🗳️ Serious Concerns About Councillor Bill Leduc’s Mayoral Bid

Councillor Bill Leduc announced his intention to run for Mayor in the 2026 municipal election. That decision warrants careful and honest scrutiny.

Even setting aside the well-documented controversies from his time on council — including election finance findings still before the courts, breaches of council’s code of conduct, multiple lawsuits, and recent court-ordered legal costs — I have grave concerns about his approach to municipal leadership.

My primary concern is engagement.

Attendance is not a minor detail of the job — it is a core responsibility. Publicly reported records show that:
• In 2024, Councillor Leduc had the second-lowest attendance on council
• In 2025, his attendance dropped further, to roughly 55%, the lowest among his peers
• Since October, he is the only councillor who has yet to attend a meeting in person at the temporary council chambers in Azilda

More troubling than the numbers is the reasoning. Councillor Leduc has said some meetings were “not worth attending.”

As a two-term councillor, I find that position shocking.

Every council and committee meeting — whether Finance, Planning, or Nominating Committee — contains two essential tools for action:
• Question Period
• Members’ Motions

These are how councillors raise issues, request staff reports, advance policy ideas, and hold the City accountable. When a councillor skips meetings, their constituents lose their voice and their vote at the table.

This concern is amplified when it comes to budget deliberations — the single most important responsibility council has.
In the most recent budget process, Councillor Leduc participated only sparingly on Day One and was absent entirely on Day Two — a fact that is publicly documented. Budget decisions shape every service, every priority, and every tax decision facing residents. Opting out of that work is not leadership.

This lack of engagement is especially concerning given Councillor Leduc’s long-stated interest in homelessness solutions such as tiny homes. Despite speaking about the issue since early 2022, he has brought forward only one formal motion related to tiny homes in four years — a motion that was defeated — and no sustained follow-up through the tools available to him.

Meanwhile, council has already approved and is responsible for overseeing major initiatives, including:
• The Roadmap to End Homelessness by 2030
• Shelter, transitional, and supportive housing programs
• Partnerships with community agencies
• Encampment response strategies

These initiatives require consistent oversight, pressure, and follow-through — not selective participation.

Finally, I am deeply concerned by rhetoric suggesting the use of strong mayor powers as a way to override council when outcomes are inconvenient. Leadership is not about disengaging from debate or governing by ultimatum. It is about preparation, presence, accountability, and respect for democratic process.

Greater Sudbury is facing serious challenges: housing, homelessness, affordability, infrastructure, and declining public trust. This is not the moment for absentee leadership.

These concerns are not personal.
They are about standards, responsibility, and the future of our city.

And they deserve to be part of this election conversation.