Accountability Issues in Tay Valley Township
Detailed breakdown of transparency and governance violations
Documentation Available
All claims below are supported by official documents, communications, and reports available in the Documents section.
Staff and Council Accountability
Under the leadership of Reeve Rob Rainer and Deputy Reeve Fred Dobbie the vast majority of Council do not hold Staff accountable to any standard.
Reeve Rob Rainer supports, condones and endorses Staff:
-Violating TVT procedural bylaws.
-Violating proscribed duties under the Ontario Municipal Act
-Lying to the public and Council, submitting false reports to Council,
-Refusing to allow Staff to correct inaccuracies in reports,
-Concealing discreditable behaviour of Deputy Reeve Dobbie by endorsing incomplete meeting minutes.
-Accepting the inaccurate and false report of the TVT Integrity Commissioner to exonerate disgraceful conduct by -Deputy Reeve Dobbie towards members of the public. See TVT Employee complaint section in documents.
-TVT Procedural bylaw cites an appeal process to the decision of the Reeve that does not exist.
See TVT Employee Complaint in documentation
The vast majority of Council lead by Reeve Rob Rainer and Deputy Reeve Fred Dobbie has no interest in any manner of holding Staff accountable. they unquestionably support staff reports. They refuse to consider the issues with Staff truthfulness, false reports, harassment and bullying of the public and compliance with procedural bylaws, Ombudsman recommendations, Ontario municipal Act and the Ontario Planning Act. See TVT Employee Complaint in documentation
Councillor Angela Pierman communicated interest in viewing the report of a 2023 complaint to the Ontario Ombudsman but ignored the recommendations of the received report.
Councillor Angela Pierman recently advised a resident who complained of closed meeting violations to take the residents complaint to the Ontario Ombudsman. This was done with the full knowledge that the Ontario Ombudsman investigation will take two years. The Ontario Ombudsman cannot reverse a bylaw or criticize any action of a publicly elected official.
Council condones Deputy Reeve Fred Dobbie's public humiliation of members of the public without mention in meeting minutes, sanctions, inquiry or investigation by the TVT Solicitor/Integrity commissioner.
TVT Employee Code of Conduct
A municipality is required by the Ontario Municipal Act to have an Employee Code of Conduct.
TVT has a TVT Employee Code of Conduct. It is not published on the TVT website or available to the public.
The TVT Employee Code of Code can be found here.
https://www.tvtaccountability.ca/_files/ugd/39050c_7c2f7710ed684e1885711177f3ace1cb.pdf
Council refuses to enforce the TVT Employee code of Conduct in any manner especially Conflict of Interest.
TVT Employee Complaint procedure is biased with no appeal possible. See TVT Employee complaint section which follows on this website. The appeal mechanism in TVT Employee Complaint process does not exist.
Ontario Ombudsman has no jurisdiction over appeal of employee complaints.
Budget Mismanagement
Expenses doubled with no service improvements
Critical Issue
Under the supervision of TVT Staff, total budgetary expenses at TVT have doubled in the last 5 years with no improvement in services delivered to residents.
Key Facts:
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Budget has doubled in 5 years
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No corresponding improvement in municipal services
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Residents paying significantly more for the same or worse services
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Council approved budgets without proper scrutiny
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Deceptive, incorrect information contained in 2024 Budget.
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2025 budget passed by Council refused Staff request for increased staffing. Two months later, in closed Council Meeting, Staff resubmitted request which was approved by council resulting in a further 2% increase in Tax levy. TVT now stands at a 9% tax levy increase for 2026.
Administrative Staff Salaries
66% increase to top of Ontario Sunshine List
Extreme Concern
In the last two years, under the supervision of TVT Staff and current Council, virtually all of the two-year 13.5% increase in Municipal tax levy has gone to fund an increase in Administrative Staff compensation.
Compensation Increases:
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2024: A retroactive $681,000 in Administrative Staff compensation with no new hires
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2025: $1,067,000 in administrative staff compensation
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Increase: 66% ($386,000 increase)
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CAO Mabo: Now in 91st percentile of Ontario municipalities
False Information to Council:
Staff knowingly submitted false information to Council in "Closed" meetings regarding the legal necessity of linking Pay Equity and Staff compensation, resulting in this 66% increase. The Staff-commissioned study claimed to target the 55th percentile, yet CAO compensation is now at the 91st percentile.
Process Violations:
TVT Staff appointed the consultant, set terms of reference, and denied Council access to examine the full report on "Pay Equity and Compensation."
Staff pay scales are not to be determined in "Closed" meetings as recommended by the Ontario ombudsman.
In the 2024 Pay Equity and Salary Review salaries were effectively increased huge amounts $300/day and meal allowance of $135/day which could total #435/day plus mileage allowance. CRA considers $23 per meal to be reasonable. CRA deems excess payments to be income.
Governance Violations
Staff ignored Council resolutions, lobbied Councillors
Serious Violation
Staff ignored a duly constituted and clear directive from a resolution of the 2018-2022 Council in 2019, concealing this for three years until the end of term. This pattern continues multiplee times.
#1 What Happened:
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Council passed a clear resolution regarding removal of Road Access agreements on TVT owned, unassumed roads in 2019
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Staff disagreed with the resolution and agenda
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Instead of following the resolution, Staff concealed non-compliance for 3 years
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Staff lobbied individual Councillors in violation of their code of ethics
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Violation was only discovered at the end of the Council term
Legal Violations:
This contravenes the Ontario Municipal Act and Staff Association guidelines. Despite the "spin" from CAO Mabo and Reeve Rob Rainer, this is in no way acceptable. Current Reeve Rainer and his Council are well aware and fully support this deception.
#2 What Happened:
- 2026 in the public Budget debate Council voted to reject Staff and Reeve proposal to increase the finance department by a Staff position.
-Council voted in a resolution to reject that Staff initiative.
-Staff refused to process the resolution as required into a bylaw.
-Staff convened a "Closed " meeting improperly.
-Council rejected Councillor Korrine Jordan's argument that the meeting was "Closed " improperly/-
- Council voted to add the Staff position as Staff demanded.
Ontario Ombudsman Violations
Multiple violations, improper appointments
Multiple Violations
Staff and Council do not follow guidelines of the Office of the Ontario Ombudsman.
Specific Violations Include:
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Conflict of Interest: Appointment of the TVT solicitor as Integrity Commissioner
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Improper Fees: Charging fees for complaints to the TVT Integrity Commissioner
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Closed Meetings: Salary compensation structure discussed in "Closed" meetings contrary to Ombudsman recommendations
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Ignored Recommendations: Direct communication from Paul Aubrey, Director of the Ontario Ombudsman, was ignored
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Charging excessive fees for Freedom of Information requests
Direct Communication Ignored:
TVT Staff and Council ignore recommendations from the Office of the Ontario Ombudsman regarding employment of the TVT solicitor as TVT Integrity Commissioner, despite direct communication from Paul Aubrey, Director of the Office of the Ontario Ombudsman.
Closed Meeting Violations
TVT employs many unjustified closed meeting to avoid public scrutiny. Staff suggest such conduct is necessary to avoid "Premature Public Panic" (Direct quote CAO Amanda Mabo).
-Staff and Council have not implemented the recommendations of the TVT Staff selected "Closed Meeting" investigators as received.
-Staff appointed biased Local Authority Services (LAS) as the official TVT "Closed Meeting Investigator" for fee
-LAS is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, formulator of most municipal policy.
This demonstrates a pattern of ignoring oversight and accountability measures, even when those measures were selected by the Township itself.
-The Ontario Ombudsman provides this service at no charge.
Litigation & Legal Fees
$950,000+ in questionable legal costs in two files.
Staff and Council are well aware that Staff-initiated policy is not supported by Canadian case law, yet continue to enforce it.
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2024 Legal Fees: Legal fees on two files alone, have cost TVT an estimated $600,000 and residents $350,000. Outcome of both files resulted in TVT paying a settlement of $65,000 and an Ontario Land Tribunal mediation resulting in TVT recognizing residents development rights, a complete reversal of TVT position. TVT refuses to allow an accounting of legal expenses despite Freedom of Information requests citing Lawyer Client privilege. TVT can waive that right. They refuse to do so. What are they hiding?
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Always avoiding a Superior Court date
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Benefits primarily the TVT Solicitor (also the TVT Integrity Commissioner)
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Freedom of Information request for legal fee summary unfulfilled after 15 months
TVT Integrity Commissioner
Bias of the TVT Integrity Commissioner is clearly displayed.
See Dobbie in documentation.
See TVT IC in documentation
Conflicts of Interest
TVT Solicitor/Integrity Commissioner -TVT Solicitor as TVT Integrity Commissioner. Disciplines Council, culls dissident Councillors. Protects Councillors who support his benefactor, TVT CAO.
-TVT CAO negotiating her own salary. Refuses to access to the study to Council
-TVT CAO acting as Town Clerk. Very different jobs. Very conflicted roles.
-The CAO is responsible to administer the affairs of TVT as directed by Council.
-This does not happen in TVT.
-The CAO directs Council. Currently if Council does not perform as the CAO desires, various bureaucratic means are used including violations of the Municipal Act, Planning Act, TVT Employee Code of Conduct, and Ombudsman recommended practices to achieve the CAO agenda. The TVT Integrity Commissioner is engaged to cull dissident Councillors.
- Town Clerk function is to accurately record minutes without bias. Town clerk interprets and explains regulatory compliance to council. Town clerk is to conduct and certify elections without bias. TVT CAO/Town Clerk unlawfully interfered in the 2018 TVT municipal election without penalty.
Why?
TVT Integrity Commissioner, Tony Fleming, is recommended by TVT CAO/Clerk and approved by Council to be employed as its Solicitor.
-His legal billings during his tenure as solicitor are certainly in the millions of dollars.
-TVT refuses to release the amounts of billings citing lawyer/client privilege. Budget documents do not reveal such billings.
-His appointment is contrary to the recommended policy of the Ontario Ombudsman.
-His appointment continues despite direct communication from the Office of the Ontario Ombudsman that such employment is inappropriate.
-In his tenure there have been overseeing two biased investigations convicting 2 Councillors of violating Councillor Code of Conduct. (Judy Farrell and RoxAnne Darling). The two Councillors opposed Staff initiatives. More Farrell information. jaccuse-an-open-letter-to-tvt-councillors-regarding-the-integrity-commissioners-ruling-against-judy-farrell
-Most recently, TVT Integrity Commissioner dismissed without inquiry complaints that Deputy Reeve Fred Dobbie treated residents at a Council meeting with pointed humiliating remarks. No other witnesses were contacted. The Integrity Commissioner report stated mistruths about the remedies Deputy Reeve Dobbie performed.
Staff Accountability
TVT Planner Noelle Reeve has submitted false reports to Council, not been truthful to Council and the public with regard to her report “FAQ TVT Unassumed Roads”. The year prior to her reports she received a 1% raise. The following her deception she received a 20% raise.
TVT Planner has not been truthful and evasive to prospective residents of TVT concealing the necessity of signing a financially punitive Road Access Agreement for property on a TVT owned unassumed road.
TVT planner has revoked multiple building permits after demonstration of her poor research subjecting TVT to legal action and remedy.
TVT Reeve Rob Rainer dismisses 43 complaints of Staff misconduct including:
-lying to the public,
-disseminating evasive, misleading information in CBC interviews.
-knowingly submitting false reports to support Staff agenda
-violating The Planning Act, TVT procedural bylaws, Ontario Municipal Act most without explanation.
Meeting minutes
Despite numerous written complaints that TVT meeting minutes are not accurate, Council approves them without discussion.