Bradley and Dennis clash again, this time over Bill 9

Ontario’s new municipal accountability law has sparked fresh debate in Sarnia, where Mayor Mike Bradley and Coun. Bill Dennis are clashing over whether Bill 9 goes far enough.

Ontario’s new municipal conduct legislation is being welcomed as a step toward stronger accountability at city halls across the province, but in Sarnia, it has already reopened a sharp political divide between Mayor Mike Bradley and Coun. Bill Dennis.

Bill 9, the Municipal Accountability Act, would create a provincewide process for removing municipal councillors from office in cases involving serious code of conduct violations. The legislation would standardize municipal codes of conduct and create a new removal mechanism involving both a local integrity commissioner and the Integrity Commissioner of Ontario.

Under the bill, a local integrity commissioner could recommend that a councillor’s seat be declared vacant after an investigation. That recommendation would then have to be reviewed and approved by Ontario’s integrity commissioner before returning to the local council for a final vote.

The most contentious part of the legislation is the final step. Removal would require the unanimous support of council, excluding the councillor who is the subject of the complaint.

For Bradley, who has been calling on the province to give municipalities stronger tools to deal with serious misconduct, that threshold is too high.

“The general idea behind this legislation is good. It’s good. However, the execution is not going to work,” Bradley told CTV News.

Bradley has spent close to a year writing to the province and calling for reforms that would allow councils to remove members in extreme circumstances. He has argued that municipal governments need a more effective way to respond when the conduct of an elected official disrupts the work of council or affects staff and public confidence.

In the CTV report, Bradley said the proposed process will be difficult to use because it requires unanimity.

“You need a simple majority because I can guarantee you, and I believe it would happen in Sarnia, that if there was a move to remove someone, there will be obstructionists,” Bradley said.

Bradley connected his push for legislative change to the ongoing situation involving Dennis, who has been barred from attending Sarnia council meetings in person and from entering City Hall except in limited circumstances.

Dennis was restricted from in-person council participation after an independent workplace investigation found, on a balance of probabilities, that he breached the City of Sarnia’s workplace harassment and violence policy and related legal obligations in relation to his conduct toward city staff.

Sarnia council reviewed the findings during a special closed meeting on Jan. 27, 2025. Following that meeting, council implemented measures that prevent Dennis from attending City Hall without council’s consent, except for limited purposes such as paying bills or taxes, picking up mail, voting or filing election papers. Dennis may continue to take part in council meetings virtually.

The city also restricted Dennis’ communication with staff. Written or email correspondence from Dennis must go through designated city officials, including the human resources manager for city business and the city clerk for procedural or election matters.

The investigation was conducted by Williams HR Law. Invoices received in relation to the investigation totalled $71,493.

At the time, Dennis disputed council’s response and described the decision as politically motivated. He had already filed a $200,000 lawsuit against the city and Chief Administrative Officer Chris Carter in October 2024, alleging he was being undermined in his role as an elected official. Those allegations have not been tested in court.

Dennis has also been at the centre of repeated disruptions at Sarnia council meetings. In November 2024, he was removed from a virtual council meeting after an angry exchange and personal attacks directed at other members of council. Council had been meeting virtually for months during the workplace investigation and has since been considering safety protocols for a return to in-person meetings.

More recently, Dennis has faced criticism over comments about local Indigenous communities, which led to a special council meeting in March 2026.

In the CTV report, Bradley said Dennis’ conduct helped drive his campaign for stronger provincial legislation.

“In the last four years we’ve had one individual who has hijacked every meeting,” Bradley said.

Dennis, who is running for mayor in the next municipal election, rejected Bradley’s criticism and called him a hypocrite. At the same time, Dennis acknowledged his reputation for causing political friction.

“I’m disappointed that they didn’t name the bill after me,” Dennis told CTV.

Dennis said he does not support Bill 9 as written, but he prefers its unanimous vote requirement over Bradley’s preferred approach.

“And I’m glad it has to be unanimous,” Dennis said. “I don’t think it would have been right to have some body that’s not connected to the community make this decision.”

Dennis also told CTV he would not vote to remove another councillor from office unless criminal activity was involved, even if he opposed that councillor politically.

That difference between Bradley and Dennis captures the central debate around Bill 9. Supporters say Ontario needs a meaningful way to remove elected officials who seriously violate codes of conduct, particularly in cases involving harassment, workplace safety or abuse of power. Critics of the bill’s structure say the unanimous vote requirement could make removal nearly impossible, especially if even one councillor refuses to support it, abstains or is absent without being formally excused.

The legislation follows years of pressure from municipal leaders, integrity commissioners, former staff members and advocates who argued Ontario’s existing accountability system was too limited.

Until now, the strongest penalties available for municipal code of conduct violations have generally involved a reprimand or a suspension of pay for up to 90 days. Those penalties do not remove an elected official from office, even in cases where serious misconduct has been substantiated.

The issue gained provincial attention after findings involving former Ottawa councillor Rick Chiarelli, who remained in office until the end of his term despite serious findings by Ottawa’s integrity commissioner. Orléans MPP Stephen Blais previously introduced a similar bill called the Stopping Harassment and Abuse by Local Leaders Act, but that earlier version failed in 2023.

Bill 9 passed third reading at Queen’s Park on May 26, 2026, and is expected to proceed to Royal Assent. Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Rob Flack has said the province wants the new framework in place before Ontario’s municipal elections in October.

For Sarnia, the timing is politically significant.

Dennis has filed to run for mayor in the 2026 municipal election. Bradley has not yet filed nomination papers, though he has remained highly active in local and provincial discussions about municipal governance and council conduct.

The next municipal election is scheduled for Oct. 26, 2026. Nomination day is Aug. 21, 2026.

Bradley told CTV he believes local governments need stronger tools before the next election cycle, warning that he sees “right-wing extreme groups” trying to influence municipal councils.

“I think that’s going to get worse as we head into this election,” Bradley said.

Bill 9 may become law before voters head to the polls.