Photo: Laslovarga · CC BY-SA 4.098% of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities spend more per resident than Puslinch
Voters in Puslinch chose James Seeley as mayor in October 2022, for a 5-seat council. 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, Puslinch belongs to Wellington—Halton Hills; 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. Puslinch sends one MP to Ottawa from Wellington—Halton Hills North, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP): Michael Chong (Conservative Party of Canada).
What stands out in how Puslinch is governed
Turnout below the norm
Puslinch council drew fewer of its electors to the polls in 2022 than the typical Ontario municipality (35%). How Puslinch voted ↓
Low spending per resident
Per resident, Puslinch council’s 2024 spending sits under 98% 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
Puslinch, 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 social housing (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.
Two councils serve Puslinch: its own, and that of Wellington County, the upper tier.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Puslinch, from the most recent elections.
- 1Puslinch councilelected October 2022James Seeley
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioWellington—Halton Hills
- 3House of CommonsWellington—Halton Hills North
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 Puslinch council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- James Seeley
- Sara Bailey
- Jessica Goyda
- John Sepulis
- Russel Hurst
5 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Seeley | Mayor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Sara Bailey | Councillor | 905 | 12% | Yes |
| Jessica Goyda | Councillor | 875 | 11% | Yes |
| John Sepulis | Councillor | 783 | 10% | Yes |
| Russel Hurst | Councillor | 755 | 10% | No |
All of Puslinch council is elected at large, with each voter helping fill every seat, the mayor’s as well. The race for mayor was never run: James Seeley was the only candidate.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Puslinch 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 Puslinch council on 24 October 2022 was 23% of electors, lower than the Ontario norm.
How Puslinch voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Puslinch votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Puslinch council | 26 October 2026 | 28 October 2030 |
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | 27 February 2025 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
The open federal catalogue ends at 2021; the 2025 results sit on elections.ca under terms that bar commercial use. The last general elections came on 27 February 2025 for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and on 28 April 2025 for Parliament. Under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, Puslinch’s next municipal vote is on 28 October 2030, the fourth Monday in October every four years.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Puslinch votes in Wellington—Halton Hills 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 ↗For the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Puslinch votes in Wellington—Halton Hills, which has one MPP. Ontario’s southern ridings copy the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), and the town is placed by them.
Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada
Michael Chong represents Wellington—Halton Hills North in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Wellington—Halton Hills North · Conservative Party of Canada · first elected 2004
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
From Ontario come 122 MPs: 71 for the Liberal Party of Canada, 50 for the Conservative Party of Canada, Michael Chong’s party.
The MP’s record
Michael Chong was first elected in 2004; the current Parliament is Michael Chong’s 8th. Mapped onto today’s Wellington—Halton Hills North, the 2021 vote gives the Conservative Party of Canada 47%; in 2025 Michael Chong kept the seat in the same hands. Wikidata records Michael Chong as Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs (2006) and President of the King's Privy Council for Canada (2006).
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
Michael Chong kept Wellington—Halton Hills for the Conservative Party of Canada in 2021
The 2019 and 2021 counts in Wellington—Halton Hills, Puslinch’s riding before the map was redrawn; it now votes in Wellington—Halton Hills North.
Wellington—Halton Hills turned out at 67% in 2021; the country managed 63%. Wellington—Halton Hills elected Michael Chong (Conservative Party of Canada) in 2021: 52% of the vote, a lead of 16,873 over Melanie Lang (Liberal Party of Canada). 47% had elected Michael Chong there in 2019.
All 5 candidates in Wellington—Halton Hills, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Chong | Conservative Party of Canada | 35,257 | 52.1% |
| Melanie Lang | Liberal Party of Canada | 18,384 | 27.2% |
| Noor Jahangir | New Democratic Party | 7,050 | 10.4% |
| Syl Carle | People's Party of Canada | 4,359 | 6.4% |
| Ran Zhu | Green Party of Canada | 2,606 | 3.9% |
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
Puslinch 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.
Taxes on property make up 56% of what comes in, more than the province-wide 42%. Residents are also served by Wellington County, which spent $2,797 each across its area, chiefly on social services and child care. The largest line is roads and transit: 29% of the total, $328 a resident. 30 full-time positions are funded, 3.5 per thousand residents. Puslinch council spent $1,112 per resident in 2024, against a median of $1,901 among Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roads and transit | $2.8M | $328 | 29% |
| Police, fire and protection | $2.8M | $322 | 29% |
| General government | $2.2M | $260 | 23% |
| Recreation and culture | $932K | $109 | 10% |
| Planning and development | $706K | $83 | 7% |
| Water, sewers and waste | $78K | $9 | 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 1,720 residents
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
A seat on Puslinch council covers 1,720 residents; 57% of Ontario municipalities have fewer per seat.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Puslinch 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. For residents per seat, the head of council is counted as a seat, and the population is the 2021 Census figure.
- 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.
- 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. 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. The 2021 Census homes of a place’s residents fix its ridings, and one is shown once it holds 5% of them.
Questions about how Puslinch is run
Who is the MP for Puslinch?
Michael Chong (Conservative Party of Canada) sits for Wellington—Halton Hills North, the riding Puslinch is in.
Which party won Puslinch in the 2021 federal election?
Michael Chong (Conservative Party of Canada) took Wellington—Halton Hills in 2021, and still holds the seat, now Wellington—Halton Hills North.
Who is the MPP for Puslinch?
Look up Wellington—Halton Hills on the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s site: that riding, which takes in Puslinch, has one MPP.
Who heads the council in Puslinch?
In October 2022, James Seeley won the post of mayor for Puslinch council’s 2022–26 term.
How much does Puslinch council spend?
In 2024, Puslinch council spent $9.5M in all, for some 8,530 residents, of which $2.8M went on roads and transit, the biggest line.
Which regional body is Puslinch part of?
Puslinch is part of Wellington County, whose council, drawn from its municipalities’ councils, runs county-wide services.
How is Puslinch council elected?
Every seat on Puslinch council, the mayor’s included, is filled by the whole municipality.
What was the turnout in Puslinch?
22.5% of electors voted when Puslinch 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).