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County Warden responds to provincial announcement about council reduction

April 9, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

The County of Simcoe will see a reduction in the number of council members when the Better Regional Governance Act passes at Queen’s Park.

Currently, Simcoe County has 32 council members. As a result of legislation, Council would be reduced to 17 members, comprising the mayors of the 16 lower-tier municipalities and the Warden.

Currently, the heads of council in upper-tier municipalities are elected using different methods. In Simcoe County, they are appointed by the upper-tier council.

There has been discussion for quite some time about reducing the number of county councillors.

The provincial government issued a statement on April 2, stating the legislation would: “Make a number of changes to the way regional governments function in some of Ontario’s fastest growing regions. These changes would support lower costs for municipal taxpayers and better alignment between regional decision-making and shared provincial-regional priorities.”

“Simcoe County is the largest and one of the fastest-growing counties in Ontario, and an important municipal partner for our government. 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,” said Brian Saunderson, MPP for Simcoe-Grey. “We look forward to continuing to work together to strengthen the county and serve the residents of Simcoe.”

Simcoe County Warden Basil Clarke issued a statement regarding the Governance announcement on April 2.

“While our governance model has served the county effectively for many decades, there is recognition that further streamlining decision‑making will better support the needs of our communities,” Warden Clarke stated. “This reduction in the size of council, which was previously recommended by county council, advances our ongoing efforts to be responsive and cost‑efficient for residents, while continuing to ensure strong local decision‑making at county council through the leadership of our 16 lower-tier mayors and representatives from the separated cities.”

Warden Clarke and county council have brought up the idea of reducing council size at past meetings.

Warden Clarke went on to say, “The county provides a broad range of efficient and essential regional services and programs to residents, and this announcement reflects a positive step toward continued efforts to streamline governance now too. The county has strong partnerships with the Province and our communities, and we understand the importance of supporting both county priorities and Provincial objectives. I am confident that our next term of council will continue to govern very effectively under this new model.”

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