Photo: P199 · CC BY-SA 3.078% of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities spend more per resident than Melancthon
The October 2022 vote made Darren White mayor of Melancthon, heading 5 seats. Ontario voted again on 26 October 2026, and the province hasn’t published that election’s open file yet, so these are the 2022–26 council’s names. For the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Melancthon votes in Dufferin—Caledon; open data doesn’t yet say who its MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) is. The riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP) covering Melancthon is Dufferin—Caledon, and Kyle Seeback (Conservative Party of Canada) represents it in the House of Commons.
What stands out in how Melancthon is governed
Few residents per seat
Melancthon council has fewer 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 Melancthon council below 78% of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities in 2024. Council money ↓
Low federal turnout
At the 2021 federal election, 67% of the country’s ridings out-voted Dufferin—Caledon. The 2021 turnout ↓
Compared with the province’s municipalities of 1,000+ residents (2021 Census; MAMH, MMAH and Statistics Canada).
Three governments, and who does what
Melancthon, a township 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 public health and paramedics (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.
Melancthon is a lower-tier municipality: Dufferin County, the upper tier, has its own council and services over it.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Melancthon, from the most recent elections.
- 1Melancthon councilelected October 2022Darren White
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioDufferin—Caledon
- 3House of CommonsDufferin—Caledon
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 Melancthon council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Darren White
- James McLean
- Bill Neilson
- Ralph Moore
- Ruth Plowright
5 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darren White | Mayor | 629 | 76% | Yes |
| James McLean | Deputy Mayor | 688 | 83% | Yes |
| Bill Neilson | Councillor | 471 | 22% | Yes |
| Ralph Moore | Councillor | 393 | 18% | No |
| Ruth Plowright | Councillor | 470 | 22% | No |
Darren White became mayor on 76% of the votes cast. No seat on Melancthon council belongs to a ward; the mayor and every councillor face the whole municipality.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Melancthon 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 Melancthon council was chosen on 24 October 2022, just 33% of electors took part, under the provincial median.
How Melancthon voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Melancthon votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Melancthon council | 26 October 2026 | 28 October 2030 |
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | 27 February 2025 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
Why not 2025? Elections Canada publishes those counts under non-commercial terms, and its open data stop at the 2021 election. 28 October 2030 is the next council election in Melancthon, fixed by the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 for the fourth Monday in October every four years. Provincially the last general election was on 27 February 2025, for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario; federally, on 28 April 2025.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Melancthon votes in Dufferin—Caledon 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 ↗By law (the Representation Act, 2015), southern Ontario’s provincial ridings follow the 2013 federal boundaries, so each place is located from those. Dufferin—Caledon takes in Melancthon and elects its MPP to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada
Kyle Seeback represents Dufferin—Caledon in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Dufferin—Caledon · Conservative Party of Canada · first elected 2011
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
Of the 122 seats from Ontario, the Liberal Party of Canada holds 71, and Kyle Seeback’s Conservative Party of Canada has 50.
The MP’s record
Kyle Seeback first won a seat in 2011 and, after a spell away, came back to the Commons in 2019. Had the 2021 ballots been cast in today’s Dufferin—Caledon, the Conservative Party of Canada would have led with 49%; Kyle Seeback held it for them in 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
In 2021, Dufferin—Caledon re-elected Kyle Seeback of the Conservative Party of Canada
Counts for Dufferin—Caledon within its 2013 boundaries, used in 2019 and 2021; the 2025 election ran on a new map.
Back in 2019, Kyle Seeback took the riding on 42%. Kyle Seeback won the 2021 race in Dufferin—Caledon for the Conservative Party of Canada, polling 48% and beating Lisa Post (Liberal Party of Canada) by 11,623 votes.
All 6 candidates in Dufferin—Caledon, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kyle Seeback | Conservative Party of Canada | 31,490 | 48.0% |
| Lisa Post | Liberal Party of Canada | 19,867 | 30.3% |
| Samantha Sanchez | New Democratic Party | 6,866 | 10.5% |
| Anthony Zambito | People's Party of Canada | 4,389 | 6.7% |
| Jenni Michelle Le Forestier | Green Party of Canada | 2,754 | 4.2% |
| Stephen McKendrick | Independent | 207 | 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
Melancthon 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.
Melancthon council spent $1,457 per resident in 2024, against a median of $1,901 among Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities. Dufferin County, the upper tier, spent another $1,776 per resident of its whole area, most of it on social services and child care. It employs the equivalent of 9 full-time positions, or 2.9 for each thousand people. The largest line is roads and transit: 52% of the total, $759 a resident. Taxes on property make up 66% of what comes in, more than the province-wide 42%. Debt Melancthon council owes over the long term came to $124K, $39 a resident, under the median of $440.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roads and transit | $2.4M | $759 | 52% |
| General government | $902K | $288 | 20% |
| Police, fire and protection | $811K | $259 | 18% |
| Recreation and culture | $327K | $104 | 7% |
| Planning and development | $93K | $30 | 2% |
| Water, sewers and waste | $54K | $17 | 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 720 residents
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
Melancthon council has one seat for every 720 residents, fewer than in 74% of Ontario municipalities.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Melancthon 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. The 2021 Census population is shared over all council seats, including the head of council’s, for this ratio.
- 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.
- 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. A member who resigned or switched parties last week may still show here: the names are Wikidata’s.
- 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. Ridings changed in 2023: the 2019 and 2021 results are on the old map, and the 2021 vote on today’s map is Elections Canada’s own estimate from polling divisions.
Questions about how Melancthon is run
Who is the MP for Melancthon?
Melancthon is in Dufferin—Caledon, represented by Kyle Seeback (Conservative Party of Canada).
Which party won Melancthon in the 2021 federal election?
In 2021 it was Kyle Seeback (Conservative Party of Canada), who represents Dufferin—Caledon still.
Who is the MPP for Melancthon?
Melancthon votes in Dufferin—Caledon; the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s members page gives its current MPP.
Who heads the council in Melancthon?
In October 2022, Darren White won the post of mayor for Melancthon council’s 2022–26 term.
How much does Melancthon council spend?
The 2024 return of Melancthon council shows $4.6M of spending for roughly 3,132 residents, $2.4M of it on roads and transit.
Which regional body is Melancthon part of?
The council of Dufferin County, made up of members from its municipalities, Melancthon among them, is the upper tier.
How is Melancthon council elected?
At large: every voter helps fill all of Melancthon council, the mayor too.
What was the turnout in Melancthon?
In October 2022, turnout for Melancthon council was 32.5%, against 35.5% for the typical Ontario municipality.
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).