Compare the candidates for Mayor of Welland

Review each candidate's background, experience, public record, stated priorities and approach to the mayor's powers.

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Candidate comparison

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8 Welland mayoral candidates across 17 comparison questions.
Candidate01Age02What offices have they run for or held?03What connects them to Welland?04What education, training or credentials have they listed?05What work and management experience do they have?06What is their municipal and public-service record?07How have they shown they understand the mayor's powers and duties?08Why are they running, and what do they prioritize?09What policies and campaign promises have they published?10What costs, timelines and delivery plans have they published?11What budget experience and financial decisions are on record?12What have they led, and where have they built support?13What ethics findings, disclosures or conflicts are on record?14What political ties, endorsements or campaign support are public?15How can voters hear from or contact the campaign?16What did they or their party promise in earlier campaigns?17Would they use strong-mayor powers?
Natashia BergenView candidate
  • Ran for the Green Party of Ontario in Niagara Centre in 2025 and federally for the Green Party in Niagara South in 2025.
  • Born and raised in Saskatchewan.
  • Lived in four provinces.
  • Moved to Toronto in 2015 and Welland in 2021.
  • Her campaign describes advocacy and support work involving vulnerable community members.
SourcesBiography
  • Public LinkedIn search results associate her with the University of Guelph.
SourcesLinkedIn
  • Horticulture and agriculture, senior care, independent support work and self-employment.
  • Another public profile result associates her with Phoena, aquaculture and entrepreneurship.
  • Campaign priorities include food security, affordability, health care, mental health and addictions, accessibility and support for vulnerable residents.
  • Proposes community food programs, urban agriculture and local markets.
  • Proposes lower fees or fewer barriers for small vendors.
  • Proposes community fridges, food hubs and school nutrition.
  • Proposes affordable and supportive housing.
  • Proposes mobile health services and anti-trafficking measures.
SourcesPlatform
  • Advocates reduced fees and barriers for small vendors and broader affordability measures.
SourcesPlatform
  • Describes advocacy, care work, entrepreneurship and support for vulnerable people.
SourcesBiography
  • Green Party candidate in both the 2025 Ontario and federal elections.
  • Maintains a public campaign website with biography and platform pages and a public professional-profile route.
  • 2025 Ontario election, Green Party platform: Phase in a basic income, starting by at least doubling Ontario Disability Support Program and Ontario Works payments.
  • 2025 Ontario election, Green Party platform: Return community-housing, shelter and transit funding responsibilities to the province.
  • Opposes strong-mayor powers in general.
  • Would consider using them if Council were clearly overriding residents' wishes, and said there could be other exceptions.
Pat ChiocchioView candidate

~60-66

  • First elected to Welland Council in 2003, re-elected in 2006, 2010 and 2014, and elected to Niagara Regional Council in 2018.
  • Registered for the Ontario NDP nomination in Niagara Centre in January 2018.
  • Jeff Burch was nominated on February 21, 2018.
  • More than fourteen years on Welland Council.
  • Institutional biography records involvement with Welland minor hockey, soccer and basketball and the MS Society's Niagara Peninsula Chapter.
SourcesBiography
  • Public LinkedIn lists McMaster University attendance in 1987 to 1988 and two additional education periods, 1981 to 1983 and 1978 to 1981.
SourcesLinkedIn
  • Worked for Niagara Region Community Services for 35 years and served as Adult Day Service Coordinator in the Seniors Community Program before retiring in 2018.
  • President of CUPE Local 1263 in January 2018.
  • In his 2022 candidate questionnaire, listed part-time work as an assistant funeral director at JJ Patterson Funeral Home.
  • Welland councillor from 2003 to 2018.
  • Regional councillor since 2018.
  • Appointed to the Niagara Regional Police Service Board for 2022 to 2026.
  • Chaired Integrated Services, Transit Advisory, Safe Community Partnership and Health Care bodies and served on Economic Development, Budget Review, Welland Hydro, public health, social services, public works, transportation and development-charge bodies.
  • A 2025 by-law is signed by him as Acting Regional Chair.
  • Campaign priorities include accountability, measurable results and responsible service delivery.
  • He presents his municipal and regional experience as a qualification.
  • Proposes program KPIs, efficiency reviews and zero-based budgeting.
  • Lists public safety and CORE crisis response as priorities.
  • Lists housing, support services and mental health as priorities.
  • Lists transit, infrastructure, jobs and streamlined approvals as priorities.
  • KPIs and zero-based budgeting are proposed implementation methods.
  • Served on Budget Review and regional budget-related bodies.
  • His 2022 campaign return lists $7,914.20 in contributions, including $5,714.20 in money and goods from the candidate or spouse and $2,200 from other contributors.
  • Served on the police board when it approved a $534,650 single-source drone purchase in a closed meeting on April 23, 2026.
  • Proposes zero-based budgeting, efficiency reviews and program KPIs.
  • Multiple committee-chair roles, board service and at least one official act as Acting Regional Chair.
  • A 2017 Integrity Commissioner complaint alleging improper influence concerning a requested three-way stop was dismissed.
  • The Commissioner found no Code breach and recommended no penalty.
  • Registered for the Ontario NDP nomination in Niagara Centre in January 2018.
  • A Welland athletic-wear vendor's public LinkedIn activity describes printing Chiocchio campaign shirts.
  • Maintains a public campaign site with a candidate-authored platform.
  • 2022 regional campaign: Support incentives for developments that include affordable housing and address homelessness.
  • 2022 regional campaign: Seek Welland's share of infrastructure funding for roads, bridges, water and sewer services.
  • 2022 first-100-days plan: Review the budget and set goals for the four-year council term.
  • 2022 first-100-days plan: Consult community partners on mental-health services and seek more funding from other levels of government.
  • Would not promise never to use them.
  • Would consider them only in rare and specific circumstances, after full debate and when clearly in Welland taxpayers' best interest.
  • Said consensus would remain his priority.
David ClowView candidate

~49-50

  • Ran as the Green Party candidate in Niagara Centre in the 2015 federal election, receiving 1,316 votes.
  • Listed on the 2026 mayoral roster.
  • Ran for Welland mayor in 2018, receiving roughly 11% of the vote.
  • A 2015 local profile identified him as a Welland activist and founder of The Hub, a downtown Welland co-working and creative space in Mew Plaza.
  • In a May 2018 interview, Clow described university studies in philosophy and psychology.
  • Filmmaker by trade and founder of The Hub.
  • Founded a community co-working and creative space intended to help people build livelihoods around their interests.
  • Two news reports state that he failed to file the required 2018 campaign financial statement.
  • Green Party candidate in Niagara Centre in the 2015 federal election.
  • A 2018 profile says he previously worked on campaigns for several parties, including the NDP under Jack Layton.
  • The Greater Niagara Chamber candidate tracker publishes a phone number and email address for the Clow campaign and lists no website.
  • 2018 mayoral campaign: Called for conservationists on the NPCA board so mayors could focus on their municipalities.
  • 2018 mayoral campaign: Proposed a mayor who leads grassroots community action on substance abuse and mental health.
Gary GrazianiView candidate

~57-63

  • A November 2019 City record lists him as a Welland Building Inspector and Property Standards Officer responsible for by-law administration and enforcement.
  • Studied architecture at Mohawk College from 1986 to 1989, according to his public LinkedIn profile.
SourcesLinkedIn
  • Welland building inspection/property-standards role in 2019 and Deputy Chief Building Official for Port Colborne in an active 2025 development-review record.
  • A 2023 Niagara Falls by-law also names him among appointed building inspectors.
  • Municipal staff experience covers building-code administration, inspections, property standards, permitting and development review.
  • Campaign themes are steady leadership and practical decisions that serve residents.
  • CHCH summarized his themes as affordability and taxes, infrastructure and community pride.
  • Holds a deputy-chief municipal role.
  • LinkedIn lists Knights of Columbus membership from 2018 onward.
SourcesLinkedIn
  • The City registry links to a public campaign website.
  • Would not promise never to use them.
  • Would first seek consensus with Council.
  • If he used the powers, he would explain why and what he aimed to accomplish.
April JeffsView candidate

~51-57

  • Wainfleet mayor from 2010 to 2018.
  • Absent from the 2018 Wainfleet mayoral ballot.
  • Ran for the Ontario PCs in Niagara Centre in 2018 and federally for the Conservatives in 2019.
  • The official 2014 result is linked by Wainfleet.
  • Indexed copies report 1,407 votes and 46.25%.
  • Ontario's Public Appointments Secretariat identifies “April Jeffs, of Welland” in her Niagara Peninsula Source Protection Committee biography.
  • Graduate of Niagara College's tourism program.
  • Brock University identifies her as a Senior Government Relations Advisor.
  • Institutional biographies report earlier tourism and hospitality work and roughly twenty years operating a wedding-photography business.
  • Wainfleet mayor, 2010 to 2018.
  • NPCA board member from 2011 through the 2018 Auditor General's review.
  • Niagara Parks vice-chair and chair, 2019 to 2024.
  • Niagara Falls Bridge Commission member from 2024.
  • Appointed Chair of the Niagara Peninsula Source Protection Committee in 2026.
  • Says prior mayoral experience taught her to manage a budget, lead a council and deliver results.
  • Campaign priorities include tax relief, spending control, homelessness and managing the relationship between Council and administration.
  • Promises tax relief, spending restraint, action on homelessness and changes to council management.
  • Wainfleet mayor for eight years, followed by public-board chair roles.
  • During her NPCA board tenure, the authority bought Lakewood Beach for $1.98 million in 2014, below its $2.6 million to $2.8 million appraisal.
  • The Auditor General questioned the purchase's low acquisition priority and the lack of documented reasons for changing that priority.
  • During her mayoral term, Wainfleet Council approved $40,000 for Skydive Burnaby's wind-turbine appeal in December 2013, then rescinded the grant in January 2014.
  • Her current platform calls for tax relief and spending control.
  • Hosted a February 2013 conference of municipal leaders to develop a common position and seek provincial consultation on wind-development rules.
  • Ontario Hansard records her participation in Wainfleet's 2011 Food Box Challenge.
  • Board-chair appointments add institutional leadership evidence.
  • The 2018 Auditor General's review of the NPCA, whose board included Jeffs, found weaknesses in board oversight, hiring and procurement.
  • During her board tenure, the NPCA's defamation action against Ed Smith was dismissed in November 2017.
  • The audit recorded $127,705 in legal fees from January 2017 to March 2018 plus $131,076 in court-ordered costs for that lawsuit.
  • Ontario PC candidate in 2018 and federal Conservative candidate in 2019.
  • Received Ontario government appointments to Niagara Parks and the Source Protection Committee.
  • Campaign priorities include neighbourhood conversations and door knocking.
  • A public campaign site is available.
  • 2019 federal campaign: Advocated using surplus federal land for affordable housing.
  • 2019 federal campaign: Favoured a gun-violence task force and tougher penalties for violent crime.
  • 2019 federal campaign: Promoted green-technology investment and tax credits instead of the carbon-tax approach.
  • 2019 federal campaign: Said Conservatives would maintain health and social transfers and their existing 3% increase.
  • 2018 Ontario election: In a PC campaign announcement naming Jeffs, Doug Ford pledged to keep Welland Hospital open and provide roughly $500,000 for a study of its services and upgrades.
  • Would not use them simply to overrule Council because she disagreed.
  • Would consider using them carefully to initiate action or put a matter before Council, while leaving the final decision to Council.
David McLeodView candidate

~52-53

  • Elected as one of Ward 2's councillors in 2022 with 1,013 votes.
  • His 2022 Form 4 lists 70 signs originally acquired in 2018, documenting campaign continuity.
  • Current Ward 2 councillor with Green Advisory Committee and North Welland BIA assignments.
  • A local workforce-development organization identified him as chair of the Welland Development Commission during a business-support initiative.
  • Public LinkedIn lists Brock University.
SourcesLinkedIn
  • Identified as chair of the Welland Development Commission during a local business-support initiative.
  • Current Ward 2 councillor.
  • Co-moved creation of the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee in 2022.
  • Later sought unsuccessfully to expand councillor representation.
  • In 2023, successfully moved with Speck to expand the Green Advisory Committee and was appointed through November 2026.
  • Current voting data records 81.6% agreement with Frank Campion across 147 common individually recorded votes and 92.0% with Adam Moote across 150.
  • A 2019 City budget release identifies McLeod as Councillor and Budget Chair.
  • October 2023 minutes record him co-moving direction for the tax-supported operating and capital budgets, a nine-year capital forecast, rate-supported budgets and Asset Management Plan alignment.
  • His 2022 Form 4 reports $5,425.16 in income and the same in expenses, with no surplus or deficit, signed February 15, 2023.
  • In the 2025 budget process he moved emergency-management funding and a part-time social-services advisor, both carried.
  • A fire-prevention officer amendment lost and a pavement-rejuvenation motion was not put.
  • He also co-moved updated City fees and a security-services contract amendment.
  • Successfully changed Green Advisory Committee representation and secured two budget amendments.
  • Other motions failed or were not put.
  • A City-published statutory Form 4 was filed for the 2022 campaign, reporting balanced income and expenses and prior-campaign sign inventory.
SourcesForm 4
  • A current official councillor profile is public.
  • 2022 Ward 2 first-100-days plan: Review and support ways to encourage downtown residential development.
  • 2022 first-100-days plan: Substantially expand sidewalk snow clearing across the city.
  • 2022 first-100-days plan: Support an action plan for the parks, recreation and trails master plan.
  • 2014 Ward 2 campaign: Prioritize cycling routes that connect to transit and the regional trail network.
  • 2014 Ward 2 campaign: Continue marketing brownfield sites for redevelopment.
  • Did not state whether he would use them.
  • Said his forthcoming platform would address the issue and directed readers to Ontario's strong-mayor guide.
Brandon SimonView candidate

~35-36

  • None.
  • Addressed Welland Council during its governance review and opposed reducing political representation.
  • Bachelor's degree in Philosophy, York University, 2013 to 2016.
  • CY, Child Development, Fanshawe College, 2008 to 2012.
SourcesLinkedIn
  • Director of Student Services, Cornerstone College, April 2016 to January 2017: accounting, student services, housing coordination and teaching.
  • Child and Family Therapist, Bayfield Treatment Centres, December 2017 to June 2019.
  • Company owner, self-employed, January 2019 to present.
  • Owner, EuroCan Academy, January 2013 to February 2015: talent development, fitness and connecting players with teams.
  • PolyPlay co-founder.
SourcesLinkedIn
  • Made a public Council delegation opposing a reduction in representation.
  • His Council delegation engaged one concrete governance question, political representation.
  • Campaign priorities include affordability, housing and homelessness reform, direct citizen access, technology-enabled service and political independence.
  • Promises property-tax increases below inflation.
  • Incentives for rents at least 30% below market.
  • Replacement of the overnight shelter with a 24-hour Work-to-Live model.
  • A mayoral salary freeze.
  • A verified citizen app.
  • Livestreamed town halls.
  • Rental certification.
  • Grants and free permits for downtown conversions.
  • Neighbourhood improvements and local events.
  • The Work-to-Live proposal depends on Ontario Works and service-delivery partners.
  • Campaign-listed experience with city-scale budgets.
  • Proposes keeping tax increases below inflation, freezing the mayor's salary and using a Community Investment Reserve.
  • Campaign funding policy: self-funded, with no donations.
  • Campaign position: no party affiliations or campaign donations.
  • The campaign has a public website and the Greater Niagara Chamber tracker provides an attributable public campaign contact route.
  • Promises livestreamed town halls and a citizen app.
  • Would use them to put his proposed MyWelland and Open City Hall programs into his budget.
  • Said MyWelland would provide non-binding public input to guide Council.
Graham SpeckView candidate

~52-58

  • Current two-term Ward 5 councillor.
  • Received 910 votes and was elected in 2022.
  • As the federal Conservative candidate in Niagara Centre in 2021, received 18,324 votes (31.2%), 2,252 votes behind the Liberal winner.
  • Current Welland councillor with appointments involving the Chamber of Commerce, Niagara Central Airport Commission and Downtown BIA.
  • Owner of a Welland screen-printing business employing six local staff.
  • Public LinkedIn lists a University of Guelph degree in Economics and Political Science, 1991 to 1995.
SourcesLinkedIn
  • Owner and CEO of Speck Industries Inc., described as a Welland screen-printing company with six local employees.
  • Public LinkedIn results corroborate the role.
  • Current Ward 5 councillor.
  • On February 17, 2026, co-moved referral of the proposed Vital Services By-law for workload and landlord-tenant analysis.
  • Proposed 1.1 parking spaces per apartment or multiple-unit dwelling and removal of two exemptions.
  • Council referred the matter for staff and Ministry review, and Speck voted against referral.
  • Current split-vote data records 39.9% agreement with Frank Campion across 138 common individually recorded votes.
  • Platform discusses the mayor's budget role, Regional tax pressure, staffing and capital spending.
SourcesPlatform
  • Campaign priorities include fiscal restraint, maintaining Welland hospital services, protecting agricultural land, changing shelter policy and resisting staff and capital-project growth.
SourcesPlatform
  • Publishes positions on the mayor's budget and Regional tax increases.
  • Publishes positions on homelessness, shelter policy and agricultural land.
  • Publishes positions on hospital services and parking.
  • Publishes positions on corporate staffing and capital spending.
SourcesPlatform
  • His parking and Vital Services positions can be connected to official motions and referrals, exposing workload, landlord-tenant and Ministry dependencies.
  • His 2022 campaign return lists $5,975 in contributions: $5,475 in money and goods from the candidate or spouse and $500 from one other contributor.
  • The City's 2024 statement reports remuneration of $29,260.70 and total remuneration and expenses of $41,938.43, including $3,906.49 for FCM and AMO conferences and training.
  • During the 2026 hospital-funding debate, he warned about financial pressure and use of reserves.
  • Opposes unnecessary Regional tax increases, new full-time staff and legacy capital projects.
  • A November 2020 confidentiality complaint was dismissed.
  • In February 2021, the Integrity Commissioner found that his Facebook posts criticizing staff breached the Code, and Council imposed a 30-day pay suspension.
  • In March 2021, Council imposed an additional 60-day pay suspension after a second finding about an email criticizing staff.
  • For that second finding, the Commissioner recommended no further penalty because the email predated notice of the first ruling.
  • The second report dismissed the separate allegation about holding a closed meeting by email.
  • January 2023 minutes record his business relationship with the Hope Centre and recusal from a $9,000 shelter-support proposal.
  • The same minutes also list him voting for the proposal's funding-source amendment.
  • Federal Conservative candidate in 2021.
  • City appointments to the Chamber of Commerce, Niagara Central Airport Commission and Downtown BIA.
  • Maintains a public campaign site and participates in recorded Council debate and motions.
  • 2021 federal pre-election plan, Conservative Party: Leader Erin O'Toole pledged one million jobs in one year.
  • 2021 federal pre-election plan, Conservative Party: O'Toole pledged a balanced federal budget by the end of the decade.
Question 01 of 17

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