Province to chop Simcoe County council in half, appoint Warden, new powers
Posted April 2, 2026
Simcoe County’s upper-tier council would be reduced from 32 members to 17 under new legislation introduced today by the Ontario government, a move that includes the Warden appointed by the Province.
The proposed Better Regional Governance Act, 2026 would restructure Simcoe County council to include the mayors of its 16 lower-tier municipalities and a warden, eliminating 15 seats. The change would take effect for the term following the 2026 municipal election if the legislation is passed.
The 32-member member council cost ratepayers approximately $1.3 million in remunerations and expenses in 2025.
The bill would also give the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing the authority to appoint the county warden, replacing the current system in which council selects the role. The appointed warden would be granted “strong chair” powers, aligning the position with enhanced authorities already provided to some municipal heads of council in Ontario.
Simcoe County, with a population of about 351,927, currently has one of the largest upper-tier councils in the province. A previous attempt by the county to reduce council size failed after an evenly split vote among its lower-tier municipalities.
The province’s proposal would also formalize the use of weighted voting, already in place in Simcoe, to reflect population differences among municipalities.
The legislation would grant the minister authority to set rules governing weighted voting systems for upper-tier councils beginning after the 2026 election.
While the changes are centred on Simcoe County, the legislation would apply similar governance measures across several fast-growing regions. The minister would be given authority to appoint regional chairs in Durham, Halton, Muskoka, Niagara, Peel, Waterloo and York, with those positions also receiving “strong chair” powers.
The bill also proposes reducing the size of Niagara Regional Council from 32 members to 13, made up of the mayors of its 12 lower-tier municipalities and the regional chair.
All upper-tier municipalities are required to review council composition following the 2026 municipal election, although Niagara Region would be exempt from that requirement until 2034.
The government introduced the legislation ahead of the May 1 nomination deadline for municipal candidates. If passed, the changes would take effect for the next term of council.
"Simcoe County is the largest and one of the fastest growing counties in Ontario and an important municipal partner for our government," said Brian Saunderson, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing and MPP for Simcoe-Grey. " At the County’s request and after years of internal discussion, our government is taking action to modernize Council composition, to make the County more responsive, and more efficient. We look forward to continuing to work together to strengthen the County and serve the residents of Simcoe."
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