Kitchener has one council seat for every 29,450 residents, more than 98% of municipalities in Ontario
Kitchener, which governs Huron South, elected Berry Vrbanovic mayor in October 2022. 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. Huron South sends one MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from Kitchener South—Hespeler, though no open record we can reuse gives the name. Matt Strauss (Conservative Party of Canada) is the MP for Kitchener South—Hespeler, the riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP) that takes in Huron South.
What stands out in how Huron South is governed
Many residents per seat
The middle municipality in Ontario has a seat for every 1,540 residents; Kitchener council has far more people behind each. Council size ↓
Turnout below the norm
The 2022 vote for Kitchener council drew fewer electors than Ontario’s median of 35%. How Huron South voted ↓
Low spending per resident
In 2024, 67% of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities spent more per resident than Kitchener council. 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
Huron South is governed by Kitchener, with Ontario and Ottawa.
The city council decides local matters.
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 Kitchener’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 Huron South, from the most recent elections.
- 1Kitchener councilelected October 2022Berry Vrbanovic
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioKitchener South—Hespeler
- 3House of CommonsKitchener South—Hespeler
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 Kitchener council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Berry Vrbanovic
- Debbie Chapman
- Scott Davey
- Bil Ioannidis
- Margaret Johnston
- Christine Michaud
- Dave Schnider
- Paul Singh
- Jason Deneault
- Ayo Owodunni
- Aislinn Clancy
11 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berry Vrbanovic | Mayor | 26,846 | 80% | Yes |
| Debbie Chapman | Councillor | 2,276 | 60% | Yes |
| Scott Davey | Councillor | 2,375 | 69% | Yes |
| Bil Ioannidis | Councillor | 1,620 | 42% | Yes |
| Margaret Johnston | Councillor | 2,596 | 88% | Yes |
| Christine Michaud | Councillor | 1,638 | 58% | Yes |
| Dave Schnider | Councillor | 3,284 | 82% | Yes |
| Paul Singh | Councillor | 2,060 | 75% | Yes |
| Jason Deneault | Councillor | 532 | 30% | No |
| Ayo Owodunni | Councillor | 844 | 32% | No |
| Aislinn Clancy | Councillor | 1,765 | 36% | No |
Seats on Kitchener council are tied to wards, apart from the mayor, whom every voter helps choose. For mayor, Berry Vrbanovic drew 80% of the votes.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Huron South voted less than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
20% of those on the list cast a ballot for Kitchener council on 24 October 2022, fewer than in a typical municipality.
How Huron South voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Huron South votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchener council | 26 October 2026 | 28 October 2030 |
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | 27 February 2025 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
The latest vote shown is 2021: the 2025 counts carry Elections Canada’s non-commercial terms. 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 Kitchener falls on 28 October 2030, the fourth Monday in October every four years under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Huron South votes in Kitchener South—Hespeler 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 Kitchener South—Hespeler: it sends one MPP to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and Huron South votes in it. 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
Matt Strauss represents Kitchener South—Hespeler in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Kitchener South—Hespeler · Conservative Party of Canada
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
Matt Strauss is one of 50 Conservative Party of Canada MPs from Ontario, where the Liberal Party of Canada has the most seats: 71 of 122.
The MP’s record
Had the 2021 ballots been cast in today’s Kitchener South—Hespeler, the Liberal Party of Canada would have led with 37%; in 2025 Matt Strauss took it from them. Matt Strauss was elected to the Commons for the first time in April 2025.
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
The Liberal Party of Canada kept Kitchener South—Hespeler in 2021 with Valerie Bradford
Counts for Kitchener South—Hespeler within its 2013 boundaries, used in 2019 and 2021; the 2025 election ran on a new map.
Just 15 of the 338 ridings in Canada were decided by less. In 2021, 62% of electors cast a ballot in Kitchener South—Hespeler, under the national 63%. Valerie Bradford (Liberal Party of Canada) took Kitchener South—Hespeler in 2021 with 37% of the vote, 947 votes ahead of Tyler Calver (Conservative Party of Canada). Back in 2019 the seat went to Marwan Tabbara (Liberal Party of Canada), on 40%.
All 8 candidates in Kitchener South—Hespeler, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valerie Bradford | Liberal Party of Canada | 18,596 | 37.5% |
| Tyler Calver | Conservative Party of Canada | 17,649 | 35.5% |
| Suresh Arangath | New Democratic Party | 8,079 | 16.3% |
| Melissa Baumgaertner | People's Party of Canada | 3,351 | 6.8% |
| Gabe Rose | Green Party of Canada | 1,710 | 3.4% |
| C.A. Morrison | Independent | 119 | 0.2% |
| Stephen Davis | Parti Rhinocéros Party | 93 | 0.2% |
| Elaine Baetz | Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada | 57 | 0.1% |
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
Kitchener 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.
At $270 per resident, Kitchener council’s $79.3M of long-term debt is less than the $440 median. Taxes on property make up 27% of what comes in, less than the province-wide 42%. It employs the equivalent of 1,386 full-time positions, or 4.7 for each thousand people. More goes to water, sewers and waste than to anything else: $416 a resident, 26% of all spending. Each resident’s share of Kitchener council’s 2024 spending came to $1,612, where the middle of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities sat at $1,901. Waterloo Region, the upper tier, spent another $2,285 per resident of its whole area, most of it on social services and child care.
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water, sewers and waste | $121.9M | $416 | 26% |
| Recreation and culture | $114.2M | $389 | 24% |
| Other | $70.7M | $241 | 15% |
| Police, fire and protection | $67M | $228 | 14% |
| Roads and transit | $44.6M | $152 | 9% |
| General government | $23.9M | $81 | 5% |
| Planning and development | $22.9M | $78 | 5% |
| Social services and child care | $4.2M | $14 | 1% |
| Public health and paramedics | $3.6M | $12 | 1% |
| Social housing | $197K | $1 | 0% |
Money: Financial Information Return 2024, Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
Kitchener council beside its neighbours
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
Nearby councils are drawn here for scale; the headline already says where Kitchener council stands.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Huron South 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 size. Residents per seat divide the 2021 Census population by every council seat, the head of council’s included.
- 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.
- Who holds each seat. Each MP’s name and party are Wikidata’s statements for the 45th Parliament, read in November 2026.
- Not on this page. Band councils, and which party runs the council: the open lists carry no party, and most councils have none.
- 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. Ridings are assigned from the 2021 Census: the one with most residents first, then any holding 5% or more.
Questions about how Huron South is run
Who is the MP for Huron South?
Huron South is in Kitchener South—Hespeler, represented by Matt Strauss (Conservative Party of Canada).
Which party won Huron South in the 2021 federal election?
In 2021 it was Valerie Bradford (Liberal Party of Canada), in Kitchener South—Hespeler; Kitchener South—Hespeler has elected Matt Strauss since.
Who is the MPP for Huron South?
The riding for Huron South is Kitchener South—Hespeler, and the Legislative Assembly of Ontario lists the MPP who holds it.
Who heads the council in Kitchener?
The open record gives Berry Vrbanovic, elected mayor of Kitchener council in October 2022.
How much does Kitchener council spend?
In 2024, Kitchener council spent $473.2M in all, for some 293,470 residents, of which $121.9M went on water, sewers and waste, the biggest line.
Which regional body is Kitchener part of?
The council of Waterloo Region sits above Kitchener’s and runs region-wide services, police and water among them.
How is Kitchener council elected?
By ward for councillors and at large for the mayor, on Kitchener council.
What was the turnout in Huron South?
It was 20.3% for Kitchener 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).