Cobourg Mayor Lucas Cleveland is calling for greater transparency surrounding the town’s police finances after the Cobourg Police Service Board disclosed that financial concerns had been referred to provincial oversight authorities.
In a statement released Monday, Cleveland criticized the board’s handling of the matter and questioned why municipal council had not been informed earlier.
The mayor’s comments follow an October 11 announcement from the Police Service Board outlining steps taken to examine financial concerns within the organization.
According to the board’s statement, a detailed budget review was conducted by its financial manager, with the final report forwarded to the Inspectorate of Policing. The Ontario Provincial Police was also consulted, and the Town of Cobourg’s treasurer was asked to conduct a peer review.
Cleveland says he was unaware those steps had been taken.
“I, as Mayor, had no knowledge of this,” he wrote.
He directed criticism toward Deputy Mayor Nicole Beatty and Councillor Adam Bureau, who serves as chair of the Police Service Board, questioning why the concerns had not been brought before council.
Cleveland also suggested the timing of the board’s announcement was connected to a special council meeting he called to address financial accountability. That allegation has not been independently established.
The mayor raised several concerns about police spending, including his claim that more than $9 million in Police Service Business Centre profits has been used to support regular police operations over the past four years.
He also says the Police Service Board sought a 20.5 per cent budget increase for 2026 after more than $2.5 million had already been applied to reduce the proposed increase.
According to Cleveland, the police service is currently more than $1.5 million over budget and could finish the year with a shortfall approaching $2 million. Those figures are presented as the mayor’s claims and have not been independently verified.
Cleveland is seeking council support for four motions aimed at releasing previously confidential financial records, obtaining answers about overdue audits and financial reporting, allowing the town’s chief administrative officer to address what she knew about the issues, and providing a public accounting of police finances over the past four years.
The mayor also praised Police Chief Chris Leather for his handling of the matter.
In the board’s October 11 statement, Chair Adam Bureau acknowledged that financial concerns require attention while cautioning against assigning blame before all the facts are known.
“Accountability is not about pointing fingers or assigning blame before all the facts are known,” Bureau said.
The mayor’s statement does not establish that financial misconduct occurred, and the involvement of oversight authorities should not be interpreted as a finding of wrongdoing.
The special council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday.
