Photo: JFVoll · CC BY-SA 4.0Turnout in Mitchell reached 42% in 2022, higher than in 77% of Ontario’s municipalities
The council for Mitchell is that of West Perth, a municipality. West Perth’s council of 11 was elected in October 2022, with Walter McKenzie as mayor. 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. Mitchell sends one MP to Ottawa from Perth—Wellington, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP): John Nater (Conservative Party of Canada). For the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Mitchell votes in Perth—Wellington; open data doesn’t yet say who its MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) is.
What stands out in how Mitchell is governed
Few residents per seat
The middle municipality in Ontario has a seat for every 1,540 residents; West Perth council has fewer behind each. Council size ↓
Turnout above the norm
The 2022 vote for West Perth council pulled in more electors than Ontario’s median of 35%. How Mitchell voted ↓
High spending per resident
Per resident, West Perth council’s 2024 spending tops 69% of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities. Council money ↓
High federal turnout
In 2021, Perth—Wellington voted in greater numbers than 69% of the ridings. 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
Mitchell, a municipality in Ontario, shares the work with the province and Ottawa.
Local services, by-laws and property tax.
Spends most on public health and paramedics, 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.
Local government here has two tiers: West Perth below, Perth County above.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Mitchell, from the most recent elections.
- 1West Perth councilelected October 2022Walter McKenzie
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioPerth—Wellington
- 3House of CommonsPerth—Wellington
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 West Perth council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Walter McKenzie
- W. Dean Trentowsky
- Ryan Duck
- Steven Herold
- Nicholas Vink
- Murray Rose
- Andrew A Fournier
- Diane Chessell
- Doug Feltz
- Phillip O'Donnell
- Alex Foster
11 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walter McKenzie | Mayor | 1,893 | 65% | Yes |
| W. Dean Trentowsky | Deputy Mayor | 1,761 | 6% | Yes |
| Ryan Duck | Councillor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Steven Herold | Councillor | 254 | 28% | Yes |
| Nicholas Vink | Councillor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Murray Rose | Councillor | 1,227 | 30% | Yes |
| Andrew A Fournier | Councillor | – | acclaimed | No |
| Diane Chessell | Councillor | – | acclaimed | No |
| Doug Feltz | Councillor | 1,097 | 27% | No |
| Phillip O'Donnell | Councillor | 842 | 21% | No |
| Alex Foster | Councillor | 239 | 27% | No |
Walter McKenzie won 65% of the votes cast for mayor. Each ward chooses its own councillors on West Perth council, while the whole municipality votes for the mayor.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Mitchell voted more than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
Distances here run 19–25 km: that is how far the nearest places with figures are from Mitchell. On 24 October 2022, 42% of electors voted for West Perth council, a stronger showing than most of Ontario.
How Mitchell voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Mitchell votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| West Perth council | 26 October 2026 | 28 October 2030 |
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | 27 February 2025 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
There are no 2025 counts here: Elections Canada’s terms bar their commercial reuse, so 2021 is the latest open result. Parliament was last elected on 28 April 2025, and the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on 27 February 2025. The next council election in West Perth 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
Mitchell votes in Perth—Wellington 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. For the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Mitchell votes in Perth—Wellington, which has one MPP.
Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada
John Nater represents Perth—Wellington in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Perth—Wellington · Conservative Party of Canada · first elected 2015
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
John Nater sits with the Conservative Party of Canada, which has 50 of the 122 seats from Ontario, against 71 for the Liberal Party of Canada.
The MP’s record
The current Parliament is John Nater’s 4th, counting from a first win in 2015. Mapped onto today’s Perth—Wellington, the 2021 vote gives the Conservative Party of Canada 49%; in 2025 John Nater 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
Perth—Wellington returned John Nater (Conservative Party of Canada) in 2021
Perth—Wellington as it stood from 2013: the 2019 and 2021 counts, before the riding was redrawn for 2025.
John Nater already held it after the 2019 election, won with 46%. Perth—Wellington elected John Nater (Conservative Party of Canada) in 2021: 49% of the vote, a lead of 13,300 over Brendan Knight (Liberal Party of Canada).
All 4 candidates in Perth—Wellington, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Nater | Conservative Party of Canada | 26,984 | 48.6% |
| Brendan Knight | Liberal Party of Canada | 13,684 | 24.6% |
| Kevin Kruchkywich | New Democratic Party | 9,552 | 17.2% |
| Wayne Baker | People's Party of Canada | 5,357 | 9.6% |
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
West Perth council spends more 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 50% of revenue, against 42% across the province’s returns. West Perth council carried $6.8M of long-term debt, $753 per resident against a typical $440. On top of that comes Perth County: $1,486 a resident across its area, led by public health and paramedics. At $2,281 for every resident in 2024, West Perth council sits above the $1,901 median of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities. The largest line is roads and transit: 32% of the total, $741 a resident. Full-time staff number 47, about 5.2 to every thousand residents.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roads and transit | $6.7M | $741 | 32% |
| Police, fire and protection | $4M | $441 | 19% |
| Water, sewers and waste | $3.9M | $436 | 19% |
| Recreation and culture | $3.4M | $374 | 16% |
| General government | $2.1M | $229 | 10% |
| Planning and development | $473K | $52 | 2% |
| Public health and paramedics | $72K | $8 | 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 920 residents
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
67% of municipalities in Ontario have more residents per seat than West Perth council, at 920 each.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Mitchell 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. 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. Every seat counts, the head of council’s too, against the population of the 2021 Census.
- 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.
- Which riding. A riding is listed when 5% or more of the place’s 2021 Census residents live in it; the largest share comes first.
- 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.
Questions about how Mitchell is run
Who is the MP for Mitchell?
Perth—Wellington’s MP, John Nater of the Conservative Party of Canada, represents Mitchell.
Which party won Mitchell in the 2021 federal election?
John Nater (Conservative Party of Canada) took Perth—Wellington in 2021 and is its MP today.
Who is the MPP for Mitchell?
Look up Perth—Wellington on the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s site: that riding, which takes in Mitchell, has one MPP.
Who heads the council in Mitchell?
The open record gives Walter McKenzie, elected mayor of West Perth council in October 2022.
How much does West Perth council spend?
The 2024 return of West Perth council shows $20.6M of spending for roughly 9,038 residents, $6.7M of it on roads and transit.
Which regional body is West Perth part of?
West Perth is part of Perth County, whose council, drawn from its municipalities’ councils, runs county-wide services.
How is West Perth council elected?
By ward for councillors and at large for the mayor, on West Perth council.
What was the turnout in Mitchell?
42.2% of electors voted when West Perth 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).