Yes, it is an election year. That does not mean City Hall should go months as if on auto pilot without regular Council and Committee meetings.
Every regular 2026 September meeting was cancelled:
Corporate & Finance Committee, Mon. Sept. 14
Economic & Development Committee (including a Planning Act public meeting) Mon. Sept. 14
Community & Operations Committee Mon. Sept 21
Safety & Facilities Committee, Mon. Sept. 21 and
Oshawa City Council, Mon. Sept. 28
The Finance Committee notice says the meeting was cancelled “due to a lack of agenda items.” The other notices give no reason.
The next scheduled Council event is the newly elected Council’s swearing-in on November 18. The Standing Committee meetings rotation is not scheduled to return until November 30.
July through October is one-third of the year. Finance Committee meetings were also cancelled in May and June. Elected members of Council will have had no Finance Committee meeting for half of 2026!
Committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs still receive their full annual stipend under the Oshawa City Council Remuneration By-law 39-2005 https://www.oshawa.ca/.../councilremunerationby-law39...
There is no reduction when meetings are cancelled. That remuneration is paid by taxpayers. In my opinion the By-law should be amended so the extra pay is reduced when scheduled meetings do not take place.
September Council meetings were held in the election years of 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022. Cancelling the full September cycle this year, with almost no explanation, is a break from past practice.
I contacted senior staff, including the City’s CAO, twice over the past two weeks concerning the Committee cancellations and filed a Notice of Motion within the required timeline for the Sept 28th Council meeting. Council and the public still have not been given a clear answer by the Mayor and staff why these meetings were no longer required.
Meetings exist so elected members can do their oversight job and so residents can see what work is being done. An election does not pause that responsibility.
Every regular 2026 September meeting was cancelled:
Corporate & Finance Committee, Mon. Sept. 14
Economic & Development Committee (including a Planning Act public meeting) Mon. Sept. 14
Community & Operations Committee Mon. Sept 21
Safety & Facilities Committee, Mon. Sept. 21 and
Oshawa City Council, Mon. Sept. 28
The Finance Committee notice says the meeting was cancelled “due to a lack of agenda items.” The other notices give no reason.
The next scheduled Council event is the newly elected Council’s swearing-in on November 18. The Standing Committee meetings rotation is not scheduled to return until November 30.
July through October is one-third of the year. Finance Committee meetings were also cancelled in May and June. Elected members of Council will have had no Finance Committee meeting for half of 2026!
Committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs still receive their full annual stipend under the Oshawa City Council Remuneration By-law 39-2005 https://www.oshawa.ca/.../councilremunerationby-law39...
There is no reduction when meetings are cancelled. That remuneration is paid by taxpayers. In my opinion the By-law should be amended so the extra pay is reduced when scheduled meetings do not take place.
September Council meetings were held in the election years of 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022. Cancelling the full September cycle this year, with almost no explanation, is a break from past practice.
I contacted senior staff, including the City’s CAO, twice over the past two weeks concerning the Committee cancellations and filed a Notice of Motion within the required timeline for the Sept 28th Council meeting. Council and the public still have not been given a clear answer by the Mayor and staff why these meetings were no longer required.
Meetings exist so elected members can do their oversight job and so residents can see what work is being done. An election does not pause that responsibility.
