County of Simcoe to host statutory Public Meeting about Council Composition and Head of Council

The by-law proposes that County Council be reduced from the existing size (32) to a 17 Member Council that would include only the Mayors of the 16 lower-tier municipalities and a Head of Council. The Head of Council is currently appointed from among Members of Council and therefore serves both on County Council and a lower-tier Council.

The by-law 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 by-law includes required updates to the existing weighted vote system.

Residents can participate in this process and provide feedback on the by-law by either registering to speak in-person or by providing written comments as outlined below.

Event details

Public Meeting on Council Composition and Head of Council

Date: Tuesday, March 11, 2025
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Location: County of Simcoe Administration Centre, 1110 Highway 26, Midhurst, ON, L9X 1N6

Registration: To register to speak in-person or to provide written comments, please email clerks@simcoe.ca prior to 12:00 p.m. (noon) on Monday, March 10, 2025

Following the public meeting, a final version of the by-law will be brought forward for consideration by Council at a subsequent meeting. Should the final by-law be passed by County Council, it will be circulated to the 16 lower-tier Councils for further consideration as part of the “Triple Majority” process. If the by-law 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.

For more information and to view the Notice of Statutory Public Meeting, please visit simcoe.ca/notices.

About the County of Simcoe

County of Simcoe is composed of sixteen member municipalities and provides crucial public services to County residents in addition to providing paramedic and social services to the separated cities of Barrie and Orillia. Visit our website at simcoe.ca.

Contacts

Brandon Maron
Public Relations Consultant
County of Simcoe, Service Simcoe Department
705-903-7882 (mobile)
Brandon.Maron@simcoe.ca

Collin Matanowitsch
Manager, Public Relations
County of Simcoe, Service Simcoe Department
705-734-8386 (mobile)
Collin.Matanowitsch@simcoe.ca

Received via email by the Township of Severn from the County of Simcoe, February 7, 2025.