Candidate Questions & Answers
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Elections Guide for Candidates
Municipal Elections Act, 1996, S.O. 1996, C. 32 Sched
Will someone be helping residents to vote at Caressant Care?
Yes, election staff have scheduled a day with Caressant Care staff, during the voting period, to visit and assist any residents who need or want it, as in years past.
When do election signs have to be removed following the election?
All election signage must be removed within one week of Voting Day (October 26, 2026), per Sign Bylaw 2011-047 (section 7.8). This means that candidates (or their agents) must take down all signs no later than 11:59 p.m. on Monday, November 2, 2026.
Do I have to open a special campaign bank account or can I write cheques from my personal account?
Candidates must open a campaign-specific bank account if they intend to spend any money on their campaign - theirs or funds donated by someone else, as explained when nomination paperwork was filed, per section 88.22(1) of the Municipal Elections Act:
Duties of candidates
88.22 (1) A candidate shall ensure that,
(a) no contributions of money are accepted or expenses are incurred unless one or more campaign accounts are first opened at a financial institution exclusively for the purposes of the election campaign;
(b) all contributions of money are deposited into the campaign accounts;
(c) all funds in the campaign accounts are used exclusively for the purposes of the election campaign;
(d) all payments for expenses are made from the campaign accounts;
(e) contributions of goods or services are valued;
(f) receipts are issued for every contribution and obtained for every expense.
How many employees are in each municipal department and on payroll?
The Marmora and Lake organizational chart can be found on the last page of the final budget document, here, which includes all approved roles within the municipality as of April of this year.
Admin/Finance
0 CAO*
1 Treasurer
1 Clerk
1 Finance & Legislative Services Clerk
1 Tax & Accounts Payable Clerk
1 Utilities & Accounts Receivable Clerk
*New Council responsible for recruiting and hiring the next CAO
Fire
1 Fire Chief
1 Casual Admin Assistant
1 Volunteer Deputy Fire Chief
25 Volunteer Fire Fighters
Transportation
0 Manager*
1 Services Coordinator
1 Lead Hand
6 Operators**
1 Crossing Guard
*New Council responsible for recruiting and hiring the next manager
**Staff currently recruiting Winter Maintenance Operators and will recruit additional full-time Operators
Parks & Recreation/Facilities
1 Manager
1 Custodian
1 Lead Hand
2 Operators
Environmental Services
1 Manager
1 Water/Sewer Supervisor
2 Water/Sewer Operators
1 Landfill Supervisor
2 Landfill Attendants
Community Development
1 Community Development & Communications Officer
Are rules related to election sign placement being enforced?
As with all municipal bylaws, enforcement is largely complaint-driven. The Bylaw Enforcement Officer is watching for election signs that are in contravention of the Sign Bylaw, and is removing those that are, but he is unable to regularly monitor all intersections and roadways within the Municipality. When he receives a complaint (citing specific addresses/roads/intersections), he goes out to those locations and removes any signs he finds to be in contravention of the bylaw.
Candidates and residents alike, who are aware of locations where signs have been placed in error, are asked to send an email to the Bylaw Officer, including a list of those locations, so they can be dealt with: bylaw@marmoraandlake.ca. He is also available to answer any questions about the appropriate placement of signs, per the bylaw.
What is the role of the new Community Development & Communications Officer?
The Community Development & Communications Officer provides strategic corporate communications support, which including managing the municipal website and social media platforms, developing communications plans and policies, providing Council and senior staff with strategic communications support and advice, writing and designing communications materials, and managing media relations. This member of staff is also responsible for researching federal and provincial grant opportunities for all municipal departments, writing and submitting grant applications to fund local community projects, and handling all follow-up reporting as required by the funder. Additionally, they are the staff liaison to the Economic Development Advisory Committee and promote local community, economic and tourism development, which includes support of local businesses, development of strategic economic development and tourism plans, strategies, and campaigns, attracting and retaining local businesses, and building partnerships with local groups and organizations.
Can I post election signs on private property in other municipalities?
Marmora and Lake does not have a policy or bylaw prohibiting candidates from erecting signs in other jurisdictions. Candidates who wish to do so must contact those municipalities directly to seek permission and find out their specific election-related sign rules.
Is Council remuneration considered taxable income?
Yes, Council remuneration is taxed by the Federal Government. While EI is not deducted, CPP is (for those under 70 years of age). Council is paid monthly, and deductions are taken out each pay period.
Where can I find zoning maps for Marmora and Lake?
Hastings County provides online mapping for all properties in Marmora and Lake. It can be accessed by the public here. For zoning information, select the “General Public Zoning Application” option.
Where can I find a copy of the Municipality’s Procedural Bylaw?
The Procedural Bylaw 2026-32 can be found online here.
If someone moves to Marmora between now and Voting Day, can they vote in the Marmora and Lake 2026 Municipal Election?
Yes! Voter eligibility relates specifically to Voting Day (October 26, 2026). All residents of Marmora and Lake who meet the other eligibilty requirements below, who reside here on October 26th, can vote in the Marmora and Lake Municipal Election regardless of when they moved here.
You are eligible to vote if you are:
A Canadian citizen;
At least 18 years of age (as of October 26, 2026); and
A resident of the Municipality of Marmora and Lake; or
An owner or tenant of property in the Municipality of Marmora and Lake (or the spouse of an owner or lessee).
Can a candidate withdraw from the 2026 Municipal Election?
No, candidates were certified on August 24, 2026. The opportunity to withdraw a nomination ended on Nomination Day (August 21, 2026) at 2:00 p.m., per section 36 of the Municipal Elections Act.
Withdrawal of nominations
36 A person may withdraw his or her nomination by filing a written withdrawal in the clerk’s office,
(a) before 2 p.m. on nomination day, if the person was nominated under subsection 33 (4).
As such, all certified candidates must be included on the ballot unless they become ineligible between now and Voting Day (October 26, 2026), per section 39.
Death or ineligibility of candidate
39 If a certified candidate for an office, before the close of voting on voting day, dies or becomes ineligible to hold the office,
(a) if no candidate would be elected by acclamation as a result of the death or ineligibility,
(i) the election shall proceed as if the candidate had not been nominated, and
(ii) the clerk shall omit the candidate’s name from the ballots or, if they have already been printed, shall cause notice of the candidate’s death or ineligibility to be made available to the public in every voting place.
However, should a candidate no longer wish to be elected, they are welcome to communicate this to the public and encourage them to vote for other candidates.
Election Signs must contain a statement identifying who has authorized the sign. What is this supposed to include and look like? Is there a size requirement? Can it be written on the signs?
All of your campaign signs (and other advertising) must identify that you are responsible for the sign. This is so that people seeing the sign (or advertisement) can tell that it is from your campaign, rather than from a third-party advertiser. There is no size requirement, but it should be clear to anyone reading the sign. Something as simple as “Authorized by Candidate Name” is sufficient. If signs have already been made, writing on them is acceptable as long as that writing is permanent and will not wash off in the rain.
What percentage of property taxes are in arears, and how much money is owed/outstanding?
As of today (8/25/2026), the Municipality has $980,809.03 in tax arrears, and $93,245.05 in tax-related penalty/interest, for a total of $1,074,054.08 outstanding. This is approximately 9.63%, and this figure changes daily.
What oath does a Member of Council take at the beginning of the new term?
Section 232(1) of the Municipal Act states:
A person shall not take a seat on the council of a municipality, including a person appointed to fill a temporary vacancy on an upper-tier council under section 267 but not including a person appointed to act in place of a head of council under section 242, until the person takes the declaration of office in the English or French version of the form established by the Minister for that purpose.
The declaration provided by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing reads as follows:
I, (name of person), having been elected to the office of (name of office), in the Municipality of Marmora and Lake, do solemnly promise and declare that:
I will truly, faithfully and impartially exercise this office to the best of my knowledge and ability.
I have not received and will not receive any payment or reward, or promise thereof, for the exercise of this office in a biased, corrupt or any improper manner.
I will disclose any pecuniary interest, direct or indirect, in accordance with the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act.
I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles the Third.
And I make this solemn promise and declaration conscientiously believing it to be true and knowing that it is of the same force and effect as if made under oath.
Where can I find a copy of the 2018 and 2025 municipal audited financial statements/auditor’s reports?
All municipal audited financial statements are available online on the municipal website, here. The 2025 financial statements will be presented to Council at the September 15, 2026, meeting by the auditors, and will then be uploaded to the municipal website.
Can candidates create campaign videos on municipal property (at the library, in the park, etc.)?
No, campaign activities cannot take place on municipal property. The Use of Municipal Resources for Elections Bylaw (No. 2026-27) defines municipal property as all real or personal property owned, leased, operated or controlled by the Municipality, including buildings, parks, road allowances, vehicles, equipment, offices and related parking areas. Section 5 of the bylaw states that municipal property shall not be used for campaign meetings, fundraising, advertising, or any related activities.
Can electors submit incomplete ballots?
Yes, electors may complete their ballots as they see fit. They may vote for all five offices, or may choose to abstain from voting for any number of those offices. For instance, they may choose to vote for the office of Mayor, Deputy Mayor and two Councillors, but refrain from voting for a third Councillor. Those four votes would be counted, and the other considered an undervote.
Should an elector choose not to vote for a particular office, that choice is recorded as a declined ballot. In telephone and internet voting, each office is considered a separate ballot. Electors may decline to vote for one office, while still voting for all others.
Are municipal bylaws available to be read?
All Marmora and Lake bylaws are available online. The most commonly requested bylaws are available right on the municipal website, here: https://marmoraandlake.ca/bylaw. All other bylaws are stored on the Municipality’s Google Drive, which can be accessed from this same webpage (click see all bylaws). They are organized in folders by the year they were enacted.