Council

Who decides, and how you can hold them to account

Wellesley 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

• MayorJoe Nowakjonowak@regionofwaterloo.ca
• Councillor, Ward OneShelley Wagnerswagner@wellesley.ca
• Councillor, Ward TwoLori Sebbenlsebben@wellesley.ca
• Councillor, Ward ThreeDerek Brickdbrick@wellesley.ca
• Councillor, Ward FourClaude Hergottchergott@wellesley.ca

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

  Budgets for 2021 to 2026 are posted as PDFs on one page. The 2026 budget and much of the 2025 budget are slide decks: several of their tables are pictures, which we did not read. Source

• Yes
  Audited financial statements

  Audited statements are posted for 2018 to 2025. The 2025 statements carry a clean opinion ("present fairly") from MNP LLP dated June 9, 2026. The 2024 statements say the 2023 statements were audited by another auditor, who gave an unmodified opinion on May 28, 2024. Source

• Unknown
  Council pay and expenses (s. 284)

  We did not find the yearly statement of council remuneration and expenses on the finance, budget or council pages we read. Source

• Unknown
  Meeting agendas and minutes

  The Township links its agendas and minutes from a calendar site (calendar.wellesley.ca). That site answered our request with a security block page, so we did not read any agendas or minutes. Source

• Yes
  Declarations of pecuniary interest

  The Mayor and Council page lists each declaration by member, meeting and date. We did not read the minutes behind them. Source

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

• Status of the 2025 capital budget projects

  The 2025 budget planned $2,864,820 of capital work and the statements show $1,658,382 spent. A project list shows which work is unfinished. Related question: Why did Wellesley spend 42% less on capital projects than budgeted in 2025, while its reserves grew by about $1.4 million?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request the 2025 capital budget project list for the Township of Wellesley, showing for each project its budgeted amount, the amount spent by December 31, 2025, its status, and the reserve or grant that paid for it, and the most recent report to Council on capital project progress.

  Copy the wording

• 2025 year-end budget to actual report

  The Township says its finance staff report each month to Council on income and expenses compared with the budget. The year-end report would show the budget and actual on the same basis. Related question: What is the "operating fund deficiency to be recovered in future years" of $1,015,653 in Wellesley's statements?.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request the Township of Wellesley's 2025 year-end budget-to-actual (variance) report to Council, and the schedule that explains the 'operating fund deficiency to be recovered in future years' in Note 16 of the 2025 audited financial statements.

  Copy the wording

• Council remuneration and expenses statements, 2023 to 2025

  We did not find the yearly statement of council pay and expenses on the Township's website.

  Show the request wordingHide the wording

  Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request the Township of Wellesley's statements of remuneration and expenses paid to each member of Council, as required by section 284 of the Municipal Act, 2001, for 2023, 2024 and 2025.

  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 that in September 2021 Council appointed ADR Chambers as its Integrity Commissioner, who handles Code of Conduct complaints and reports to Council. We did not find any Integrity Commissioner reports on the pages we read.