Photo: JFVoll · CC BY-SA 4.0Erin spends less per resident than 89% of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities
Michael Chong (Conservative Party of Canada) is the MP for Wellington—Halton Hills North, the riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP) that takes in Erin. For the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Erin votes in Wellington—Halton Hills; open data doesn’t yet say who its MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) is. Erin’s council of 5 was elected in October 2022, with Michael Dehn as mayor. 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 Erin is governed
Many residents per seat
Erin council has more people behind each seat than most of Ontario, where the middle figure is 1,540 residents a seat. Council size ↓
Low spending per resident
Spending per resident left Erin council below 89% of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities in 2024. 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
Erin, a town 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 social housing (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 Erin: its own, and that of Wellington County, the upper tier.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Erin, from the most recent elections.
- 1Erin councilelected October 2022Michael Dehn
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioWellington—Halton Hills
- 3House of CommonsWellington—Halton Hills North
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 Erin council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Michael Dehn
- John Brennan
- Jamie Cheyne
- Cathy Aylard
- Bridget Ryan
5 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Dehn | Mayor | 1,776 | 53% | No |
| John Brennan | Councillor | 1,959 | 18% | Yes |
| Jamie Cheyne | Councillor | 1,805 | 16% | Yes |
| Cathy Aylard | Councillor | 2,050 | 19% | No |
| Bridget Ryan | Councillor | 2,011 | 18% | No |
There are no wards on Erin council: the whole electorate votes for every seat, the mayor too. Michael Dehn became mayor on 53% of the votes cast.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Erin voted more than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
On 24 October 2022, 37% of electors voted for Erin council, a stronger showing than most of Ontario.
How Erin voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Erin votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Erin council | 26 October 2026 | 28 October 2030 |
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | 27 February 2025 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
The 2025 results are left out because elections.ca’s terms forbid commercial reproduction; the open catalogue’s latest is 2021. Parliament was last elected on 28 April 2025, and the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on 27 February 2025. Under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, Erin’s next municipal vote is on 28 October 2030, the fourth Monday in October every four years.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Erin votes in Wellington—Halton Hills 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 ↗The riding is Wellington—Halton Hills: it sends one MPP to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and Erin votes in it. The riding comes from the 2013 federal map, which southern Ontario’s provincial ridings match under the Representation Act, 2015.
Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada
Michael Chong represents Wellington—Halton Hills North in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Wellington—Halton Hills North · Conservative Party of Canada · first elected 2004
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
In Ontario, Michael Chong belongs to a minority: the Conservative Party of Canada has 50 of 122 seats, the Liberal Party of Canada 71.
The MP’s record
In Ottawa, Michael Chong has been Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs (2006) and President of the King's Privy Council for Canada (2006). On today’s boundaries, the 2021 vote in Wellington—Halton Hills North would have gone to the Conservative Party of Canada with 47%, and Michael Chong kept it for them in 2025. The current Parliament is Michael Chong’s 8th, counting from a first win in 2004.
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, Wellington—Halton Hills re-elected Michael Chong of the Conservative Party of Canada
Before the 2023 redistribution, Erin voted in Wellington—Halton Hills; these are its 2019 and 2021 results, and Wellington—Halton Hills North is its riding today.
16,873 votes separated Michael Chong (Conservative Party of Canada) from Melanie Lang (Liberal Party of Canada) in Wellington—Halton Hills in 2021, when the winner took 52%. Back in 2019, Michael Chong took the riding on 47%. In 2021, 67% of electors cast a ballot in Wellington—Halton Hills, more than the national 63%.
All 5 candidates in Wellington—Halton Hills, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Chong | Conservative Party of Canada | 35,257 | 52.1% |
| Melanie Lang | Liberal Party of Canada | 18,384 | 27.2% |
| Noor Jahangir | New Democratic Party | 7,050 | 10.4% |
| Syl Carle | People's Party of Canada | 4,359 | 6.4% |
| Ran Zhu | Green Party of Canada | 2,606 | 3.9% |
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
Erin 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.
The return counts 37 full-time positions, 2.9 for every thousand residents. At 29% of spending ($372 a resident), roads and transit leads the budget. Each resident’s share of Erin council’s 2024 spending came to $1,265, where the middle of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities sat at $1,901. The upper tier, Wellington County, adds $2,797 per resident of its own, mostly for social services and child care. Erin council’s borrowing is light: $2M long term, $158 a resident where the median is $440. Property taxes and payments in lieu brought in 10% of revenue, against 42% across the province’s returns.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roads and transit | $4.7M | $372 | 29% |
| General government | $3.4M | $267 | 21% |
| Police, fire and protection | $2.7M | $210 | 17% |
| Water, sewers and waste | $2.2M | $176 | 14% |
| Recreation and culture | $2.2M | $176 | 14% |
| Planning and development | $823K | $65 | 5% |
| Public health and paramedics | $6K | $0 | 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 2,580 residents
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
A seat on Erin council covers 2,580 residents; 70% of Ontario municipalities have fewer per seat.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Erin 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
- Election results. Elections Canada redrew the ridings in 2023 and re-tallied the 2021 ballots onto the new map from polling divisions; that estimate, and the official 2019 and 2021 counts on the old map, are what you see.
- 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. MPs come from Wikidata’s records of the 45th Parliament, which can lag a resignation or a by-election by some days.
- Not on this page. Band councils, and which party runs the council: the open lists carry no party, and most councils have none.
- 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.
Questions about how Erin is run
Who is the MP for Erin?
Wellington—Halton Hills North’s MP, Michael Chong of the Conservative Party of Canada, represents Erin.
Which party won Erin in the 2021 federal election?
In 2021 it was Michael Chong (Conservative Party of Canada), in Wellington—Halton Hills; Michael Chong represents Wellington—Halton Hills North today.
Who is the MPP for Erin?
Look up Wellington—Halton Hills on the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s site: that riding, which takes in Erin, has one MPP.
Who heads the council in Erin?
In October 2022, Michael Dehn won the post of mayor for Erin council’s 2022–26 term.
How much does Erin council spend?
The 2024 return of Erin council shows $16M of spending for roughly 12,650 residents, $4.7M of it on roads and transit.
Which regional body is Erin part of?
The council of Wellington County, made up of members from its municipalities, Erin among them, is the upper tier.
How is Erin council elected?
At large: every voter helps fill all of Erin council, the mayor too.
What was the turnout in Erin?
It was 36.9% for Erin council in 2022, with Ontario’s municipalities at a median of 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).