10/17/2026
🗳️ BCAA | A DEFINING MOMENT FOR BRANTFORD & THE COUNTY OF BRANT
A Message from Travis Welch
Founder & Board Member | Brant Civic Accountability Association (BCAA)
October 26, 2026 — Our Communities. Our Future. Our Vote.
As we approach the October 26 municipal election, I believe we are at one of the most pivotal moments in the history of Brantford and the County of Brant.
This election is about far more than who becomes Mayor or who earns a seat around the Council table.
It’s about what kind of communities we want to become, what priorities we choose to address, and what kind of leadership we expect from those entrusted to represent us.
Our communities are facing serious challenges that demand meaningful leadership, responsible decision-making, and a clear vision for the future.
🏠 HOMELESSNESS, ADDICTION & MENTAL HEALTH
Homelessness continues to place enormous pressure on our communities. Drug addiction, mental health challenges, and public safety concerns are affecting residents, families, local businesses, and neighbourhoods.
Brantford’s downtown core continues to struggle. Residents deserve more than campaign promises. They deserve realistic, coordinated strategies that address these challenges while restoring confidence, safety, and economic vitality.
These issues cannot continue to be pushed aside or addressed through short-term solutions.
🏥 HEALTHCARE, INFRASTRUCTURE & RESPONSIBLE GROWTH
Our communities face major decisions involving our hospital and healthcare infrastructure, transportation, housing affordability, economic development, agricultural land protection, and the responsible use of taxpayer dollars.
We need leadership capable of establishing clear priorities, making financially responsible decisions, and planning beyond the next election cycle.
We cannot afford another four years of political division when our communities need collaboration.
⚖️ TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY & GOOD GOVERNANCE
Perhaps equally important is how decisions are being made.
Over the past several years, residents have raised serious and legitimate concerns regarding:
• The use of closed-door, in-camera meetings and whether matters of significant public interest are receiving appropriate public scrutiny.
• The exercise of Strong Mayor powers and their implications for consultation, accountability, and democratic decision-making.
• Major municipal decisions advancing without what many residents believe to be sufficient transparency, meaningful consultation, and public engagement.
• The deterioration of intermunicipal relationships between Brantford and the County of Brant.
• The need for greater accountability from elected officials, municipal leadership, and publicly appointed boards.
The Airport Lands boundary-adjustment process and the West Brant Access Route are examples of significant issues that have generated public concern about governance, transparency, consultation, and long-term planning.
Regardless of where residents stand on these projects, the processes surrounding major decisions deserve scrutiny.
Transparency should never be optional. Accountability should never be inconvenient. And meaningful public consultation should never be treated as an obstacle to getting things done.
🤝 A NEW OPPORTUNITY FOR BOTH COMMUNITIES
On October 1, BCAA hosted a significant joint municipal candidate engagement event, bringing together residents, mayoral candidates, and council candidates from both Brantford and the County of Brant.
Residents had the opportunity to ask real, unscripted questions about the issues that matter most to them.
The event demonstrated something important: residents from both municipalities want meaningful dialogue, cooperation, and a shared commitment to addressing regional challenges.
For too long, relationships between our municipalities have been overshadowed by political disagreements and competing interests.
The next four years must look different.
We need leaders who understand that Brantford and the County of Brant can protect their individual identities and interests while working collaboratively on matters that affect our entire region.
Our hospital, transportation infrastructure, economic growth, and long-term regional prosperity depend on thoughtful cooperation.
🔎 LOOK BEYOND THE CAMPAIGN PROMISES
BCAA is a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization. We do not endorse political parties or candidates.
Our purpose is to encourage transparency, accountability, and informed public participation.
As residents prepare to vote, I encourage everyone to look beyond campaign slogans and carefully examine the public record.
Review candidates’ platforms. Examine their voting records, past decisions, and public statements. Understand their positions on the issues that matter to you.
Consider who has demonstrated integrity, sound judgment, transparency, and a genuine willingness to work collaboratively.
Leadership isn’t simply what someone promises during an election campaign. It’s what they demonstrate through their actions.
Public office is a responsibility, not an entitlement.
Residents deserve elected representatives who listen, ask difficult questions, respect democratic processes, and recognize that they are accountable to the people they serve.
🗳️ OCTOBER 26 — YOUR VOTE MATTERS
This election represents an opportunity to strengthen public confidence, improve municipal governance, rebuild relationships, and establish a positive direction for both Brantford and the County of Brant.
But that opportunity only exists if residents participate.
The election takes place on October 26. But the decisions made by those elected will be felt long after the ballots are counted.
Whether you’ve lived here your entire life or recently made this community your home, your voice matters.
I encourage every eligible resident to take the time to research the candidates, ask questions, understand the issues, and exercise their democratic right to vote.
The future of our communities should not be decided by a small percentage of the people who call them home.
We have an opportunity to elect leadership that prioritizes accountability over political convenience, collaboration over division, and the long-term interests of our communities over short-term agendas.
Let’s make that opportunity count.
On October 26, make your voice heard.
Our communities deserve informed voters, accountable leadership, and a better future.
Your Community. Your Questions. Your Voice. Your Vote.
Travis Welch
Founder & Board Member
Brant Civic Accountability Association (BCAA)
