Photo: Jfvoll · CC BY-SA 4.0Less is spent per resident in Ayr than in 93% of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities
Locally, Ayr is governed as part of North Dumfries, a township. In October 2022, North Dumfries elected Susan Foxton as mayor, with a council of 5. Ontario’s councils were renewed on 26 October 2026, but the only open list so far is 2022’s, so that is the term shown. Federally, Ayr sits in Cambridge, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP), held by Connie Cody of the Conservative Party of Canada. In the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Ayr belongs to Cambridge; who holds it as MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) isn’t on an open record, so no one is named.
What stands out in how Ayr is governed
Many residents per seat
North Dumfries council has more people behind each seat than most of Ontario, where the middle figure is 1,540 residents a seat. Council size ↓
Turnout below the norm
In Ontario’s 2022 municipal elections, the middle municipality saw 35% of electors vote; North Dumfries council fell short of that. How Ayr voted ↓
Low spending per resident
Most of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities spent more per resident in 2024 than North Dumfries council: 93% 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
Ayr, 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 roads and transit (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.
Above North Dumfries’s council sits Waterloo Region, the upper tier, which runs services across all its municipalities.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Ayr, from the most recent elections.
- 1North Dumfries councilelected October 2022Susan Foxton
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioCambridge
- 3House of CommonsCambridge
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 North Dumfries council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Susan Foxton
- Rodney Rolleman
- Derrick Ostner
- Alida Wilms
- Scott Tilley
5 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Susan Foxton | Mayor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Rodney Rolleman | Councillor | 358 | 55% | Yes |
| Derrick Ostner | Councillor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Alida Wilms | Councillor | – | acclaimed | No |
| Scott Tilley | Councillor | – | acclaimed | No |
The mayor is chosen at large; everyone else on North Dumfries council answers to a ward. The race for mayor was never run: Susan Foxton was the only candidate.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Ayr voted less than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
When North Dumfries council was chosen on 24 October 2022, just 19% of electors took part, under the provincial median.
How Ayr voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Ayr votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| North Dumfries council | 26 October 2026 | 28 October 2030 |
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | 27 February 2025 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
Provincially the last general election was on 27 February 2025, for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario; federally, on 28 April 2025. The next council election in North Dumfries falls on 28 October 2030, the fourth Monday in October every four years under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996. There are no 2025 counts here: Elections Canada’s terms bar their commercial reuse, so 2021 is the latest open result.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Ayr votes in Cambridge 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 ↗For the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Ayr votes in Cambridge, which has one MPP. By law (the Representation Act, 2015), southern Ontario’s provincial ridings follow the 2013 federal boundaries, so each place is located from those.
Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada
Connie Cody represents Cambridge in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Cambridge · Conservative Party of Canada
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
The Conservative Party of Canada, Connie Cody’s party, takes 50 of the 122 seats from Ontario; the Liberal Party of Canada takes 71.
The MP’s record
Had the 2021 ballots been cast in today’s Cambridge, the Liberal Party of Canada would have led with 38%; in 2025 Connie Cody took it from them. The 2025 general election sent Connie Cody to the Commons for the first time.
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
In 2021, Cambridge re-elected Bryan May of the Liberal Party of Canada
Counts for Cambridge within its 2013 boundaries, used in 2019 and 2021; the 2025 election ran on a new map.
Back in 2019, Bryan May took the riding on 40%. In 2021, Cambridge went to Bryan May (Liberal Party of Canada) on 38%; Connie Cody (Conservative Party of Canada) finished 1,990 votes behind. At 61%, fewer of Cambridge voted in 2021 than Canada as a whole (63%).
All 5 candidates in Cambridge, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bryan May | Liberal Party of Canada | 20,866 | 38.0% |
| Connie Cody | Conservative Party of Canada | 18,876 | 34.4% |
| Lorne Bruce | New Democratic Party | 9,319 | 17.0% |
| Maggie Segounis | People's Party of Canada | 3,931 | 7.2% |
| Michele Braniff | Green Party of Canada | 1,860 | 3.4% |
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
North Dumfries 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.
It employs the equivalent of 39 full-time positions, or 3.7 for each thousand people. Spending by North Dumfries council came to $1,152 a resident in 2024, under the $1,901 median of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities. The largest line is roads and transit: 28% of the total, $318 a resident. Waterloo Region, the upper tier, spent another $2,285 per resident of its whole area, most of it on social services and child care. Local taxpayers carry a bigger share than elsewhere: 46% of revenue, where the province’s returns show 42%.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roads and transit | $3.4M | $318 | 28% |
| Recreation and culture | $3.4M | $317 | 27% |
| Police, fire and protection | $2.5M | $237 | 21% |
| General government | $2.4M | $230 | 20% |
| Planning and development | $544K | $51 | 4% |
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 2,610 residents
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
A seat on North Dumfries council covers 2,610 residents; 70% of Ontario municipalities have fewer per seat.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Ayr 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
- Council money. Per resident means the 2024 Financial Information Return’s totals over the population it reports. Since a county or region spends in its lower tiers too, those are compared only with each other.
- Council size. For residents per seat, the head of council is counted as a seat, and the population is the 2021 Census figure.
- Election results. The 2019 and 2021 figures are Elections Canada’s official counts on the ridings drawn in 2013; the “today’s boundaries” figures are its transposition of the 2021 vote onto the 2023 ridings, an estimate built from polling divisions.
- Which riding. Where residents of the 2021 Census live decides the riding; any riding with 5% of them or more is named.
- Who holds each seat. Wikidata, edited by volunteers, is the source for each MP, and it can trail a change of seat by a little.
- Not on this page. Party control (most Canadian councils sit without parties, and the open lists record none) and band councils.
Questions about how Ayr is run
Who is the MP for Ayr?
Connie Cody of the Conservative Party of Canada is the MP for Cambridge, which includes Ayr.
Which party won Ayr in the 2021 federal election?
The Liberal Party of Canada, with Bryan May in Cambridge; since 2025 Connie Cody represents Cambridge.
Who is the MPP for Ayr?
Ayr votes in Cambridge; the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s members page gives its current MPP.
Who heads the council in Ayr?
For the 2022–26 term, North Dumfries council was led by Susan Foxton, elected mayor in October 2022.
How much does North Dumfries council spend?
North Dumfries council spent $12.2M in 2024 for about 10,619 residents; its largest service line was roads and transit, at $3.4M.
Which regional body is North Dumfries part of?
North Dumfries is part of Waterloo Region, the upper tier, whose regional council runs services such as water and policing.
How is North Dumfries council elected?
North Dumfries council: the mayor is chosen by the whole municipality, the councillors ward by ward.
What was the turnout in Ayr?
18.5% of electors voted when North Dumfries council was elected in October 2022; the Ontario median was 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).