Council

Who decides, and how you can hold them to account

Wasaga Beach 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 Smithmayor@wasagabeach.com
• Deputy MayorTanya Snelldeputymayor@wasagabeach.com
• CouncillorJoe Belangerj.belanger@wasagabeach.com
• CouncillorSasha-Rose Dileos.dileo@wasagabeach.com
• CouncillorFaye Egof.ego@wasagabeach.com
• CouncillorEllen Timmse.timms@wasagabeach.com
• CouncillorRichard Whiter.white@wasagabeach.com

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

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. From the Treasurer's 2025 statement under the Municipal Act, 2001, s. 284 (the only year the Town posts on its Budget & Finance page). "Pay" is gross employment income from the Town. "Other" is the printed expense parts added up by us (meeting and conference expenses, per diems, cellular and internet allowance, and other items), to within 2 cents. The statement's own "Total" column of expenses is higher than that sum (see the finding "expense-totals"). Not in "pay": benefits paid by the Town (mayor 13,832.36), the mayor's $34,800.12 from Wasaga Distribution & Resources, a company the Town owns, and small payments from the Huronia OPP Detachment Board (mayor 350.00, Councillor Dileo 300.00). The Town's statement also lists 16 committee members with stipends; we left them out.

• Partly
  Budgets posted online

  The Budget & Finance page links the 2026 Mayor's final budget and a 2026 budget snapshot. We did not find earlier budget books on that page. Source

• Yes
  Audited financial statements

  Audited statements are posted for 2020 to 2025. The 2025 statements carry a clean opinion ("present fairly") from Baker Tilly SGB LLP dated June 25, 2026. The 2024 statements PDF is a scan with no readable text, so we did not use it. The 2025 statements show the 2024 figures beside them. Source

• Partly
  Council pay and expenses (s. 284)

  The page links only the most recent statement, for 2025. The statement's expense totals do not add up (see the findings). Source

• Unknown
  Meeting agendas and minutes

  The meetings page streams council live and links a calendar site, which refused a scripted request (HTTP 403). We did not work around that, so we read no agendas or minutes. Source

• Partly
  Registry of disclosures of interest

  The registry posted is for 2022 and 2023. We did not find a later one. Source

• Yes
  Integrity Commissioner reports

  Reports from 2016 to February 2026 are linked from the Clerk's Office page. Source

• Yes
  2022 election candidate financial statements

  Candidate and third party statements for 2022 are posted as scanned PDFs. We did not read them. Source

• Town of Wasaga Beach on YouTube

  The Town links this YouTube channel from its meetings page and says council meetings are streamed live every other Thursday at 10 AM. We did not check whether past 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

• Legal fees paid in 2025, by matter type

  The corporate "Legal" line was budgeted at $180,000 and shows $805,792.30 spent by September 30, 2025. Related question: Why had the Town spent $805,792.30 on legal fees by September 30, 2025, when the budget for the whole year was $180,000?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request a summary of legal fees paid by the Town in 2025, by month and by category of matter (for example land transactions, litigation, employment, development), and the total paid for the year, without any solicitor-client advice. A listing of payee, date and amount is enough.

  Copy the wording

• Vendor Take Back Mortgage terms for the beachfront lands

  Note 27 says the Town will hold a 24-month mortgage on phases 2 and 3 of the sale. The terms of security and default are not in the statements. Related question: Why is the Town holding a 24-month mortgage on the $5,676,828 phases 2 and 3 of its beachfront land sale, with only $250,000 down?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request the Agreement of Purchase and Sale and the Vendor Take Back Mortgage terms for the Town lands sold to Sunray Beach Drive Inc., as described in Note 27 of the 2025 consolidated financial statements, and the Council report or resolution that approved them.

  Copy the wording

• Debt payment schedule behind the 2026 to 2030 forecast

  The forecast has debenture payments falling from $3,365,350 to $2,613,943 while a $17,000,000 debenture was issued after year end. Related question: Does the Town's budget forecast cover a full year of payments on the $17,000,000 arena and library debenture, when forecast debt payments fall from $3,365,350 to $2,613,943?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request the schedule of debenture and loan payments, by debt and by year, used in the Operating and Capital Forecasts of the 2026 Mayor's Final Budget, including the debenture issued to Ontario Infrastructure and Lands Corporation for the Twinpad Arena and Library.

  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 Town's Integrity Commissioner (ADR Chambers Inc.) enforces the Council Code of Conduct. The Clerk's Office page posts reports, including August 2024 (no contravention found) and February 2026 (a contravention found; see the findings). The Code says the Commissioner gives Council a yearly report; the page lists an annual report for 2016 and information reports for 2017, and we did not find later yearly reports.

2. Closed meeting investigator: Ontario Ombudsman

   The Town's page says the Ontario Ombudsman can investigate closed meetings, and links the Ombudsman's complaint page. A page heading lists closed meeting reports under "2025". We did not read any reports.

3. Registry of written statements of disclosure

   The Town posts the registry for 2022 and 2023 (a PDF). The form says it "will be updated monthly following the Council meeting". We did not find a later registry.

4. Mayoral decisions and directives (strong mayor powers)

   The Town posts four decisions and directives from 2025 under the strong mayor powers that took effect May 1, 2025, including the 2026 budget directive.