Photo: norgo · CC BY-SA 3.0Turnout in Severn was 31% in 2022, lower than in 66% of Ontario’s municipalities
Severn’s council of 7 was elected in October 2022, with Mike Burkett as mayor. The council shown is the one elected in 2022, since Ontario voted again on 26 October 2026 and no open file of the new councils exists yet. The riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP) covering Severn is Simcoe North, and Adam Chambers (Conservative Party of Canada) represents it in the House of Commons. In the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Severn belongs to Simcoe North; 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.
What stands out in how Severn is governed
Many residents per seat
Across Ontario the median is one seat per 1,540 residents, well under the ratio on Severn council. Council size ↓
Turnout below the norm
Across Ontario, median turnout in 2022 was 35%, and Severn council came in under it. How Severn voted ↓
Compared with the province’s municipalities of 1,000+ residents (2021 Census; MAMH, MMAH and Statistics Canada).
Three governments, and who does what
Severn, 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 water, sewers and waste (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.
Simcoe County is the upper tier over Severn, a lower-tier municipality.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Severn, from the most recent elections.
- 1Severn councilelected October 2022Mike Burkett
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioSimcoe North
- 3House of CommonsSimcoe 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 Severn council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Mike Burkett
- Judith Cox
- Jim McIntyre
- Mark Taylor
- Dan Janssen
- Phil Brennan
- Wanda Minnings
7 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Burkett | Mayor | 3,740 | 88% | Yes |
| Judith Cox | Deputy Mayor | 2,372 | 55% | Yes |
| Jim McIntyre | Councillor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Mark Taylor | Councillor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Dan Janssen | Councillor | 301 | 32% | No |
| Phil Brennan | Councillor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Wanda Minnings | Councillor | 511 | 64% | No |
Seats on Severn council are tied to wards, apart from the mayor, whom every voter helps choose. Mike Burkett became mayor on 87% of the votes cast.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Severn 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 Severn council was chosen on 24 October 2022, just 31% of electors took part, under the provincial median.
How Severn voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Severn votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Severn council | 26 October 2026 | 28 October 2030 |
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | 27 February 2025 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
Under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, Severn’s next municipal vote is on 28 October 2030, the fourth Monday in October every four years. The last general elections came on 27 February 2025 for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and on 28 April 2025 for Parliament. Elections Canada’s open records end with the 2021 election; its 2025 results are under terms that rule out commercial use.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Severn votes in Simcoe North 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 ↗Severn is in Simcoe North, 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
Adam Chambers represents Simcoe North in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Simcoe North · Conservative Party of Canada · first elected 2021
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
The Liberal Party of Canada leads Ontario with 71 of 122 seats; Adam Chambers is among the 50 from the Conservative Party of Canada.
The MP’s record
The current Parliament is Adam Chambers’ 2nd, counting from a first win in 2021. Elections Canada’s transposition of the 2021 vote onto today’s Simcoe North puts the Conservative Party of Canada first at 42%; Adam Chambers 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 Adam Chambers won Simcoe North, as the Conservative Party of Canada had in 2019
Results in Simcoe North as drawn in 2013, the boundaries of the 2019 and 2021 elections; the riding was redrawn for 2025.
Adam Chambers won the 2021 race in Simcoe North for the Conservative Party of Canada, polling 43% and beating Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux (Liberal Party of Canada) by 8,051 votes. Bruce Stanton (Conservative Party of Canada) had taken it in 2019 with 43%.
All 6 candidates in Simcoe North, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adam Chambers | Conservative Party of Canada | 27,383 | 43.1% |
| Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux | Liberal Party of Canada | 19,332 | 30.4% |
| Janet-Lynne Durnford | New Democratic Party | 9,958 | 15.7% |
| Stephen Makk | People's Party of Canada | 4,822 | 7.6% |
| Krystal Brooks | Green Party of Canada | 1,903 | 3.0% |
| Russ Emo | Christian Heritage Party of Canada | 210 | 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
Severn 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.
Debt Severn council owes over the long term came to $5.6M, $451 a resident, higher than the median of $440. Property taxes and payments in lieu brought in 53% of revenue, against 42% across the province’s returns. More goes to roads and transit than to anything else: $558 a resident, 30% of all spending. The return counts 69 full-time positions, 5.6 for every thousand residents. The upper tier, Simcoe County, adds $1,228 per resident of its own, mostly for social services and child care. Each resident’s share of Severn council’s 2024 spending came to $1,878, where the middle of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities sat at $1,901.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roads and transit | $6.9M | $558 | 30% |
| Police, fire and protection | $5.4M | $438 | 23% |
| Water, sewers and waste | $4.4M | $358 | 19% |
| General government | $3.6M | $292 | 16% |
| Recreation and culture | $2M | $159 | 8% |
| Planning and development | $848K | $69 | 4% |
| Public health and paramedics | $44K | $4 | 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 2,250 residents
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
Only 65% of municipalities in Ontario have fewer seats for their size than Severn council, at 2,250 residents each.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Severn 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. 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.
- Council size. Seats count the head of council and the councillors, and residents are the 2021 Census count; a neighbourhood shows its city’s.
- 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.
- Election results. Official counts for 2019 and 2021 are by the 2013 ridings; Elections Canada also re-counted the 2021 ballots onto the 2023 ridings by polling division, and that estimate is what “today’s boundaries” means here.
- Not on this page. Band councils, and which party runs the council: the open lists carry no party, and most councils have none.
- Who holds each seat. The members named here are Wikidata’s, kept up by volunteers; a by-election or a floor crossing may take a few days to show.
Questions about how Severn is run
Who is the MP for Severn?
For Severn, it’s Adam Chambers (Conservative Party of Canada), who holds Simcoe North.
Which party won Severn in the 2021 federal election?
In 2021 it was Adam Chambers (Conservative Party of Canada), who represents Simcoe North still.
Who is the MPP for Severn?
Severn votes in Simcoe North; the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s members page gives its current MPP.
Who heads the council in Severn?
The open record gives Mike Burkett, elected mayor of Severn council in October 2022.
How much does Severn council spend?
Severn council spent $23.2M in 2024 for about 12,340 residents; its largest service line was roads and transit, at $6.9M.
Which regional body is Severn part of?
Severn is part of Simcoe County, whose council, drawn from its municipalities’ councils, runs county-wide services.
How is Severn council elected?
Severn council: the mayor is chosen by the whole municipality, the councillors ward by ward.
What was the turnout in Severn?
Turnout for Severn council reached 30.9% 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).