Photo: P199 · CC BY-SA 3.0Less is spent per resident in Athens than in 97% of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities
Athens is in Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, whose current MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) no open source we can use records yet. For federal votes, Athens belongs to Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP); Michael Barrett (Conservative Party of Canada) holds it. Herb Scott was elected mayor of Athens in October 2022, on a council of 7 seats. These names are from the 2022–26 term: Ontario’s municipalities voted on 26 October 2026, but the province’s open list of the results isn’t out.
What stands out in how Athens is governed
Few residents per seat
Athens council has fewer people behind each seat than most of Ontario, where the middle figure is 1,540 residents a seat. Council size ↓
Turnout below the norm
Athens council drew fewer of its electors to the polls in 2022 than the typical Ontario municipality (35%). How Athens voted ↓
Low spending per resident
Most of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities spent more per resident in 2024 than Athens council: 97% of them. Council money ↓
Compared with the province’s municipalities of 1,000+ residents (2021 Census; MAMH, MMAH and Statistics Canada).
Three governments, and who does what
Athens, a township in Ontario, shares the work with the province and Ottawa.
Local services, by-laws and property tax.
Spends most on social services and child care, then public health and paramedics (2024 return).
Schools, health care, highways, municipal law.
ola.org ↗Passports, pensions, EI, defence, immigration.
ourcommons.ca ↗Who to ask
Green: municipal. Gold: provincial. Grey: federal.
Two councils serve Athens: its own, and that of United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, the upper tier.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Athens, from the most recent elections.
- 1Athens councilelected October 2022Herb Scott
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioLeeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes
- 3House of CommonsLeeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes
Party colours are neutral on purpose: they tell parties apart and aren’t the parties’ own. MPs: Wikidata (CC0), 45th Parliament statements, read 7 November 2026; ridings: 2023 Representation Order, Statistics Canada
Who was elected to Athens council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Herb Scott
- Darin Alguire
- Todd Evans
- Greg Kearney
- Rob Layng
- Matt Smith
- Anne Marie Dancy
7 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Herb Scott | Mayor | 421 | 68% | Yes |
| Darin Alguire | Councillor | 456 | 72% | Yes |
| Todd Evans | Councillor | 489 | 77% | Yes |
| Greg Kearney | Councillor | 460 | 72% | Yes |
| Rob Layng | Councillor | 534 | 84% | Yes |
| Matt Smith | Councillor | 326 | 51% | No |
| Anne Marie Dancy | Councillor | 520 | 82% | No |
No seat on Athens council belongs to a ward; the mayor and every councillor face the whole municipality. With 68% of the votes, Herb Scott carried the vote for mayor.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Athens voted less than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
25% of those on the list cast a ballot for Athens council on 24 October 2022, fewer than in a typical municipality.
How Athens voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Athens votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Athens council | 26 October 2026 | 28 October 2030 |
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | 27 February 2025 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
The last general elections came on 27 February 2025 for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and on 28 April 2025 for Parliament. 28 October 2030 is the next council election in Athens, fixed by the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 for the fourth Monday in October every four years. Counts from April 2025 can’t appear here, since Elections Canada allows only non-commercial reuse of them.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Athens votes in Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Provinces and territories run schools, health care and municipal law; each riding elects one MPP.
MPP: see the legislature’s list
ola.org ↗Athens is in Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, one of the ridings that each elect a MPP to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Ontario’s southern ridings copy the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), and the town is placed by them.
Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada
Michael Barrett represents Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes · Conservative Party of Canada · first elected 2018
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
Michael Barrett sits with the Conservative Party of Canada, which has 50 of the 122 seats from Ontario, against 71 for the Liberal Party of Canada.
The MP’s record
Elections Canada’s transposition of the 2021 vote onto today’s Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes puts the Conservative Party of Canada first at 51%; Michael Barrett held it for the party in 2025. First elected in 2018, Michael Barrett is serving the 4th term of a Commons career.
MPs: Wikidata (CC0), 45th Parliament statements, read 7 November 2026; ridings: 2023 Representation Order, Statistics Canada · MPs’ records: Wikidata (CC0), positions held and party memberships, read 8 November 2026
Michael Barrett kept Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes for the Conservative Party of Canada in 2021
The 2019 and 2021 counts in Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, Athens’ riding before the map was redrawn; it now votes in Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes.
At 68%, more of Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes voted in 2021 than Canada as a whole (63%). Michael Barrett was the sitting MP, elected there in 2019 with 49%. 15,015 votes separated Michael Barrett (Conservative Party of Canada) from Roberta L Abbott (Liberal Party of Canada) in Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes in 2021, when the winner took 51%.
All 5 candidates in Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Barrett | Conservative Party of Canada | 29,950 | 50.5% |
| Roberta L Abbott | Liberal Party of Canada | 14,935 | 25.2% |
| Michelle Taylor | New Democratic Party | 8,863 | 15.0% |
| Alex Cassell | People's Party of Canada | 3,394 | 5.7% |
| Lorraine Rekmans | Green Party of Canada | 2,134 | 3.6% |
Federal results: Elections Canada, 43rd and 44th general elections and the 44th’s transposition to the 2023 ridings, via open.canada.ca. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Athens council spends less per resident than most
The 2024 financial return: spending by service and revenue by source, per resident, compared only with Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities.
Spending per resident by service, 2024
What pays for it
Shares of revenue, town and province.
Residents are also served by United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, which spent $2,246 each across its area, chiefly on social services and child care. Taxes on property make up 48% of what comes in, more than the province-wide 42%. 2 full-time positions are funded, 0.7 per thousand residents. Each resident’s share of Athens council’s 2024 spending came to $1,114, where the middle of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities sat at $1,901. More goes to roads and transit than to anything else: $438 a resident, 39% of all spending.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roads and transit | $1.3M | $438 | 39% |
| Police, fire and protection | $660K | $216 | 19% |
| General government | $526K | $172 | 15% |
| Recreation and culture | $520K | $170 | 15% |
| Water, sewers and waste | $351K | $115 | 10% |
| Planning and development | $7K | $2 | 0% |
Money: Financial Information Return 2024, Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
One seat for every 440 residents
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
85% of municipalities in Ontario have more residents per seat than Athens council, at 440 each.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Athens is run
Check or update the federal list.
elections.ca ↗Every MP lists an office.
ourcommons.ca ↗Ridings, registration and voting dates.
elections.on.ca ↗What this data can and can’t tell you
- Not on this page. Party control (most Canadian councils sit without parties, and the open lists record none) and band councils.
- Who holds each seat. MPs come from Wikidata’s records of the 45th Parliament, which can lag a resignation or a by-election by some days.
- Which riding. Each place is put in its ridings by where its 2021 Census residents live; a riding holding 5% or more of them is listed.
- Election results. Where the page says “today’s boundaries”, it means Elections Canada’s estimate of the 2021 vote on the 2023 ridings; every other count is official and on the 2013 map.
- Council size. Seats count the head of council and the councillors, and residents are the 2021 Census count; a neighbourhood shows its city’s.
- Council money. Figures are the 2024 Financial Information Return’s totals after adjustments, per resident on the return’s population. Lower tiers stand beside lower tiers only: their county or region spends on top.
Questions about how Athens is run
Who is the MP for Athens?
For Athens, it’s Michael Barrett (Conservative Party of Canada), who holds Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes.
Which party won Athens in the 2021 federal election?
The Conservative Party of Canada: Michael Barrett won Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes in 2021 and is the MP for today’s Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes.
Who is the MPP for Athens?
Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes is the riding; its sitting MPP is on the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s own list of members for Athens and its neighbours.
Who heads the council in Athens?
In October 2022, Herb Scott won the post of mayor for Athens council’s 2022–26 term.
How much does Athens council spend?
The 2024 return of Athens council shows $3.4M of spending for roughly 3,053 residents, $1.3M of it on roads and transit.
Which regional body is Athens part of?
The council of the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, made up of members from its municipalities, Athens among them, is the upper tier.
How is Athens council elected?
At large: every voter helps fill all of Athens council, the mayor too.
What was the turnout in Athens?
Turnout for Athens council reached 24.7% in October 2022 (Ontario median: 35.5%).
Sources: MPs: Wikidata (CC0), 45th Parliament statements, read 7 November 2026; ridings: 2023 Representation Order, Statistics Canada · Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada · Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario) · Money: Financial Information Return 2024, Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · Next municipal election: the province’s municipal election act · Municipality types: Statistics Canada census subdivisions · Federal results: Elections Canada, 43rd and 44th general elections and the 44th’s transposition to the 2023 ridings, via open.canada.ca. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada · MPs’ records: Wikidata (CC0), positions held and party memberships, read 8 November 2026. Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).