Council
Regular Council meetings are open to the public and are normally held on the first Tuesday of every month at 9:00 am and the third Tuesday of every month at 6:30 pm in Council Chambers, at the Township Office, located at 312915 Dereham Line, Mount Elgin, ON.
The Township has returned to in-person/hybrid meetings held at the Township Office, in Council Chamber, unless posted otherwise. Council meetings are also broadcast live on the Township's YouTube channel.
Visit our Agendas and Minutes page for more information.
(s. 224 of the Municipal Act, 2001):
- To represent the public, and to consider the well-being and interests of the municipality.
- To develop and evaluate the policies and programs of the municipality.
- To determine which services the municipality provides.
- To ensure that administrative policies, practices, and procedures; and controllership policies, practices and, procedures are in place to implement the decisions of Council.
- To maintain the financial integrity of the municipality.
- To carry out the duties of Council under this or any other Act.
(s. 224 of the Municipal Act, 2001):
- To represent the public, and to consider the well-being and interests of the municipality.
- To develop and evaluate the policies and programs of the municipality.
- To determine which services the municipality provides.
- To ensure that administrative policies, practices, and procedures; and controllership policies, practices, and procedures are in place to implement the decisions of Council.
- To maintain the financial integrity of the municipality.
- To carry out the duties of council under this or any other Act.
Under Part VI.1 of the Municipal Act, 2001, the Mayor has special powers and duties including the power to:
- Bring matters to Council that advance certain Provincial priorities and veto any by-laws passed by Council that may interfere with the advancement of those priorities
- Appoint the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO)*
- Hire and dismiss certain Township staff and determine the organizational structure of the Township of South-West Oxford*
- Create committees of Council, assign their functions and appoint the Chairs and Vice Chairs of committees of Council*
- Propose the Township's budget subject to Council amendments, a Mayoral veto and a Council override process
*The Mayor may choose to delegate these specific powers and duties
The Mayor is required to exercise those powers and duties in writing and make them available to the public, subject to the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Any decisions or directions made under the Act will be posted below.
Decisions
The following is a list of decisions issued under the Part VI.1 of the Municipal Act, 2001
| Date | Decision Number | Subject Matter |
|---|---|---|
| July 9, 2025 | 2025-01 | Chief Administrative Officer & Committees |
| July 9, 2025 | 2025-02 | Organizational Structure |
| July 9, 2025 | 2025-03 | Approve By-Laws - July 8, 2025 |
Directions to Staff
The Mayor also has the ability to direct staff to undertake research and provide advice on policies and programs of the Township, or implement decisions made by the head of Council under the Act. Those decisions must also be in writing and available to the public.
| Date | Direction Number | Subject Matter |
|---|---|---|
Background
On April 9, 2025, the Province of Ontario announced the expansion of Strong Mayor Powers to 169 additional municipalities, including the Township of South-West Oxford, effective May 1, 2025. These powers are intended to support shared provincial-municipal priorities, particularly the acceleration of housing approvals and the construction and maintenance of infrastructure such as roads and transit. The expansion is part of the province's strategy to build 1.5 million new homes by 2031 and was enacted under the Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act and the Better Municipal Governance Act, which amended the Municipal Act, 2001.
Staff provided a high-level overview on the Mayor’s additional powers at the Council meeting on June 8th, 2025.
Additional information on the legislative framework will be added as required.
Township Council consists of the Mayor and Councillors, one from each of the Township’s six Wards. Councillors are elected by a vote of residents in their Ward while the Mayor, also referred to as the Head of Council, is elected Township-wide.
Members of Council are elected by residents to a four-year term of office, with the present Township Council's term ending in November of 2026. Council acts as South-West Oxford's decision-making body and Councillors in the municipality play three main roles: a representative role, a policy making role, and a stewardship role. Decisions of the municipality are made by Council as a whole. Generally, the Head of Council does not have any more power than any other member of Council to make decisions on behalf of the municipality as decisions of Council are made by consensus.
The elected Council represents the public and considers the well-being and interests of the Township on a range of matters such as roads, emergency services, building and structures, by-law enforcement, administration, licensing, property taxes, winter maintenance, and economic development. Council develops and determines which services the municipality provides and carries out the duties of Council under the Municipal Act and other provincial legislation.
Learn more about the Councillors here.
If you have a concern or need a decision of Council on a particular matter, you have the right to appear as a delegation at a meeting with Councillors to discuss your concerns.
If you have a concern about something happening in the Township, contact Township Staff to discuss the issue before registering as a delegation. Some concerns can be addressed by staff without having to go to Council for a decision and may lead to more rapid resolution of your concerns.
If your issue cannot be resolved by staff, staff can then advise you of the next steps to address your concerns, which may include appearing before Council.
Anyone who wishes to make a presentation to Council is required to complete a Delegation Request Form. If there are multiple delegates wishing to address an issue, the Clerk may encourage them to select one spokesperson to present their views within the allotted time frame. Any documentation to be presented should be delivered to the Township by the Wednesday prior to the meeting for inclusion in the distributed Council Agenda package. Please note that correspondence intended for Council is generally received as public information which is subject to the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Any person submitting correspondence shall advise the Clerk of any confidential items and the general nature of the confidentiality.
Delegations are generally scheduled for up to 15 minutes. Following parliamentary rules of procedure, as a delegation, you should not speak disrespectfully of any person, use offensive words, speak on any subject other than the subject for which you have received approval, disobey any decision of the Mayor, or enter into cross debate with other delegations, staff, or Members of Council.
Complete a Delegation Request Form Online.