Patrick Brown is juggling mayoral duties with Conservative leadership bid

Brown, who has served as Mayor of Brampton since 2018, announced his intention to run for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada on March 13.

Conservative Party leadership hopeful Patrick Brown has not officially stepped back from his mayoral duties almost a month after entering the party’s leadership race.

Brown, who has served as Mayor of Brampton, Ont., since 2018, announced his intention to run for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada on March 13.

He said he would donate his current salary to charity but has not taken a leave of absence from his role as mayor. There are no rules that prevent Brown from juggling his role as mayor with other commitments.

“I think the rule should be that you do take an unpaid leave,” said Duff Conacher, the co-founder of Democracy Watch, an advocacy group focused on government accountability and democratic reform, in an interview with Global News.

Conacher said Brown’s situation was not particularly different than that of his rival, Pierre Poilievre, who is campaigning to lead the party while sitting as a member of Parliament.

Two recently appointed deputy mayors are filling in for Brown in Brampton on an ad hoc basis.

“I think we are going to have to play it by ear,” Coun. Martin Medeiros told Global News. “My understanding is that Mayor Brown will still participate in meetings.”

Brown has not announced he will step back from his role but another southern Ontario mayor has.