Photo: P199 · CC BY-SA 3.0Fewer than 93% of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities spend as much per resident as Perth
The October 2022 vote made Judy Brown mayor of Perth, heading 7 seats. Ontario held new municipal elections on 26 October 2026; until the province publishes them, the open record stops at the council elected in 2022. In the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Perth belongs to Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston; who holds it as MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) isn’t on an open record, so no one is named. Perth sends one MP to Ottawa from Lanark—Frontenac, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP): Scott Reid (Conservative Party of Canada).
What stands out in how Perth is governed
Turnout above the norm
The 2022 vote for Perth council pulled in more electors than Ontario’s median of 35%. How Perth voted ↓
High spending per resident
Per resident, Perth council’s 2024 spending tops 93% of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities. 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
Perth, a town 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.
Lanark County is the upper tier over Perth, a lower-tier municipality.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Perth, from the most recent elections.
- 1Perth councilelected October 2022Judy Brown
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioLanark—Frontenac—Kingston
- 3House of CommonsLanark—Frontenac
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 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.
- Judy Brown
- Ed McPherson
- Dave Bird
- Barry Smith
- Jim Boldt
- Isabel Anne McRae
- Gary Waterfield
7 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Judy Brown | Mayor | 983 | 39% | Yes |
| Ed McPherson | Deputy Mayor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Dave Bird | Councillor | 1,657 | 17% | Yes |
| Barry Smith | Councillor | 826 | 8% | Yes |
| Jim Boldt | Councillor | 1,150 | 11% | No |
| Isabel Anne McRae | Councillor | 1,387 | 14% | No |
| Gary Waterfield | Councillor | 1,360 | 14% | No |
No seat on Perth council belongs to a ward; the mayor and every councillor face the whole municipality. The contest for mayor went to Judy Brown, with 39% of the votes. One seat went uncontested.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Perth voted more than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
Perth council was elected on 24 October 2022 with 46% of electors voting, above the provincial middle.
How Perth voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Perth votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Perth council | 26 October 2026 | 28 October 2030 |
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | 27 February 2025 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
The next council election in Perth falls on 28 October 2030, the fourth Monday in October every four years under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996. Voters last chose the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on 27 February 2025 and the House of Commons on 28 April 2025. There are no 2025 counts here: Elections Canada’s terms bar their commercial reuse, so 2021 is the latest open result.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Perth votes in Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston 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 ↗Perth is in Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, one of the ridings that each elect a MPP to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. The riding comes from the 2013 federal map, which southern Ontario’s provincial ridings match under the Representation Act, 2015.
Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada
Scott Reid represents Lanark—Frontenac in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Lanark—Frontenac · Conservative Party of Canada · first elected 2000
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
The Conservative Party of Canada, Scott Reid’s party, takes 50 of the 122 seats from Ontario; the Liberal Party of Canada takes 71.
The MP’s record
First elected in 2000, Scott Reid is serving the 9th term of a Commons career. Elections Canada’s transposition of the 2021 vote onto today’s Lanark—Frontenac puts the Conservative Party of Canada first at 50%; Scott Reid held it for the party 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, Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston re-elected Scott Reid of the Conservative Party of Canada
Before the 2023 redistribution, Perth voted in Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston; these are its 2019 and 2021 results, and Lanark—Frontenac is its riding today.
Scott Reid won the 2021 race in Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston for the Conservative Party of Canada, polling 49% and beating Michelle Foxton (Liberal Party of Canada) by 14,144 votes. Back in 2019, Scott Reid took the riding on 48%. In 2021, 70% of electors cast a ballot in Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, more than the national 63%.
All 6 candidates in Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scott Reid | Conservative Party of Canada | 30,761 | 48.9% |
| Michelle Foxton | Liberal Party of Canada | 16,617 | 26.4% |
| Steve Garrison | New Democratic Party | 9,828 | 15.6% |
| Florian Bors | People's Party of Canada | 3,830 | 6.1% |
| Calvin Neufeld | Green Party of Canada | 1,664 | 2.7% |
| Blake Hamilton | Parti Rhinocéros Party | 211 | 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
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.
The return counts 50 full-time positions, 7.7 for every thousand residents. More goes to water, sewers and waste than to anything else: $811 a resident, 27% of all spending. Spending by Perth council reached $3,008 a resident in 2024, well over the $1,901 median of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities. The upper tier, Lanark County, adds $1,553 per resident of its own, mostly for social services and child care. Perth council’s borrowing is on the heavy side: $4.9M long term, $753 a resident where the median is $440. Property taxes and payments in lieu brought in 47% of revenue, against 42% across the province’s returns.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water, sewers and waste | $5.2M | $811 | 27% |
| Police, fire and protection | $4.4M | $687 | 23% |
| Recreation and culture | $3.6M | $556 | 18% |
| Roads and transit | $2.6M | $406 | 14% |
| General government | $1.9M | $299 | 10% |
| Planning and development | $1.6M | $248 | 8% |
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 1,000 residents
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
Each seat on Perth council answers to 1,000 residents, a lower ratio than 64% of municipalities in Ontario.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Perth 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 council size includes the head of council; the population is the 2021 Census, the whole city’s for a neighbourhood.
- 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.
- 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. No party tally for the council, which the open lists don’t record, and no band councils.
- 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.
- Which riding. Where residents of the 2021 Census live decides the riding; any riding with 5% of them or more is named.
Questions about how Perth is run
Who is the MP for Perth?
Lanark—Frontenac’s MP, Scott Reid of the Conservative Party of Canada, represents Perth.
Which party won Perth in the 2021 federal election?
In 2021 it was Scott Reid (Conservative Party of Canada), in Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston; Scott Reid represents Lanark—Frontenac today.
Who is the MPP for Perth?
Perth votes in Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston; the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s members page gives its current MPP.
Who heads the council in Perth?
The open record gives Judy Brown, elected mayor of Perth council in October 2022.
How much does Perth council spend?
In 2024, Perth council spent $19.5M in all, for some 6,469 residents, of which $5.2M went on water, sewers and waste, the biggest line.
Which regional body is Perth part of?
Perth is part of Lanark County, whose council, drawn from its municipalities’ councils, runs county-wide services.
How is Perth council elected?
Every seat on Perth council, the mayor’s included, is filled by the whole municipality.
What was the turnout in Perth?
Turnout for Perth council reached 46.1% 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).