📢 Petition Update: July 22, 2025
Mayor Cleveland continues to erode trust in Cobourg’s democratic process. Despite stating on June 7th, 2025, that he would not use the “Strong Mayor” powers for housing development, just weeks later—on July 11th—he did exactly that. He is excluding elected council members from  foundational housing conversations, using powers that resemble an American-style of leadership, not the collaborative, Canadian values we expect.

These “Strong Mayor” powers, meant to address extreme dysfunction in councils, are being misused in Cobourg—not because council is stagnant, but because the Mayor prefers to bypass democratic dialogue. This is not leadership; it's control.

Let’s be clear:

The Mayor said he wouldn’t use Strong Mayor powers for housing. He did.
He said he wouldn’t change a single word of his June 26th statement. He did.
He says one thing and does another—again and again.
This is not what Cobourg voted for.

Mayor Cleveland must start practicing honest, transparent democracy—or step down. Cobourg deserves a leader who brings people together, not one who rules by decree. We are not a town in the USA. We are a Canadian community, and we deserve better.

✍️ Please continue to share this petition. Every voice matters.
#CobourgDeservesBetter #DemocracyMatters #StepUpOrStepDown