WHO REPRESENTS US AT THE COUNTY LEVEL — AND WHAT'S CHANGING? Post 4
September 28th, 2026
In Post 3, we looked at where the average $4,073.13 property-tax bill goes.
61% — Town of Wasaga Beach26% — County of Simcoe13% — Education
Today, let's take a closer look at that 26% — the portion that goes to the County of Simcoe.
🌳 WHO SITS ON COUNTY COUNCIL?
Right now, Simcoe County Council has 32 members:
16 Mayors + 16 Deputy Mayors
Each of the County's 16 lower-tier municipalities has two representatives.
For Wasaga Beach, those representatives are:
Mayor Brian Smith
Deputy Mayor Tanya Snell
🗳️ THEN CAME A PROPOSAL TO CHANGE THE SIZE OF COUNTY COUNCIL
In 2025, Simcoe County Council proposed reducing its size:
32 members → 17 members
The proposed 17-member Council would consist of:
16 Mayors + 1 Head of Council
The Deputy Mayors would no longer sit on County Council.
📅 APRIL 22, 2025
County Council voted on the proposed by-law.
17 voted YES
15 voted NO
The by-law passed at the County Council level.
And here's an important detail:
Wasaga Beach's two County representatives voted NO.
Brian Smith — NAY
Tanya Snell — NAY
The official recorded minutes show both votes.
So the first part of the story is:
County Council voted 17–15 in favour of the proposed downsizing. Wasaga Beach's two County representatives voted against it.
🏘️ BUT COUNTY COUNCIL'S VOTE WASN'T THE FINAL WORD
Changing the composition of an upper-tier council required a "triple majority" process.
That meant the proposal also had to receive the required level of consent from the County's 16 lower-tier municipal councils.
And this is where the 8–8 vote comes in.
8 municipalities consented
8 municipalities did not consent
Nine municipalities were required for a majority.
The required municipal majority therefore wasn't achieved. The County subsequently reported that the by-law would self-repeal if the required conditions were not met by January 1, 2026.
And Wasaga Beach?
Wasaga Beach Council voted 7–0 not to consent to the proposed change.
So there were two separate stages:
County Council:Wasaga's two County representatives voted NO.
Lower-tier municipal process:Wasaga Beach Council voted 7–0 not to consent.
🏛️ THEN THE PROVINCE CHANGED THE RULES
The story didn't end there.
Ontario subsequently passed the Better Regional Governance Act, 2026.
The legislation establishes a new composition for Simcoe County Council beginning with the term following the 2026 municipal election.
The new Council will have:
17 MEMBERS
16 Mayors
+
1 appointed Head of Council
The legislation specifically provides that the 16 other members will be the heads of council of each of Simcoe County's lower-tier municipalities.
The County has confirmed that this new structure will apply to the 2026–2030 term. It has also approved changing the title from Warden to County Chair, effective November 15, 2026, and eliminating the Deputy Warden position.
🏖️ WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR WASAGA BEACH?
TODAY
Mayor + Deputy Mayor
= 2 County representatives
NEXT TERM
Mayor
= 1 County representative
The Deputy Mayor will no longer sit on County Council by virtue of holding that office.
💰 WHAT DOES COUNTY REPRESENTATION COST?
County Council members are compensated by the County.
The County's official 2025 Council Remuneration and Expenses report shows:
Brian Smith
County remuneration: $31,971.36
Tanya Snell
County remuneration: $31,371.36
For the 32 members of County Council, total 2025 remuneration was:
$1,112,452.03
The County also reported $131,799.32 in Council expenses and $72,400.01 in corporate expenses.
These are County-level amounts. They are separate from compensation paid by the Town of Wasaga Beach.
🏖️ WHAT ABOUT THEIR TOWN COMPENSATION?
The Town of Wasaga Beach's 2025 Treasurer's Statement reports:
Mayor Brian Smith
Town remuneration: $67,530.39Benefits: $13,832.36
Deputy Mayor Tanya Snell
Town remuneration: $37,571.59Benefits: $10,887.54
The Town reports its remuneration separately from County compensation.
So if someone asks:
"How much was the Mayor paid?"
The answer depends on which level of government you're asking about.
Town: $67,530.39 in 2025 remuneration
County: $31,971.36 in 2025 remuneration
Those are two separate government payments.
🤔 WHY DOES THIS MATTER?
Because 26% of the average Wasaga Beach property-tax bill goes to the County of Simcoe.
So I think residents should know:
Who represents us?
What does the County do?
How is County Council structured?
What did our representatives vote on?
What does County representation cost?
And how is the structure changing after this election?
Understanding how our governments work is an important part of understanding our taxes.
Know where your money goes.
Know who makes the decisions.
Thanks for listening! 💗
Next Taxation Monday: What does the Town of Wasaga Beach do with its 61%?
SUPPORTING INFORMATION / SOURCES
For readers who want to check the record:
April 22, 2025 County Council minutes: recorded vote on By-law 7119-25, including the individual votes of Brian Smith and Tanya Snell.
County report on the triple-majority process: confirms the 8–8 municipal result and that nine municipalities were required.
Ontario — Better Regional Governance Act, 2026: establishes the 17-member Simcoe County Council beginning with the term following the 2026 election.
County of Simcoe — 2025 Council Remuneration and Expenses: individual County remuneration and total Council remuneration.
Town of Wasaga Beach — 2025 Treasurer's Statement: Town remuneration and benefits for the Mayor and Deputy Mayor.
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