Outgoing Board Could Hire Hamilton’s Next Police Chief Before a New Mayor Takes Office

Hamilton’s Police Services Board could hire the city’s next Chief of Police before a new mayor takes office November 15, thereby excluding a new mayor from being involved in the hiring process.

Incumbent Chief of Police Frank Bergen is scheduled to retire in spring 2027. The Police Board needs to determine the process and timeline for hiring his replacement.

This being a municipal election year complicates the process: a new City Council takes office on November 15, and depending on who voters elect, the majority of the Police Board’s membership may change — the Mayor and two council-linked seats make up four of the board’s seven positions.

The role of the Mayor on the Police Board is uniquely an election issue this year because incumbent Mayor Andrea Horwath decided to resign her position on the Police Board and has chosen not to be directly involved in the police chief hiring process.

Mayoral candidates Keanin Loomis and Rob Cooper both agree that outgoing appointees should not be making major decisions before voters have their say on the future of Hamilton.

“No hires should be happening before the next mayor takes office — whether it be the city manager, whether it be any senior executives in City Hall, and the police chief as well,” says Loomis.

“We need to wait for new leadership before we start to bring in the next generation of leaders in this community,” Loomis says.

Cooper questions why the police board is “rushing” to make the hiring now, especially because Hamiltonians are poised to elect a new mayor. “Are they concerned about who’s going to be mayor?”

“I’m a big fan of Chief Bergen,” Cooper says, adding the next Chief will have “big shoes to fill.”

“I do believe very much whether it be the city manager, the general manager of planning and development, the general manager of human resources, the police chief, or anyone else, that decision should be held until the new mayor is in place November 15th with functioning powers.”

Both Loomis and Cooper state they will take the mayor’s seat on the Police Board on November 15, and both are campaigning on restoring mayoral leadership on public safety and policing matters.

Police Board Chair Don Robertson, sharing his personal viewpoint and not speaking as Chair, says he thinks “that the present Board is uniquely positioned” to choose the next Chief because they are experienced.

“I think experience is important when we’re going to be talking about the role of the Chief of Police.”

Ward 14 Councillor Mike Spadafora, one of three incumbent councillors on the Police Board, says he thinks the Board needs “to make decisions based on what it thinks best for the city.”

“I don’t know that the mayor needs to be the one person that decides who becomes Chief,” Spadafora says. “I think the board needs to do what they feel is best for the city.”

“We went through a deputy chief position hiring, which I thought was a really good process,” he says. “I think the board’s in a position to make that decision if we feel that’s what we should do.”

“I don’t think the decision should be based on whether or not the mayor is there or not.”

Ward 2 Councillor Cameron Kroetsch says he is “a bit agnostic about it. I don’t really have a strong preference either way,” and is “leaning more towards” waiting for November 15 to allow a potential new Mayor to have a say in the process.

“I think there’s an advantage to doing it with the current composition there because we have a sense of what the job is, a sense of what’s going on,” he says.

Kroetsch says, “I do see the potential for there to be some discussion around wanting to make sure that whoever is appointed to the next police board has a say about who the chief will be going forward. And I’ve been a pretty long-standing proponent of saying we shouldn’t be doing strategic plans or finalizing strategic plans until the new board is appointed, that we ought to make sure that we’re accommodating these things.”

He adds, “I think I’m leaning more towards suggesting it be done later, so it gives a chance for those fresh eyes to be on that process and make sure it happens in the right way, because there’s no guarantee that people who are going to want to be on the police board are going to be on the police board again.”

Ward 7 Councillor Esther Pauls says the current police board is experienced and able to hire the new Chief. “I think if we could get it done sooner, the better.”

Hamilton’s Police Services Board is composed of seven members: the Mayor, two members of City Council, one citizen appointed by Council, and three appointees selected by the provincial government. Councillor Spadafora is filling the seat designated for the mayor following Horwath’s resignation. The Council citizen appointee seat is vacant following the resignation of Dr. Anjali Menezes in June.

Both Cooper and Loomis say the October 26 municipal election gives Hamiltonians a say on hiring the new Chief, and the Police Board should respect voters’ right to choose Hamilton’s elected leadership.

The Police Board met on September 10 and discussed the matter in closed session. The Board did not disclose if a decision on the timeline was made.

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Published: September 13, 2026
Last updated: September 13, 2026
Author: Joey Coleman

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