Photo: ChadPerez49 · CC BY-SA 3.0Council seats in Markham are spread thin, 28,580 residents each, more than in 97% of Ontario municipalities
Markham, which governs Wismer Commons, elected Frank Scarpitti mayor in October 2022. 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. Michael Ma (Liberal Party of Canada) is the MP for Markham—Unionville, the riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP) that takes in Wismer Commons. Wismer Commons sends one MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from Markham—Unionville, though no open record we can reuse gives the name.
What stands out in how Wismer Commons 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
Federal boundaries divide Wismer Commons, with 52% of residents in Markham—Unionville and 48% outside it, mainly in Markham—Stouffville. Member of Parliament ↓
Low spending per resident
Most of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities spent more per resident in 2024 than Markham council: 83% 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
Wismer Commons 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.
York Region is the upper tier over Markham, a lower-tier municipality.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Wismer Commons, from the most recent elections.
- 1Markham councilelected October 2022Frank Scarpitti
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioMarkham—Unionville
- 3House of CommonsMarkham—Unionville · 52%
- 4House of CommonsMarkham—Stouffville · 48%
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 |
For mayor, Frank Scarpitti drew 64% of the votes. The mayor is chosen at large; everyone else on Markham council answers to a ward.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Wismer Commons voted less than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
Turnout for Markham council on 24 October 2022 was 32% of electors, lower than the Ontario norm.
How Wismer Commons voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Wismer Commons 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 | – |
Councils are elected on the fourth Monday in October every four years, says the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, so Markham votes next on 28 October 2030. Provincially the last general election was on 27 February 2025, for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario; federally, on 28 April 2025. No open copy of the 2025 counts exists, and Elections Canada’s own terms rule out commercial reuse, so 2021 is the last vote shown.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Wismer Commons votes in Markham—Unionville 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 ↗Southern Ontario’s ridings are the 2013 federal ones by statute, which is how this page places the town. Wismer Commons is in Markham—Unionville, one of the ridings that each elect a MPP to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada
Wismer Commons 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—Unionville · Liberal Party of Canada · member since 11 December 2025 · 52%
en.wikipedia.org ↗Markham—Stouffville · Liberal Party of Canada · 48%
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 Michael Ma’s.
The MP’s record
On today’s boundaries, the 2021 vote in Markham—Unionville would have put the Liberal Party of Canada first with 48%, 5.8 points ahead of the runner-up (Conservative Party of Canada). The 2025 general election sent Michael Ma to the Commons for the first time. Michael Ma was elected for the Conservative Party of Canada in 2025 and has sat with the Liberal Party of Canada since 11 December 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
Paul Chiang (Liberal Party of Canada) took Markham—Unionville in 2021
Markham—Unionville as it stood from 2013: the 2019 and 2021 counts, before the riding was redrawn for 2025.
Turnout in Markham—Unionville was 52% in 2021, against 63% nationally. The 2019 vote had gone another way, to Bob Saroya (Conservative Party of Canada) at 49%. The 2021 count in Markham—Unionville put Paul Chiang (Liberal Party of Canada) first at 49%, with Bob Saroya (Conservative Party of Canada) 2,999 votes back.
All 4 candidates in Markham—Unionville, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Chiang | Liberal Party of Canada | 21,958 | 48.6% |
| Bob Saroya | Conservative Party of Canada | 18,959 | 41.9% |
| Aftab Qureshi | New Democratic Party | 3,001 | 6.6% |
| Elvin Kao | Green Party of Canada | 1,306 | 2.9% |
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
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.
Property taxes and payments in lieu brought in 16% of revenue, against 42% across the province’s returns. Long-term debt at Markham council stood at $6.7M, or $18 a resident, below the $440 median. At $1,381 for every resident in 2024, Markham council sits below the $1,901 median of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities. 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. At 37% of spending ($509 a resident), water, sewers and waste leads the budget.
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.
The bars put the headline’s figure for Markham council next to nearby councils, the tick marking the provincial median.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Wismer Commons 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. The 2021 Census population is shared over all council seats, including the head of council’s, for this ratio.
- Which riding. The 2021 Census homes of a place’s residents fix its ridings, and one is shown once it holds 5% of them.
- Election results. Two maps are in play: the 2013 ridings, on which 2019 and 2021 were counted, and the 2023 ridings, onto which Elections Canada transposed the 2021 vote poll by poll.
- Not on this page. No party tally for the council, which the open lists don’t record, and no band councils.
- 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.
Questions about how Wismer Commons is run
Who is the MP for Wismer Commons?
Wismer Commons has more than one: Michael Ma (Liberal Party of Canada) for Markham—Unionville, and Helena Jaczek for Markham—Stouffville.
Which party won Wismer Commons in the 2021 federal election?
Paul Chiang won Markham—Unionville for the Liberal Party of Canada in 2021; the riding is now Markham—Unionville, held by Michael Ma.
Who is the MPP for Wismer Commons?
The riding for Wismer Commons is Markham—Unionville, and the Legislative Assembly of Ontario lists the MPP who holds it.
Who heads the council in Markham?
In October 2022, Frank Scarpitti won the post of mayor for Markham council’s 2022–26 term.
How much does Markham council spend?
In 2024, Markham council spent $504.2M in all, for some 365,051 residents, of which $185.8M went on water, sewers and waste, the biggest line.
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 Wismer Commons?
Turnout for Markham council reached 32.1% in October 2022 (Ontario median: 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).