Photo: JFVoll · CC BY-SA 4.0Turnout in Watford reached 52% in 2022, higher than in 94% of Ontario’s municipalities
Lambton—Kent—Middlesex is the riding Watford votes in for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and its MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) isn’t named here because no open list records the members. For federal votes, Watford belongs to Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP); Marilyn Gladu (Conservative Party of Canada) holds it. For local government, Watford falls under Warwick, a township. The October 2022 vote made Todd Case mayor of Warwick, heading 5 seats. 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.
What stands out in how Watford is governed
Few residents per seat
Warwick council has fewer people behind each seat than most of Ontario, where the middle figure is 1,540 residents a seat. Council size ↓
Turnout above the norm
In Ontario’s 2022 municipal elections, the middle municipality saw 35% of electors vote; Warwick council did better. How Watford voted ↓
High spending per resident
Only a minority of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities spent more per resident in 2024 than Warwick council: it is ahead of 91%. 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
Watford, 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 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.
Local government here has two tiers: Warwick below, Lambton County above.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Watford, from the most recent elections.
- 1Warwick councilelected October 2022Todd Case
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioLambton—Kent—Middlesex
- 3House of CommonsSarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong
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 Warwick council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Todd Case
- Wayne Morris
- Jerry Westgate
- John Couwenberg
- Joe Manning
5 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Todd Case | Mayor | 907 | 72% | No |
| Wayne Morris | Councillor | 664 | 13% | Yes |
| Jerry Westgate | Councillor | 691 | 14% | Yes |
| John Couwenberg | Councillor | 729 | 15% | No |
| Joe Manning | Councillor | 607 | 12% | No |
Todd Case became mayor on 72% of the votes cast. Every seat on Warwick council, the mayor’s included, is chosen by the whole municipality.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Watford voted more than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
On 24 October 2022, 52% of electors voted for Warwick council, a stronger showing than most of Ontario.
How Watford voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Watford votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Warwick council | 26 October 2026 | 28 October 2030 |
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | 27 February 2025 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario was last elected on 27 February 2025, and the House of Commons on 28 April 2025. The next council election in Warwick falls on 28 October 2030, the fourth Monday in October every four years under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996. Why not 2025? Elections Canada publishes those counts under non-commercial terms, and its open data stop at the 2021 election.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Watford votes in Lambton—Kent—Middlesex 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. The riding is Lambton—Kent—Middlesex: it sends one MPP to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and Watford votes in it.
Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada
Marilyn Gladu represents Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong · Conservative Party of Canada · first elected 2015
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
Marilyn Gladu is one of 50 Conservative Party of Canada MPs from Ontario, where the Liberal Party of Canada has the most seats: 71 of 122.
The MP’s record
On today’s boundaries, the 2021 vote in Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong would have gone to the Conservative Party of Canada with 47%, and Marilyn Gladu kept it for them in 2025. The current Parliament is Marilyn Gladu’s 4th, counting from a first win in 2015.
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
Lambton—Kent—Middlesex returned Lianne Rood (Conservative Party of Canada) in 2021
Results in Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, the riding Watford belonged to on the 2013 map used in 2019 and 2021; since 2025 it votes in Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong.
Lambton—Kent—Middlesex elected Lianne Rood (Conservative Party of Canada) in 2021: 48% of the vote, a lead of 16,879 over Sudit Ranade (Liberal Party of Canada). Lianne Rood already held it after the 2019 election, won with 49%. Lambton—Kent—Middlesex turned out at 67% in 2021; the country managed 63%.
All 5 candidates in Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lianne Rood | Conservative Party of Canada | 29,431 | 48.5% |
| Sudit Ranade | Liberal Party of Canada | 12,552 | 20.7% |
| Jason Henry | New Democratic Party | 11,107 | 18.3% |
| Kevin Mitchell | People's Party of Canada | 6,567 | 10.8% |
| Jeremy Hull | Green Party of Canada | 1,035 | 1.7% |
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
Warwick 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.
At 24% of spending ($722 a resident), roads and transit leads the budget. Full-time staff number 19, about 5.0 to every thousand residents. On top of that comes Lambton County: $2,010 a resident across its area, led by social services and child care. Warwick council spent $2,952 per resident in 2024, against a median of $1,901 among Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities. Warwick council carried $10.1M of long-term debt, $2,663 per resident against a typical $440. At 23%, property taxes count for less of the revenue than the 42% seen across the province.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roads and transit | $2.7M | $722 | 24% |
| Recreation and culture | $2.6M | $684 | 23% |
| Water, sewers and waste | $2.2M | $579 | 20% |
| General government | $1.7M | $439 | 15% |
| Police, fire and protection | $1.5M | $406 | 14% |
| Planning and development | $328K | $87 | 3% |
| Public health and paramedics | $131K | $35 | 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 790 residents
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
Only 790 residents share each seat on Warwick council, fewer than in 72% of Ontario municipalities.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Watford 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
- Not on this page. No party tally for the council, which the open lists don’t record, and no band councils.
- 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.
- Which riding. The 2021 Census homes of a place’s residents fix its ridings, and one is shown once it holds 5% of them.
- 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.
- Council size. Every seat counts, the head of council’s too, against the population of the 2021 Census.
- 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.
Questions about how Watford is run
Who is the MP for Watford?
Marilyn Gladu (Conservative Party of Canada) sits for Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong, the riding Watford is in.
Which party won Watford in the 2021 federal election?
In 2021 it was Lianne Rood (Conservative Party of Canada), in Lambton—Kent—Middlesex; Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong has elected Marilyn Gladu since.
Who is the MPP for Watford?
Lambton—Kent—Middlesex is the riding; its sitting MPP is on the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s own list of members for Watford and its neighbours.
Who heads the council in Watford?
For the 2022–26 term, Warwick council was led by Todd Case, elected mayor in October 2022.
How much does Warwick council spend?
The 2024 return of Warwick council shows $11.2M of spending for roughly 3,778 residents, $2.7M of it on roads and transit.
Which regional body is Warwick part of?
The council of Lambton County, made up of members from its municipalities, Warwick among them, is the upper tier.
How is Warwick council elected?
At large: every voter helps fill all of Warwick council, the mayor too.
What was the turnout in Watford?
It was 51.8% for Warwick 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 · 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).