Photo: Balcer · Public domain7,940 residents per council seat in Woodstock, a higher ratio than 89% of Ontario municipalities
Oxford is the riding Woodstock 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. Federally Woodstock votes in Oxford, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP); its sitting MP isn’t on the open record. Jerry Acchione was elected mayor of Woodstock in October 2022, on a council of 7 seats. 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.
What stands out in how Woodstock is governed
Many residents per seat
Woodstock council has more people behind each seat than most of Ontario, where the middle figure is 1,540 residents a seat. Council size ↓
Turnout below the norm
In Ontario’s 2022 municipal elections, the middle municipality saw 35% of electors vote; Woodstock council fell short of that. How Woodstock voted ↓
Compared with the province’s municipalities of 1,000+ residents (2021 Census; MAMH, MMAH and Statistics Canada).
Three governments, and who does what
Woodstock, a city 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.
Woodstock is a lower-tier municipality: Oxford County, the upper tier, has its own council and services over it.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Woodstock, from the most recent elections.
- 1Woodstock councilelected October 2022Jerry Acchione
- 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 Woodstock council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Jerry Acchione
- Connie Lauder
- Mark Schadenberg
- Kate Leatherbarrow
- Liz Wismer-Van Meer
- Deb Tait
- Bernia Wheaton
7 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jerry Acchione | Mayor | 3,612 | 39% | Yes |
| Connie Lauder | Councillor | 3,605 | 12% | Yes |
| Mark Schadenberg | Councillor | 3,598 | 12% | Yes |
| Kate Leatherbarrow | Councillor | 4,901 | 16% | No |
| Liz Wismer-Van Meer | Councillor | 4,843 | 16% | No |
| Deb Tait | Local and County Councillor | 4,207 | 28% | Yes |
| Bernia Wheaton | Local and County Councillor | 4,509 | 30% | No |
No seat on Woodstock council belongs to a ward; the mayor and every councillor face the whole municipality. The contest for mayor went to Jerry Acchione, with 39% of the votes.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Woodstock voted less than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
Woodstock council was elected on 24 October 2022 with 28% of electors voting, below the provincial middle.
How Woodstock voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Woodstock votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Woodstock 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. Under the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, Woodstock’s next municipal vote is on 28 October 2030, the fourth Monday in October every four years. 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
Woodstock 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 ↗Oxford takes in Woodstock and elects its 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
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
Had the 2021 ballots been cast in today’s Oxford, the Conservative Party of Canada would have led with 47%, 26.1 points over the runner-up (Liberal Party of Canada).
Member of Parliament: same source as Who represents Woodstock, above.
Oxford returned Dave MacKenzie (Conservative Party of Canada) in 2021
Results in Oxford as drawn in 2013, the boundaries of the 2019 and 2021 elections; the riding was redrawn for 2025.
In 2021, 65% of electors cast a ballot in Oxford, more than the national 63%. Back in 2019, Dave MacKenzie took the riding on 48%. The 2021 count in Oxford put Dave MacKenzie (Conservative Party of Canada) first at 47%, with Elizabeth Quinto (Liberal Party of Canada) 16,426 votes back.
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
Woodstock 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.
Local taxpayers carry a bigger share than elsewhere: 55% of revenue, where the province’s returns show 42%. Woodstock council’s borrowing is light: $15M long term, $322 a resident where the median is $440. Spending by Woodstock council reached $2,130 a resident in 2024, well over the $1,901 median of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities. The upper tier, Oxford County, adds $2,483 per resident of its own, mostly for social services and child care. The return counts 423 full-time positions, 9.1 for every thousand residents. The largest line is police, fire and protection: 39% of the total, $825 a resident.
Spending per resident nearby
Every service line, 2024
| Service | 2024 | Per resident | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Police, fire and protection | $38.6M | $825 | 39% |
| Roads and transit | $21.9M | $470 | 22% |
| Recreation and culture | $20M | $428 | 20% |
| Planning and development | $11.8M | $253 | 12% |
| General government | $4.8M | $103 | 5% |
| Water, sewers and waste | $2M | $43 | 2% |
| Social services and child care | $361K | $8 | 0% |
Money: Financial Information Return 2024, Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
Woodstock council beside its neighbours
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
Nearby councils are drawn here for scale; the headline already says where Woodstock council stands.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Woodstock 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
- 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.
- Not on this page. No party tally for the council, which the open lists don’t record, and no band councils.
- 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.
- Which riding. Where residents of the 2021 Census live decides the riding; any riding with 5% of them or more is named.
- 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.
Questions about how Woodstock is run
Who is the MP for Woodstock?
Woodstock is in Oxford, whose current MP isn’t on the open record yet; the House of Commons lists every member.
Which party won Woodstock 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 Woodstock?
The riding for Woodstock is Oxford, and the Legislative Assembly of Ontario lists the MPP who holds it.
Who heads the council in Woodstock?
For the 2022–26 term, Woodstock council was led by Jerry Acchione, elected mayor in October 2022.
How much does Woodstock council spend?
Woodstock council spent $99.5M in 2024 for about 46,705 residents; its largest service line was police, fire and protection, at $38.6M.
Which regional body is Woodstock part of?
The council of Oxford County, made up of members from its municipalities, Woodstock among them, is the upper tier.
How is Woodstock council elected?
At large: every voter helps fill all of Woodstock council, the mayor too.
What was the turnout in Woodstock?
In October 2022, turnout for Woodstock council was 27.7%, against 35.5% for the typical Ontario municipality.
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).