County to host public meeting on council composition
The County of Simcoe is hosting a public meeting on March 11 to provide the public and stakeholders with an opportunity to provide feedback on a proposed bylaw to change the composition of county council and the appointment of warden.
The bylaw proposes that council be reduced from 32 members to 17, including only the mayors of the 16 lower-tier municipalities and a head of council.
The warden is currently appointed from among members of council and therefore serves on both county council and a lower-tier council. The bylaw proposes to establish a head of council that serves exclusively on county council for a four-year term. The position of warden would be appointed by county council from among eligible electors who put their name forward.
The bylaw includes required updates to the existing weighted vote system.
Residents can participate in this process and provide feedback on the bylaw by either registering to speak in-person or by providing written comments by emailing Clerks@ Simcoe.ca prior to noon on Monday, March 10.
Following the public meeting, a final version of the bylaw will be brought forward for consideration at a subsequent council meeting. Should the final bylaw be passed, it will be circulated to the 16 lower-tier councils for further consideration as part of the “triple majority” voting process. If the bylaw achieves the required consent, changes to county council would take effect for the next term of council, beginning in November 2026 following the municipal election.
The March 11 meting is at 10 a.m. in the Council Chamber at the County of Simcoe Administration Centre, 1110 Highway 26, Midhurst. For more information and to view the Notice of Statutory Public Meeting, please visit Simcoe.ca/Notices.
