Photo: P199 · CC BY-SA 3.0Central Frontenac spends more per resident than 98% of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities
Voters in Central Frontenac chose Frances Smith as mayor in October 2022, for a 9-seat council. Ontario held new municipal elections on 26 October 2026; until the province publishes them, the open record stops at the council elected in 2022. Federally, Central Frontenac sits in Lanark—Frontenac, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP), held by Scott Reid of the Conservative Party of Canada. Provincially, Central Frontenac votes in Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston; the open record doesn’t name its MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, so the legislature’s own list is linked below.
What stands out in how Central Frontenac is governed
Few residents per seat
The middle municipality in Ontario has a seat for every 1,540 residents; Central Frontenac council has fewer behind each. Council size ↓
High spending per resident
Per resident, Central Frontenac council’s 2024 spending tops 98% of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities. 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
Central Frontenac, a township in Ontario, shares the work with the province and Ottawa.
Local services, by-laws and property tax.
Spends most on public health and paramedics, then social services and child care (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.
Central Frontenac is a lower-tier municipality: Frontenac County, the upper tier, has its own council and services over it.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Central Frontenac, from the most recent elections.
- 1Central Frontenac councilelected October 2022Frances Smith
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioLanark—Frontenac—Kingston
- 3House of CommonsLanark—Frontenac
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 Central Frontenac council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Frances Smith
- C. Lynn Klages
- Cindy Kelsey
- Bill Everett
- Danny Meeks
- Susan Irwin
- Craig Middleton
- Nicki Gowdy
- Phillip Smith
9 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frances Smith | Mayor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| C. Lynn Klages | Councillor | 386 | 30% | No |
| Cindy Kelsey | Councillor | 357 | 28% | Yes |
| Bill Everett | Councillor | 296 | 33% | No |
| Danny Meeks | Councillor | 384 | 42% | No |
| Susan Irwin | Councillor | 413 | 31% | No |
| Craig Middleton | Councillor | 400 | 30% | No |
| Nicki Gowdy | Councillor | 429 | 39% | Yes |
| Phillip Smith | Councillor | 280 | 26% | Yes |
The mayor is chosen at large; everyone else on Central Frontenac council answers to a ward. Frances Smith was acclaimed mayor, with no one on the ballot against them.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Central Frontenac voted less than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
No closer places have figures: these lie 27–38 km from Central Frontenac. When Central Frontenac council was chosen on 24 October 2022, just 33% of electors took part, under the provincial median.
How Central Frontenac voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Central Frontenac votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Central Frontenac council | 26 October 2026 | 28 October 2030 |
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | 27 February 2025 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
Central Frontenac votes next on 28 October 2030: the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 sets municipal elections on the fourth Monday in October every four years. Voters last chose the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on 27 February 2025 and the House of Commons on 28 April 2025. Why not 2025? Elections Canada publishes those counts under non-commercial terms, and its open data stop at the 2021 election.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Central Frontenac votes in Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston 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, Central Frontenac votes in Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, which has one MPP. 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
Scott Reid represents Lanark—Frontenac in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Lanark—Frontenac · Conservative Party of Canada · first elected 2000
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
The Conservative Party of Canada, Scott Reid’s party, takes 50 of the 122 seats from Ontario; the Liberal Party of Canada takes 71.
The MP’s record
Mapped onto today’s Lanark—Frontenac, the 2021 vote gives the Conservative Party of Canada 50%; in 2025 Scott Reid kept the seat in the same hands. First elected in 2000, Scott Reid is serving the 9th 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
Scott Reid kept Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston for the Conservative Party of Canada in 2021
The 2019 and 2021 counts in Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, Central Frontenac’s riding before the map was redrawn; it now votes in Lanark—Frontenac.
70% of electors in Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston voted in 2021, above the 63% turnout across Canada. 48% had elected Scott Reid there in 2019. Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston elected Scott Reid (Conservative Party of Canada) in 2021: 49% of the vote, a lead of 14,144 over Michelle Foxton (Liberal Party of Canada).
All 6 candidates in Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scott Reid | Conservative Party of Canada | 30,761 | 48.9% |
| Michelle Foxton | Liberal Party of Canada | 16,617 | 26.4% |
| Steve Garrison | New Democratic Party | 9,828 | 15.6% |
| Florian Bors | People's Party of Canada | 3,830 | 6.1% |
| Calvin Neufeld | Green Party of Canada | 1,664 | 2.7% |
| Blake Hamilton | Parti Rhinocéros Party | 211 | 0.3% |
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
Central Frontenac council spends more 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.
Taxes on property make up 63% of what comes in, more than the province-wide 42%. Central Frontenac council’s borrowing is light: $1.5M long term, $393 a resident where the median is $440. At $3,903 for every resident in 2024, Central Frontenac council sits above the $1,901 median of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities. Residents are also served by Frontenac County, which spent $2,020 each across its area, chiefly on public health and paramedics. 36 full-time positions are funded, 9.6 per thousand residents. No service costs more than roads and transit, at $2,314 per resident and 59% of the total.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roads and transit | $8.7M | $2,314 | 59% |
| Police, fire and protection | $3.6M | $966 | 25% |
| Recreation and culture | $1M | $277 | 7% |
| Water, sewers and waste | $458K | $122 | 3% |
| Planning and development | $358K | $95 | 2% |
| General government | $330K | $88 | 2% |
| Public health and paramedics | $154K | $41 | 1% |
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 590 residents
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
Each seat on Central Frontenac council answers to 590 residents, a lower ratio than 80% of municipalities in Ontario.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Central Frontenac 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. 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.
- Council size. Residents per seat divide the 2021 Census population by every council seat, the head of council’s included.
- 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.
- Which riding. A place belongs to the riding where most of its 2021 Census residents live, plus any other with 5% or more.
- Who holds each seat. The members named here are Wikidata’s, kept up by volunteers; a by-election or a floor crossing may take a few days to show.
- Not on this page. No party tally for the council, which the open lists don’t record, and no band councils.
Questions about how Central Frontenac is run
Who is the MP for Central Frontenac?
Central Frontenac is in Lanark—Frontenac, represented by Scott Reid (Conservative Party of Canada).
Which party won Central Frontenac in the 2021 federal election?
The Conservative Party of Canada: Scott Reid won Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston in 2021 and is the MP for today’s Lanark—Frontenac.
Who is the MPP for Central Frontenac?
Look up Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston on the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s site: that riding, which takes in Central Frontenac, has one MPP.
Who heads the council in Central Frontenac?
In October 2022, Frances Smith won the post of mayor for Central Frontenac council’s 2022–26 term.
How much does Central Frontenac council spend?
In 2024, Central Frontenac council spent $14.7M in all, for some 3,761 residents, of which $8.7M went on roads and transit, the biggest line.
Which regional body is Central Frontenac part of?
Central Frontenac is part of Frontenac County, whose council, drawn from its municipalities’ councils, runs county-wide services.
How is Central Frontenac council elected?
Central Frontenac council: the mayor is chosen by the whole municipality, the councillors ward by ward.
What was the turnout in Central Frontenac?
33.3% of electors voted when Central Frontenac 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).