Dear Supporters,
We want to share a new development that reinforces the urgent concerns raised in this petition calling for Mayor Lucas Cleveland’s resignation.
On July 11, 2025, Mayor Cleveland invoked Ontario’s Strong Mayor powers to unilaterally direct Town staff on a major land-use decision involving the Tannery Lands. While the stated goal is to explore attainable and affordable housing - a cause we all care deeply about - the process he chose once again sidelines public input and democratic oversight.
Instead of engaging Council and the community in an open discussion, the Mayor has used executive authority to bypass the very structures meant to protect transparency, dialogue, and collaboration. Staff will now report directly to the Mayor - not Council - until October. This move is yet another example of his increasingly authoritarian approach to leadership.
This action fits into a disturbing pattern that has prompted our call for the Mayor’s resignation:
⚠️Aggressive and inappropriate behavior in public and professional settings
⚠️Multiple unresolved Integrity Commissioner complaints
⚠️Dangerous and inflammatory rhetoric, including recent comments suggesting - ⚠️Cobourg residents “make the town as hostile as possible” to individuals he labels as criminals - conflating poverty and homelessness with crime
⚠️Eroding relationships with community and regional partners
⚠️A growing reliance on unilateral power rather than collaborative governance
The Strong Mayor system was never meant to be a substitute for respectful leadership or democratic engagement. In the hands of a leader who has repeatedly breached the values of honesty, integrity, and respect, it becomes yet another tool of exclusion, not empowerment.
We renew our call for Mayor Lucas Cleveland to resign immediately.
Cobourg deserves leadership rooted in respect, accountability, and community values - not division, control, and unilateral decision-making.
📣What you can do next:
Please share this petition update with your neighbours, friends, and community groups - both online and in person.
The more voices that speak up, the stronger our call becomes.
Together, we can restore the integrity, transparency, and collaboration that Cobourg needs and deserves.