is the single most useful record for spotting repeat suppliers, purchases split into smaller pieces, and payments to businesses linked to council or staff.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  I request, under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act: A list of all payments made by the Municipality of Tweed from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2025, showing for each payment the date, the name of the payee, the amount, and the description or account it was charged to (for example, the cheque register, EFT register or accounts payable listing). An electronic copy, such as a spreadsheet, is preferred.

  Copy the wording

• Contracts awarded, and how

  Tweed posts open tenders but not who won them, for how much, or which purchases skipped tendering. Related question: Where can residents see which companies won town contracts?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  I request, under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act: A list of contracts and purchase orders of $10,000 or more awarded by the Municipality of Tweed from January 1, 2023 to the date of this request, showing for each the supplier, the amount, the date, what was bought, and whether it was tendered, quoted or sole-sourced; and any reports to council about sole-source or emergency purchases in the same period.

  Copy the wording

• What the legal and professional fees were for

  Legal and professional fees are budgeted at $242,900 for 2026. Who was paid, and for what general type of work, is not legal advice, so it can usually be released even when the advice itself cannot. Related question: Why were legal and consultant fees more than 4 times the budget?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  I request, under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act: For 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 to the date of this request, the total paid by the Municipality of Tweed in each year to each law firm, consultant or other professional whose fees were charged to legal and professional fees, and for each the general type of work (for example labour relations, planning appeals, litigation, by-law enforcement, contract staff or general advice). I am not asking for the content of any legal advice or solicitor-client communication.

  Copy the wording

• The Hannah Street agreement

  The town took over a private road in exchange for paying for studies and fees. These records would show what the road was worth and what the town paid. Related question: What did Tweed give to take over Hannah Street, and was it good value?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  I request, under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act: Records about the agreement with the owner of Hannah Street (By-law 2023-65): the signed agreement and any amendments; any appraisal or valuation of Hannah Street; invoices paid under the agreement, including from Cambium, Quinte Conservation and Hastings County; and the Record of Site Condition and rezoning status for the lands involved.

  Copy the wording

• Council expense claims

  The yearly statements give one total for each member’s benefits and expenses. The claims show what the travel and conference money was spent on.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  I request, under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act: Copies of the expense claims and supporting receipts for conferences, mileage, out-of-town meetings and any other reimbursements paid to members of Tweed council in 2023, 2024 and 2025. Personal information such as home addresses or banking details can be removed.

  Copy the wording

• The July 2026 tax withdrawal error

  The town and the Mayor have explained the error in public notices. The records would show the cause, how many accounts were affected and what it cost. Related question: What has changed since the July 8 tax withdrawal glitch?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  I request, under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act: Records about the error in pre-authorized property tax withdrawals in July 2026: any incident report or summary prepared about it; correspondence with the software vendor or the bank about its cause; the number of accounts affected; and any costs the Municipality paid or recovered because of it.

  Copy the wording

• Integrity Commissioner and closed-meeting investigator work

  The town’s pages explain how to complain, but list no past reports or costs. These records would show how often the oversight offices have been used.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  I request, under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act: Invoices from the Integrity Commissioner and the closed meeting investigator to the Municipality of Tweed from January 1, 2022 to the date of this request, and any reports or decisions they issued to the Municipality in that period.

  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. Speak or write to council

   Ask the clerk to put you on a meeting agenda as a delegation, or send a letter to be included in the council package. Meetings are open to the public at 255 Metcalf St. and are streamed on YouTube.

2. Ask for the records

   Anyone can ask the town for its records under freedom-of-information law, for a $5 fee. The wording for useful requests is above.

3. Integrity Commissioner

   For complaints that a council member broke the Code of Conduct or the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act. Tweed uses John Ewart of Ewart O’Dwyer. Complaints go through the clerk, in writing, with a sworn affidavit.

4. Closed Meeting Investigator

   Anyone can ask for an investigation into whether a closed meeting was allowed. Tweed uses Local Authority Services (LAS), with investigators from Aird & Berlis. Requests go to the clerk.

5. Ontario Ombudsman

   Looks into complaints about how Ontario municipalities treat people and run their affairs, once local options are used up. Free.

6. Police

   If you have evidence that a crime such as fraud or theft has happened, report it to the OPP. Questions and concerns belong with the options above; evidence of a crime belongs with police.