Community Group asks Cobourg Mayor to resign

Cobourg Mayor Lucas Cleveland. Northumberland 89.7 FM File Photo

Steering Committee

Northumberland Coalition for Social Justice

Mayor Cleveland and Cobourg Town Council:

I am writing today with a deep sense of concern and alarm after reading Mayor Cleveland’s recent letter to the editor regarding 310 Division and Transition House.

Mayor Cleveland, your words are inflammatory, dehumanizing, and dangerous. Your portrayal of vulnerable community members, many of whom are struggling with poverty, trauma, and mental illness, as criminals and a threat to civil society is deeply troubling and far beneath the standards of leadership this town requires. Your rhetoric does not seek solutions or community healing; it fuels fear, division, and hostility.

You have taken it upon yourself to define Cobourg's “vast, vast majority,” but let me be perfectly clear: you do not represent me, my values, or the inclusive community I believe in. You were elected by a very small margin ( 105 votes to be exact) on a platform that promised respect, transparency, and compassion. Those principles were swiftly abandoned. Instead, you’ve chosen a path of vilification, political grandstanding, and authoritarian posturing.

Your assertion that Cobourg should become “as hostile a place as possible” to those you label as criminals—without regard for the deeply interconnected social issues of housing, addiction, and mental health—is a chilling declaration for a sitting mayor. These remarks further isolate the very people we should be reaching out to with care and services, not punishment and scorn.

Additionally, I am disturbed by your attempts to pressure the Cobourg Police Chief and the suggestion that you “demand” arrests. The politicization of policing is a dangerous slope and undermines public trust and proper governance.

I strongly urge the Town Council to release a public statement condemning vigilantism and reaffirming the importance of professional, accountable, and impartial law enforcement—not enforcement that is directed by the political will of one individual

Your conduct and comments have done irreparable harm to Cobourg’s social fabric, our municipal reputation, and our partnerships with both community organizations and other levels of government. Cobourg cannot afford another year under this kind of leadership.

You once committed to being a one-term mayor. I am now calling on you to honour that commitment early—and resign. Your leadership is causing more harm than good. It is time for someone who understands that real leadership requires empathy, vision, and respect for all residents—not just those who fit into your narrow view of “law-abiding citizens.”

We deserve better. Cobourg deserves better.