Photo: JFVoll · CC BY-SA 3.0How is Tavistock run?
For local government, Tavistock falls under East Zorra-Tavistock, a township. In October 2022, East Zorra-Tavistock elected Philip Schaefer as mayor, with a council of 7. 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. Tavistock sits in Oxford, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP), but the open record names no current MP for it. For the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Tavistock votes in Oxford; open data doesn’t yet say who its MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) is.
Three governments, and who does what
Tavistock, 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.
Above East Zorra-Tavistock’s council sits Oxford County, the upper tier, which runs services across all its municipalities.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Tavistock, from the most recent elections.
- 1East Zorra-Tavistock councilelected October 2022Philip Schaefer
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioOxford
- 3House of CommonsOxford
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 East Zorra-Tavistock council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Philip Schaefer
- Brad Smith
- Matthew Gillespie
- Scott Rudy
- Jeremy Smith
- Steven Van Wyk
- Scott Zehr
7 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philip Schaefer | Mayor | 1,218 | 55% | Yes |
| Brad Smith | Deputy Mayor | 1,396 | 63% | No |
| Matthew Gillespie | Councillor | 542 | 38% | Yes |
| Scott Rudy | Councillor | – | acclaimed | Yes |
| Jeremy Smith | Councillor | 556 | 39% | Yes |
| Steven Van Wyk | Councillor | – | acclaimed | No |
| Scott Zehr | Councillor | – | acclaimed | No |
Voters pick a mayor for the whole municipality and the rest of East Zorra-Tavistock council ward by ward. The contest for mayor went to Philip Schaefer, with 55% of the votes.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Tavistock voted more than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
East Zorra-Tavistock council was elected on 24 October 2022 with 39% of electors voting, above the provincial middle.
How Tavistock voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Tavistock votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| East Zorra-Tavistock 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 East Zorra-Tavistock 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. No open copy of the 2025 counts exists, and Elections Canada’s own terms rule out commercial reuse, so 2021 is the last vote shown.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Tavistock votes in Oxford 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 ↗The riding is Oxford: it sends one MPP to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and Tavistock votes in it. By law (the Representation Act, 2015), southern Ontario’s provincial ridings follow the 2013 federal boundaries, so each place is located from those.
Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada
Oxford: no current MP on record
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Oxford
ourcommons.ca ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
The MP’s record
Elections Canada’s transposition of the 2021 vote onto today’s Oxford gives the Conservative Party of Canada 47%, a lead of 26.1 points over the runner-up (Liberal Party of Canada).
Member of Parliament: same source as Who represents Tavistock, above.
In 2021, Oxford re-elected Dave MacKenzie of the Conservative Party of Canada
Counts for Oxford within its 2013 boundaries, used in 2019 and 2021; the 2025 election ran on a new map.
At 65%, more of Oxford voted in 2021 than Canada as a whole (63%). Oxford elected Dave MacKenzie (Conservative Party of Canada) in 2021: 47% of the vote, a lead of 16,426 over Elizabeth Quinto (Liberal Party of Canada). Back in 2019, Dave MacKenzie took the riding on 48%.
All 6 candidates in Oxford, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dave MacKenzie | Conservative Party of Canada | 29,146 | 47.1% |
| Elizabeth Quinto | Liberal Party of Canada | 12,720 | 20.5% |
| Matthew Chambers | New Democratic Party | 11,325 | 18.3% |
| Wendy Martin | People's Party of Canada | 6,595 | 10.7% |
| Bob Reid | Green Party of Canada | 1,683 | 2.7% |
| Allen Scovil | Christian Heritage Party of Canada | 479 | 0.8% |
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
East Zorra-Tavistock 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.
Long-term debt at East Zorra-Tavistock council stood at $435K, or $56 a resident, below the $440 median. Taxes on property make up 71% of what comes in, more than the province-wide 42%. More goes to roads and transit than to anything else: $433 a resident, 33% of all spending. It employs the equivalent of 34 full-time positions, or 4.3 for each thousand people. Oxford County, the upper tier, spent another $2,483 per resident of its whole area, most of it on social services and child care. At $1,331 for every resident in 2024, East Zorra-Tavistock council sits below the $1,901 median of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roads and transit | $3.4M | $433 | 33% |
| Police, fire and protection | $2.8M | $351 | 26% |
| General government | $2.1M | $268 | 20% |
| Recreation and culture | $1.4M | $182 | 14% |
| Planning and development | $652K | $83 | 6% |
| Water, sewers and waste | $105K | $13 | 1% |
| Public health and paramedics | $4K | $1 | 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 1,240 residents
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
At 1,240 residents a seat, East Zorra-Tavistock council is more closely spread than 56% of Ontario municipalities.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Tavistock 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. Every seat counts, the head of council’s too, against the population of the 2021 Census.
- 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. Where the page says “today’s boundaries”, it means Elections Canada’s estimate of the 2021 vote on the 2023 ridings; every other count is official and on the 2013 map.
- 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. MPs come from Wikidata’s records of the 45th Parliament, which can lag a resignation or a by-election by some days.
Questions about how Tavistock is run
Who is the MP for Tavistock?
Tavistock is in Oxford, whose current MP isn’t on the open record yet; the House of Commons lists every member.
Which party won Tavistock in the 2021 federal election?
The Conservative Party of Canada, with Dave MacKenzie in Oxford; the riding is now Oxford.
Who is the MPP for Tavistock?
Tavistock votes in Oxford; the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s members page gives its current MPP.
Who heads the council in Tavistock?
In October 2022, Philip Schaefer won the post of mayor for East Zorra-Tavistock council’s 2022–26 term.
How much does East Zorra-Tavistock council spend?
The 2024 return of East Zorra-Tavistock council shows $10.4M of spending for roughly 7,841 residents, $3.4M of it on roads and transit.
Which regional body is East Zorra-Tavistock part of?
The council of Oxford County, made up of members from its municipalities, East Zorra-Tavistock among them, is the upper tier.
How is East Zorra-Tavistock council elected?
By ward for councillors and at large for the mayor, on East Zorra-Tavistock council.
What was the turnout in Tavistock?
It was 38.5% for East Zorra-Tavistock council in 2022, with Ontario’s municipalities at a median of 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. 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).