Key Points
- Records released through a September freedom of information request show the City of Cambridge spent $67,800 on external consulting.
- The city hired Bondy & Associates, a Waterloo Region strategic advisory firm, for government relations and intergovernmental work.
- Municipal files confirm Cambridge already employs 10 staff members, including graphic designers, in its internal communications department.
- Danielle Manton, general manager of corporate services, said government relations is a separate, specialised field and is not a primary function of the corporate communications team.
- City leadership and the city manager are looking at ways to build internal skills and cross-department coordination for working with other levels of government.
- Bondy & Associates, which has an office at The Gaslight District in Cambridge, did not immediately reply to requests for comment.
Cambridge (Cambridge Tribune) November 14, 2026 – The expenditure was uncovered through a freedom of information request filed with the municipality in September, showing payments made to Waterloo Region-based strategic advisory firm Bondy & Associates.
Why did the City of Cambridge hire Bondy & Associates?
As reported by Keegan Kozolanka of CambridgeToday and The Trillium, the City of Cambridge retained Bondy & Associates specifically to carry out specialised government relations and intergovernmental advisory work.
According to corporate information cited in the coverage, Bondy & Associates operates as a Waterloo Region-based strategic advisory firm with an office located at The Gaslight District in Cambridge. The firm describes its work as fusing government relations with industry intelligence to assist clients in navigating public affairs.
When the spending figures were released through the freedom of information process, questions arose regarding why external consultants were brought in while the city already maintains an established communications division.
Records included in the freedom of information report confirmed that the City of Cambridge employs 10 staff members within its corporate communications department, a figure that includes graphic designers alongside communications personnel.
What did city officials say about the $67,800 expenditure?
Addressing the expenditure, General Manager of Corporate Services Danielle Manton outlined the distinction between routine municipal communications and formal intergovernmental lobbying or advocacy.
As reported by Keegan Kozolanka of CambridgeToday, Danielle Manton stated in a written response that the municipality engaged external firms to help inform strategies, provide specialised expertise, and support the development of government relations practices.
“The city’s corporate communications team focuses on corporate communications strategy, media relations, public and digital information, brand identity, internal communications and support for corporate initiatives,” Danielle Manton wrote. “Government relations is a distinct and specialized discipline and is not currently a primary function of the corporate communications team.”
Manton further clarified that municipal staff members currently lack specialised expertise in the field of intergovernmental relations, making external guidance necessary during the engagement period.
How is the city planning to handle government relations moving forward?
According to reporting by Keegan Kozolanka in The Trillium, municipal leadership has acknowledged the need to build in-house capabilities so that the municipality is less reliant on outside firms in the future.
Danielle Manton noted that developing stronger internal capacity and expertise in government relations remains an active focus for the city manager.
“The city is exploring a variety of approaches to strengthen government relations skills and coordination across departments,” Danielle Manton wrote. “The objective is to create a more strategic and organization-wide approach to engaging with other levels of government.”
Following the publication of the freedom of information findings, journalists contacted Bondy & Associates for comment regarding the contract and the scope of services provided to the municipality. As reported by Keegan Kozolanka of CambridgeToday, Bondy & Associates did not immediately return the request for comment.
Background of the municipal consultancy disclosure
Municipalities across Ontario frequently interact with provincial and federal ministries to secure infrastructure grants, housing funds, and legislative approvals. In the Waterloo Region, local governments regularly evaluate whether to handle provincial and federal advocacy through internal staff or retained consultants.
In May 2026, prior to the release of the freedom of information records, Bondy & Associates had been recognised locally when the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce named the firm Business of the Year in the one-to-10-employee category at its annual Business Excellence Awards at Tapestry Hall.
The September freedom of information request sought transparency regarding municipal spending on external communications and advisory contracts.
The resulting disclosure brought public attention to the $67,800 outlay and prompted public debate among local taxpayers regarding municipal procurement and staffing allocations.
Prediction: How this development could affect Cambridge residents and municipal governance
For Cambridge taxpayers and local residents, the disclosure of the $67,800 consultancy fee is likely to heighten public scrutiny over municipal budgets, discretionary spending, and how existing staff resources are utilised.
Residents and community watchdogs may demand clearer itemised reporting on external contracts and measurable outcomes from government relations expenditures.
Within City Hall, the focus identified by Danielle Manton indicates that the city manager and senior administrators will likely prioritise internal staff training and cross-departmental coordination.
Over the medium term, building in-house government relations capabilities could reduce the municipality’s reliance on third-party advisory firms, potentially lowering external consulting costs while establishing a permanent framework for engaging with provincial and federal officials.
