2026 Caledon Council Report Card

For my second Caledon Council Report Card, this Council knew I was watching and documenting every vote. Over the past four years, I reviewed all published voting records and compiled every vote from 2022–2026 so residents can see the full picture for themselves. What emerges is a pattern that is both familiar and concerning: Caledon Council remains divided, this term split 5–4, mirroring the deep divisions of the previous term, which was split 7–2. That division in the Council Chambers inevitably becomes division in the community.

The voting patterns tell a very different story than the public theatrics often suggest. When you examine the most contentious votes across the term, a disturbing inconsistency appears. Councillors who declared conflicts or voted No on major files, such as the 12 Zoning Orders issued under Mayoral direction,  later voted Yes on the Secondary Plans that enable development on those same lands. In some cases, councillors who recused themselves on the original zoning decisions did not declare the same conflicts when voting on the enabling steps years later. This selective recusal creates an inconsistent approach to conflict‑of‑interest obligations.

This pattern continues across multiple files. What you see is a form of process laundering: councillors vote No or recuse themselves at the early, high‑visibility stage, then quietly support the later procedural steps that allow development to proceed when fewer residents are watching. The result is a voting record that does not align with the public positions some councillors claim to hold.

The Report Card does not cover every vote — instead, it highlights a cross‑section of decisions that clearly demonstrate these patterns. The goal is transparency: to show residents how their elected officials actually voted, not how they performed in public. If Council could work collaboratively instead of voting in blocks, the reliance on Strong Mayor Powers would diminish. But as long as these voting blocs persist, Caledon will continue to see division instead of leadership.

I have put shading on related votes so you can see the entire voting process.  The 12 Zoning Orders under Mayoral Direction and Swan Lake were charged and emotional, yet for the Secondary plans for the 12 there was no public outcry when the votes and conflicts changed for the  same properties