HALDIMAND—Haldimand County is now one of 169 municipalities to accept expanded strong mayor powers from the provincial government.
Mayor Shelley Ann Bentley accepted the powers in April 2025, reversing a unanimous Council vote to reject the powers originally in October 2023.
County representative Erin Haase confirmed, “Mayor Bentley was asked by the province to reconsider her original position on the housing target, which she subsequently committed to, resulting in the assignment of strong mayor powers.”
Some of the powers, which came into effect for Bentley on May 1, include: vetoing bylaws that could interfere with provincial priorities; proposing new bylaws to advance a provincial priority and passing said bylaw with just one-third support from Council; creating new committees of Council; proposing a municipal budget; and hiring or firing County staff, including senior management.
When discussed at Council in October 2023, all six councillors and Bentley voted against accepting strong mayor powers.
The original offer tasked municipalities whose populations were expected to grow to more than 50,000 residents by 2031 with committing to provincial housing targets (4,200 new housing starts for Haldimand) in exchange for provincial grant money and the powers.
Bentley spoke strongly against the powers at the time, stating, “It would be an insult to have a strong mayor up here.”
This time, Bentley made the decision to accept the powers alone, without any prior discussion at Council.
Haldimand councillors John Metcalfe, Dan Lawrence, and Rob Shirton expressed concern over her decision.
“I have not changed my position on not supporting strong mayor powers. It is flawed legislation and flies in the face of democracy. This could open up the ability for outside influence on the decisions of mayors,” said Metcalfe.
Shirton said councillors knew there was a deadline to accept the expanded powers, but were unaware the mayor had decided, despite sitting for a Council meeting on Tuesday, April 29 – after her acceptance but prior to the powers coming into effect.
“The mayor had an opportunity to explain what she had submitted,” said Shirton. “It kind of caught us completely off-guard.”
Councillor Brad Adams backed the mayor’s decision: “Time and time again I’ve witnessed Mayor Bentley stand up for the people of Haldimand while others have directly opposed their will. If there’s anyone I trust to hold these powers, it’s Shelly Ann Bentley, because she puts the people first.”
Councillor Debera McKeen declined to comment, noting she was not part of the initial discussions in 2023 and would need to “acquire all of the facts, past and present,” before sharing her thoughts.
Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Bobbi Ann Brady criticized expanded strong mayor powers in her April 17, 2025 column, calling them “undemocratic and a dangerous precedent”.
She noted Norfolk Mayor Amy Martin’s acceptance of said powers while Bentley, at the time, had not accepted, positing, “We can only assume the reason can be summed up in three words, Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO).”
Asked for comment on Bentley’s acceptance of the powers since, Brady shared, “I will fully comment once I have understanding of Mayor Bentley’s reasoning for accepting the strong mayor powers. Until I hear those reasons, it’s tough to comment. I will say if there is a mayor in this province that I would trust with strong mayor powers, it is Shelley Ann Bentley, as she puts the people of Haldimand County first all the time.”
On a request for her reasonings, Bentley provided a statement to The Press that cited a need for greater transparency.
“First and foremost, I have full trust and confidence in the professionalism and dedication of both Haldimand County Council and our municipal staff,” said Bentley. “However, recent events have made it clear that I need the tools to ensure greater accountability and oversight on behalf of our residents and sadly this is the only avenue to do so.”
She noted the political candidates (herself, Brady, the late Marie Trainer, McKeen, and Adams) who have won campaigns while advocating against a potential MZO, which could lead to a large-scale development in Nanticoke by Empire Communities.
She added, “That commitment remains unchanged.”
Of note, four of six councillors elected in the 2022 municipal election had previously voiced support for an MZO request to be submitted.
Bentley continued in her statement, “Staff failed to send out notification regarding an MZO application submitted last September. This oversight not only contradicts our shared values of transparency and accountability, but undermines public trust in the process.”
As previously reported, County CAO Cathy Case has stated that while some County staff were unofficially informed by Empire in September 2024 that an MZO request had been submitted, no formal verification was provided by the Ministry until March 14, 2025, despite repeated requests for such confirmation.
Bentley’s second stated reason for committing to provincial housing targets to access strong mayor powers is as follows: “Additionally, for more than two and a half years, a private investigator has been following me, my family, and my close friends. This has been deeply concerning and disruptive, and it raises serious questions about the level of pressure and scrutiny being applied to those who serve in public office with integrity.”
She concluded, “Given these factors, I felt it was necessary to accept the strong mayor powers – not to centralize control, but to safeguard transparency, uphold the commitments I’ve made to voters, and ensure our residents receive the municipal services they are paying for. My responsibility is to the taxpayers of Haldimand, and I will continue to work in their best interests with openness and accountability at the forefront.”
Bentley declined a follow up request to clarify specifically how she would utilize strong mayor powers, designed to help mayors advance provincial housing and growth targets, as solutions to her stated reasons for accepting them.
The issue was further discussed at a Council meeting on Monday, May 5.
Councillor Patrick O’Neill asked for Bentley to explain “why she sent that acceptance without letting any of us know.”
Bentley said the decision cost her “a lot of sleepless nights,” before reading the same statement sent to The Press earlier that day.
“I need these tools to go ahead, to be more transparent, to have more accountability to the taxpayers, because if I don’t know what’s going on, I’m not accountable to the taxpayers. That’s all I have to say on the matter. Thank you,” she added.
It was not, however, all that Haldimand’s councillors had to say on the matter.
Metcalfe asked Community and Development Services Manager Mike Evers about the MZO notification process.
Evers noted that after Council voted to “give its support to Empire putting forward the MZO application … it was up to Empire to do all the work…. From there, it’s in the hands of the Minister…. Effectively, the only decision Council had to make was made.”
Case iterated that some staff were aware of an unofficial submission in September 2024, that it was first communicated to Council members in January 2025, and that it was made public following the official verification from the Ministry in March.
O’Neill shared an email sent by Case to Council members in early April, notifying them of the provincial intent to expand strong mayor powers and requesting a response if anyone felt a change should be made to their original vote to reject the powers.
“None of us responded because I don’t know why any of us would have changed our mind,” he said. “We all made some pretty strong claims on why this is terrible for the county. I believe, Mayor Bentley, you said it was an insult to the county, and bad for democracy, and took the power out of our hands.”
He further alleged her recent choice showed “zero transparency…. That one I really have to hammer down on.”
Bentley replied, “I’ve accepted them, that’s the way it is.”
County Clerk Chad Curtis then advised O’Neill, who continued to speak to Bentley off-mic, that as head of Council, further discussion of the topic would be at Bentley’s discretion.
However, other councillors persisted in speaking on the issue.
Shirton asked Bentley to refrain from using her powers to fire County staffers before Council could discuss the issue more fully at the next full meeting.
“No, I cannot commit to that. I have talked to some managers already and I have had good conversations with them. It’s not about firing GMs and firing CAOs, this is another tool in my toolbox to make sure communication going forward is received,” she replied.
Lawrence said that “this is the component that concerns me,” questioning how staff behaviour could be impacted by a fear of reprisal from Bentley or “another mayor years down the road. Are they going to lose their job?”
“We don’t need our staff to feel like they need to walk on eggshells,” he added, advocating for her to consider removing certain elements from the powers. “In your former career, protecting people as you did, we need to do that here, too.”
“This is all new to all of us,” said Bentley. “I am not committing to anything today. I will look at all the legislation, all the rules…. There is lots to learn about this legislation. Lots.”
O’Neill then attempted to put a motion forward to continue the discussion further that evening.
“This is literally people’s livelihoods on the line. I’m not waiting until the next Council-in-Committee meeting,” he said.
Curtis noted this would require a two-thirds majority vote to proceed.
Councillors Metcalfe, Lawrence, Shirton, and O’Neill all voted in favour, while councillors Adams and McKeen joined the mayor, defeating O’Neill’s motion.
Adams then asked if Council was aware of the mayor’s claims that a private investigator had been following her, and claimed to have been followed as well during his campaign and being subject to “countersurveillance.”
Case said she had discussed the issue with Bentley early in her tenure as CAO, but was unaware it remained an ongoing issue. She then advised Adams that a discussion related to his claims should be conducted privately.
The divisive issue is set to be discussed further at the next Council meeting on Tuesday, May 20.
