Photo: Silver Dovelet · CC BY-SA 4.0Each seat on Markham’s council stands for 28,580 residents, more than in 97% of Ontario municipalities
Vinegar Hill sends one MP to Ottawa from Markham—Thornhill, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP): Tim Hodgson (Liberal Party of Canada). For the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Vinegar Hill spreads over 2 ridings: Markham—Thornhill and Markham—Stouffville. Who sits as MPP for Vinegar Hill isn’t on an open record; the Legislative Assembly of Ontario has the current list. As a neighbourhood of Markham, Vinegar Hill shares the council elected in October 2022, with Frank Scarpitti as mayor. Ontario held new municipal elections on 26 October 2026; until the province publishes them, the open record stops at the council elected in 2022.
What stands out in how Vinegar Hill is governed
Many residents per seat
The middle municipality in Ontario has a seat for every 1,540 residents; Markham council has far more people behind each. Council size ↓
Split between ridings
75% of Vinegar Hill residents live in Markham—Thornhill; the other 25% vote in Markham—Stouffville or beyond. Member of Parliament ↓
Low spending per resident
Spending per resident left Markham council below 83% 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
Vinegar Hill is governed by Markham, 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.
Markham is a lower-tier municipality: York Region, the upper tier, has its own council and services over it.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Vinegar Hill, from the most recent elections.
- 1Markham councilelected October 2022Frank Scarpitti
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioMarkham—Thornhill · Markham—Stouffville
- 3House of CommonsMarkham—Thornhill · 75%
- 4House of CommonsMarkham—Stouffville · 25%
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 Markham council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Frank Scarpitti
- Keith Irish
- Isa Lee
- Amanda Yeung Collucci
- Andrew Keyes
- Reid McAlpine
- Karen Rea
- Ritch Lau
- Juanita Nathan
- Jim Jones
- Joe Li
- Michael Chan
- Alan Ho
13 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frank Scarpitti | Mayor | 44,172 | 64% | Yes |
| Keith Irish | Councillor | 6,095 | 74% | Yes |
| Isa Lee | Councillor | 6,549 | 81% | Yes |
| Amanda Yeung Collucci | Councillor | 4,921 | 79% | Yes |
| Andrew Keyes | Councillor | 5,120 | 73% | Yes |
| Reid McAlpine | Councillor | 5,007 | 57% | Yes |
| Karen Rea | Councillor | 8,563 | 92% | Yes |
| Ritch Lau | Councillor | 3,012 | 36% | No |
| Juanita Nathan | Councillor | 5,388 | 48% | No |
| Jim Jones | Local and Regional Councillor | 26,578 | 13% | Yes |
| Joe Li | Local and Regional Councillor | 25,823 | 12% | Yes |
| Michael Chan | Local and Regional Councillor | 30,095 | 14% | No |
| Alan Ho | Local and Regional Councillor | 24,735 | 12% | Yes |
Each ward chooses its own councillors on Markham council, while the whole municipality votes for the mayor. The contest for mayor went to Frank Scarpitti, with 64% of the votes.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Vinegar Hill 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 Markham council was chosen on 24 October 2022, just 32% of electors took part, under the provincial median.
How Vinegar Hill voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Vinegar Hill votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Markham 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. Markham votes next on 28 October 2030: the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 sets municipal elections on the fourth Monday in October every four years. The last general elections came on 27 February 2025 for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and on 28 April 2025 for Parliament.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Vinegar Hill spans 2 ridings 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 ↗MPP: see the legislature’s list
ola.org ↗Which MPP in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario represents a home in Vinegar Hill depends on the street. Southern Ontario’s ridings are the 2013 federal ones by statute, which is how this page places the town.
Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada
Vinegar Hill has 2 MPs
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Markham—Thornhill · Liberal Party of Canada · 75%
en.wikipedia.org ↗Markham—Stouffville · Liberal Party of Canada · 25%
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
The Liberal Party of Canada holds 71 of 122 seats from Ontario, including Tim Hodgson’s.
The MP’s record
Tim Hodgson was elected to the Commons for the first time in April 2025. Mapped onto today’s Markham—Thornhill, the 2021 vote gives the Liberal Party of Canada 62%; in 2025 Tim Hodgson kept the seat in the same hands.
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
Mary Ng kept Markham—Thornhill for the Liberal Party of Canada in 2021
Markham—Thornhill as it stood from 2013: the 2019 and 2021 counts, before the riding was redrawn for 2025. It held 75% of Vinegar Hill’s residents.
At 56%, fewer of Markham—Thornhill voted in 2021 than Canada as a whole (63%). 54% had elected Mary Ng there in 2019. Mary Ng won the 2021 race in Markham—Thornhill for the Liberal Party of Canada, polling 62% and beating Melissa Felian (Conservative Party of Canada) by 13,573 votes.
All 5 candidates in Markham—Thornhill, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mary Ng | Liberal Party of Canada | 23,709 | 61.5% |
| Melissa Felian | Conservative Party of Canada | 10,136 | 26.3% |
| Paul Sahbaz | New Democratic Party | 3,222 | 8.4% |
| Mimi Lee | Green Party of Canada | 813 | 2.1% |
| Ilia Pashaev | People's Party of Canada | 648 | 1.7% |
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
Markham 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 16%, property taxes count for less of the revenue than the 42% seen across the province. Markham council carried $6.7M of long-term debt, $18 per resident against a typical $440. Each resident’s share of Markham council’s 2024 spending came to $1,381, where the middle of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities sat at $1,901. On top of that comes York Region: $2,226 a resident across its area, led by social services and child care. Full-time staff number 1,208, about 3.3 to every thousand residents. The largest line is water, sewers and waste: 37% of the total, $509 a resident.
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water, sewers and waste | $185.8M | $509 | 37% |
| Recreation and culture | $107.4M | $294 | 21% |
| Roads and transit | $72.5M | $198 | 14% |
| Police, fire and protection | $64.6M | $177 | 13% |
| General government | $52.7M | $144 | 10% |
| Planning and development | $21M | $57 | 4% |
| Social services and child care | $212K | $1 | 0% |
| Public health and paramedics | $18K | $0 | 0% |
Money: Financial Information Return 2024, Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
Markham council beside its neighbours
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
How Markham council compares is at the top of the page; here it stands beside its neighbours.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Vinegar Hill 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. 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. The 2021 Census homes of a place’s residents fix its ridings, and one is shown once it holds 5% of them.
- Who holds each seat. Who holds each seat is read from Wikidata, so a very recent change in the Commons may not appear yet.
- Not on this page. Party control (most Canadian councils sit without parties, and the open lists record none) and band councils.
- Council money. The 2024 Financial Information Return, totals after adjustments by service, per resident with the return’s own population. A lower tier’s figures leave out its county’s or region’s spending, so lower tiers are compared only with lower tiers.
- 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 Vinegar Hill is run
Who is the MP for Vinegar Hill?
Vinegar Hill has more than one: Tim Hodgson (Liberal Party of Canada) for Markham—Thornhill, and Helena Jaczek for Markham—Stouffville.
Which party won Vinegar Hill in the 2021 federal election?
Markham—Thornhill went to Mary Ng (Liberal Party of Canada) in 2021. Since 2025, Tim Hodgson has been the MP for Markham—Thornhill.
Who is the MPP for Vinegar Hill?
Parts of Vinegar Hill are in Markham—Thornhill and Markham—Stouffville; the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s site gives the MPP for each.
Who heads the council in Markham?
For the 2022–26 term, Markham council was led by Frank Scarpitti, elected mayor in October 2022.
How much does Markham council spend?
The 2024 return of Markham council shows $504.2M of spending for roughly 365,051 residents, $185.8M of it on water, sewers and waste.
Which regional body is Markham part of?
Markham is part of York Region, the upper tier, whose regional council runs services such as water and policing.
How is Markham council elected?
By ward for councillors and at large for the mayor, on Markham council.
What was the turnout in Vinegar Hill?
32.1% of electors voted when Markham 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).