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Editor’s note: The Caledon CAO’s original contract, negotiated directly with the Mayor and not by Council, which was disclosed following an FOI by Sheen in 2023/24, showed his compensation to be $270,000 per annum ($148.35 per hour), plus overtime at 1.5 after 35 hours per week, plus benefits, prorated from his August 2023 start date. The Ontario Sunshine List records his 2024 salary at $342,488 plus benefits, and his 2025 salary at $448,001 plus benefits. Sheen is now seeking the disclosure of the details of a renewed contract.
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An open letter to the Caledon community:
Many residents will remember that in 2023/24 I used Ontario’s municipal freedom of information process, under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA), to obtain and make public the Town’s then‑current employment contract with our Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). I did this because I believed then, and still believe now, that certain senior positions within the municipal civil service are matters of compelling public interest.
Even where a contract is negotiated directly between a mayor and a senior official, and even where strong‑mayor powers limit Council’s formal role in framing or monitoring that contract, the basic terms and conditions should at the very least be known to both Council and the public. That original contract was ultimately disclosed, with limited redactions of personal details, after mediation involving the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, and it remains an important step forward for transparency in Caledon.
On April 20, 2026, a new Mayoral Decision (2026‑03) was issued confirming the CAO’s appointment based on the terms and conditions set out in a renewed contract dated December 2, 2025. Under Ontario’s “strong mayor” framework, when a head of council exercises these special powers, they are required to do so in writing, to provide that documentation to the municipal clerk and members of council by the next business day, and to make it available to the public, subject to MFIPPA. The Town of Caledon complies with this requirement by publishing mayoral decisions on the Town’s website, alongside other official documents.
The timing stood out to me. Just a few weeks earlier, social media and local conversations were full of discussion about who was on the provincial “Sunshine List” and how much senior public officials are paid. Against that backdrop, it was notable that a strong‑mayor decision confirming a renewed employment agreement for the Town’s top civil servant and, relying on strong‑mayor powers to do so, attracted very little attention. The decision was posted, as required, but the details of the renewed contract itself were not included and are not currently known to the public.
When I saw that the April 20 decision explicitly referenced a renewed CAO contract signed several months earlier, on December 2, 2025, I felt a responsibility to follow up. To be clear: My concern is not with the individual who holds the role, but with the principle that when strong‑mayor powers are used to enter into or confirm contracts for the municipality’s most senior administrative position, the basic terms and conditions should be open to public understanding. To me, this renewed contract is a logical continuation of the same public‑interest issue I pursued in 2023/24: residents should be able to know, in broad terms, how the leadership of their municipality is structured and compensated.
Trying to address it through Council
My first instinct was not to go back to FOI, but to address the matter directly through Council. Shortly after the mayoral decision was issued, I drafted a motion for the April 28 Council meeting that would have:
- Council’s accountability and transparency responsibilities under the Municipal Act, 2001.
- Noted the prior disclosure of the August 2023 CAO contract, following the MFIPPA/IPC process, as an important precedent.
- Asked that the December 2, 2025 CAO agreement be provided to all members of Council, with appropriate redactions, and that a clear protocol be developed for how Council and the public can access similar agreements in future.
I shared this draft with the appropriate Town officials and sought to work within our procedures to have it included on the agenda. I indicated that I was open to reasonable changes to wording to address any legal or procedural concerns, provided the basic intent of transparency and Council oversight was preserved.
In the end, despite those efforts, I was advised that my motion would not proceed to Council for consideration at that meeting and that, in practical terms, I would need to rely on the FOI process if I wished to pursue access to the renewed contract. I do not intend to relitigate those internal discussions here, but I think it is important for residents to understand that I attempted to raise this question at Council and was not successful in doing so.
Turning back to the FOI process
Given that outcome, I have now returned to the FOI process that was used successfully for the CAO’s earlier contract. This week I submitted a formal request under MFIPPA for the December 2, 2025 CAO employment agreement referenced in the April 20, 2026 Mayoral Decision 2026‑03, along with any schedules or amendments that form part of it. In keeping with MFIPPA, I have asked that any personal details that must be withheld be removed, while the substance of the agreement is disclosed.
It is important to note that recent changes the provincial government has made to its own freedom‑of‑information laws apply to provincial institutions, not to municipalities; MFIPPA continues to govern access to records at the municipal level. The framework for municipal access to information remains in place.
I want to be clear that my purpose in doing this is not to criticize individual staff members or to question anyone’s motives. Staff have their own professional obligations, including administering MFIPPA and providing legal advice to the corporation. My responsibility, as an elected member of Council, is different. I believe that I am accountable to residents for asking questions, seeking information, and doing what I can within the rules to promote openness around decisions and agreements that affect the community.
Why this matters
Senior public employment contracts are not just private arrangements. They set out the responsibilities, protections, and compensation of individuals who exercise significant authority over public resources and services. Across Ontario, there is a growing recognition that there is a strong public interest in the disclosure of contracts and related employment information for senior public officials, subject to appropriate redactions to protect personal information.
When the CAO’s original contract was released in 2023/24, it was an important step forward for transparency in Caledon. You can find that contract in the “Document Downloads” section of this (my) website if you would like to review the details. I see this renewed contract as part of that same story. Residents should be able to see, in broad terms, how their municipality has chosen to structure and renew its most senior administrative role.
As this new FOI request proceeds, I will keep residents informed of the outcome. If the request is granted and the contract is disclosed in a similar way to the 2023 agreement, I will make that information available and explain what has changed. If the request is denied or heavily redacted, I will consider appealing to the Information and Privacy Commissioner so that an independent body can assess whether the public‑interest standards in MFIPPA are being met.
In the meantime, I want residents to know that I am continuing to pursue transparency on this issue through the channels that are available to me. It is not always a quick or straightforward process, but I believe it is an important part of my job on your behalf.
Dave Sheen
Councillor, Caledon ward 2
I’d like to see this new contract! And what it means post election. I’d also like to know the lawyers on both sides to see who approved and reviewed said contract.