Your County Council
Consultation has concluded
June 17, 2020 | Updated August 6, 2020
The time period to submit comments or feedback has now closed. Please watch for the next report to County Council as part of the August 12, 2020, agenda.
Council composition review
Oxford County Council is undertaking a council composition review. This process looks at:
- the number of members on Council;
- election of the County Warden; and
- how voting is carried out during Council meetings.
To have your say:
- fill out the survey below;
- write your feedback in the "Your comments" section; or
- send an email directly to the County Clerk at clerksoffice@oxfordcounty.ca.
To speak at the public meeting on July 8, send an email to the County Clerk by July 1, 2020.
The deadline to comment online is August 1, 2020. Your feedback will be used to prepare a report and recommendations from the County Clerk to County Council, and will also be shared with area municipal councils as they prepare their final comments. The final Oxford County Council report will be submitted to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
The review was first before County Council on March 11 and was then sent to Oxford's eight area municipalities for their comments and input. You can read their feedback in the June 10 Council report.
Oxford County is required by legislation to review its council composition and reach decisions by December 1, 2020. Any changes would take effect at the beginning of the 2023-2027 Council term.
About County Council
County Council forms a second, regional tier of government in Oxford County. Council is made up of the mayors of each local area municipality and two additional City/County councillors elected for the City of Woodstock. Oxford's area municipalities are Blandford-Blenheim, East Zorra-Tavistock, Ingersoll, Norwich, South-West Oxford, Tillsonburg, Woodstock and Zorra. For more information visit www.oxfordcounty.ca/council.
Tillsonburg should have further representation. The reason, Tillsonburg appears to be growing at a faster rate than anywhere else in the area. The star reported that people are leaving Toronto for various reasons and many settle here because of the lower housing costs and amenities, especially for older people. It is my belief that since all available space is quickly being developed, the town will have to annex for more area. Further, Tillsonburg has diverse areas, an industrial park, retirement centre, shopping, and residential areas which are growing. The growing population and possible larger town dictates that further representation is required.
Tillsonburg should have two councillors to be proportionally representative of the urban areas.