Ministry inaction means Simcoe County council to remain 32 members
Posted December 10, 2025
Back in August, a tie-vote in a triple-majority political approvals process to confirm the composition of Simcoe County council in time for the 2026 municipal elections, was sent to the Ministry of Municipal affairs to settle in tme to meet the Dec. 31, 2025 deadline. As of this post, the Ministry has only acknowledged receipt of the request.
Simcoe County council is not scheduled to meet again until January, so pending any last minute action from the Ministry, Simcoe County council will continue to be a 32-member body, made up of the mayors and deputy mayors of the 16 municipalities, rather than the16, plus a full-time Warden, which had been approved by County council, and the majority of all electors in the County. The triple-majority ended in an 8-8 vote by each community council.
Simcoe County Warden Basil Clarke, in an emailed statement to Free Press Online, said, "We have confirmed that the Minister’s Office has received our correspondence requesting provincial consideration of changes to County Council composition."
"Under the Municipal Act, municipally-initiated changes to Council composition must be finalized in the year prior to a regular election, though the Province may legislate changes at any time. Should the Province choose to act, advanced notice would be helpful to provide clarity on governance and allow policies and procedures to be updated in preparation for the 2026 municipal elections and candidate nomination deadlines."
Financially, the status quo will mean all 32 councillors will see their salaries climb from $18,079 to $47,717 effective Jan. 1, 2027.
"The current County structure is effective," said Clarke, "and we are ready to maintain the current structure or adapt as directed."
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