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Durham Regional Council

Governs Regional Municipality of Durham

Official website (durham.ca) Report a problem with this page

Source: durham.ca, checked
What it's for

An Ontario municipal council can provide any service or thing it considers necessary or desirable for the public, and passes by-laws on matters such as health and safety, animals, structures, business licensing and the municipality's economic, social and environmental well-being. In two-tier areas, the Act divides these powers between the upper-tier (county or region) and lower-tier councils.

Municipal Act, 2001, ss. 2, 8, 10 and 11 · Applies to every Ontario municipal council (Toronto has its own text)

What it can't do

A by-law has no effect to the extent it conflicts with a provincial or federal law, regulation or approval, including where it frustrates the purpose of that law.

Municipal Act, 2001, s. 14 · Applies to every Ontario municipal council (Toronto has its own text)

Who it answers to

Voters elect council every four years, on the fourth Monday in October. Council may appoint an Integrity Commissioner and an Ombudsman who report to it, and in municipalities the province designates, the head of council has special powers under Part VI.1 of the Act.

Municipal Elections Act, 1996, ss. 4 and 5; Municipal Act, 2001, ss. 223.3, 223.13 and 284.2 · Applies to every Ontario municipal council (Toronto has its own text)

Where its money comes from

Mostly property taxes, set each year by by-law as a tax rate for each property class, plus fees and charges for services and for the use of municipal property.

Municipal Act, 2001, ss. 311, 312 and 391 · Applies to every Ontario municipal council (Toronto has its own text)

Shares responsibility with

Shares responsibilities with the upper-tier or lower-tier council in two-tier areas, and with the province, which sets municipal powers and duties in the Municipal Act and many other Acts.

Show all 9Show fewer

Municipal Act, 2001, ss. 2 and 11 · Applies to every Ontario municipal council (Toronto has its own text)

Who sits on it

Sourced · checked

Sources for who sits on it

  • Regional Chair ontario.ca · checked
    durham.ca · checked
  • John Henry as Regional Chair durham.ca · checked
  • Regional Councillors for Whitby durham.ca · checked
  • Chris Leahy as Regional Councillors for Whitby durham.ca · checked
  • Maleeha Shahid as Regional Councillors for Whitby durham.ca · checked
  • Rhonda Mulcahy as Regional Councillors for Whitby durham.ca · checked
  • Steve Yamada as Regional Councillors for Whitby durham.ca · checked
  • Mayor of Whitby durham.ca · checked
  • Elizabeth Roy as Mayor of Whitby durham.ca · checked
  • Regional Councillors for Uxbridge durham.ca · checked
  • Bruce Garrod as Regional Councillors for Uxbridge durham.ca · checked
  • Mayor of Uxbridge durham.ca · checked
  • Dave Barton as Mayor of Uxbridge durham.ca · checked
  • Regional Councillors for Scugog durham.ca · checked
  • Ian McDougall as Regional Councillors for Scugog durham.ca · checked
  • Mayor of Scugog durham.ca · checked
  • Wilma Wotten as Mayor of Scugog durham.ca · checked
  • Regional Councillors for Pickering durham.ca · checked
  • David Pickles as Regional Councillors for Pickering durham.ca · checked
  • Linda Cook as Regional Councillors for Pickering durham.ca · checked
  • Maurice Brenner as Regional Councillors for Pickering durham.ca · checked
  • Mayor of Pickering durham.ca · checked
  • Kevin Ashe as Mayor of Pickering durham.ca · checked
  • Regional Councillors for Oshawa durham.ca · checked
  • Bob Chapman as Regional Councillors for Oshawa durham.ca · checked
  • Brian Nicholson as Regional Councillors for Oshawa durham.ca · checked
  • John Neal as Regional Councillors for Oshawa durham.ca · checked
  • Rick Kerr as Regional Councillors for Oshawa durham.ca · checked
  • Tito-Dante Marimpietri as Regional Councillors for Oshawa durham.ca · checked
  • Mayor of Oshawa durham.ca · checked
  • Dan Carter as Mayor of Oshawa durham.ca · checked
  • Regional Councillors for Clarington durham.ca · checked
  • Granville Anderson as Regional Councillors for Clarington durham.ca · checked
  • Willie Woo as Regional Councillors for Clarington durham.ca · checked
  • Mayor of Clarington durham.ca · checked
  • Adrian Foster as Mayor of Clarington durham.ca · checked
  • Regional Councillors for Brock durham.ca · checked
  • Cria Pettingill as Regional Councillors for Brock durham.ca · checked
  • Mayor of Brock durham.ca · checked
  • Michael Jubb as Mayor of Brock durham.ca · checked
  • Regional Councillors for Ajax durham.ca · checked
  • Joanne Dies as Regional Councillors for Ajax durham.ca · checked
  • Marilyn Crawford as Regional Councillors for Ajax durham.ca · checked
  • Sterling Lee as Regional Councillors for Ajax durham.ca · checked
  • Mayor of Ajax durham.ca · checked
  • Shaun Collier as Mayor of Ajax durham.ca · checked
Report a problem

What it can do

  • Emergency management

    Must develop and implement an emergency management program (Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act s.2.1).

  • Property tax

    Sets an annual levy on the lower-tier municipalities, which collect it with their property taxes (Municipal Act, 2001 Part IX, Taxation).

  • Bylaws

    Passes by-laws in the spheres of jurisdiction assigned to the upper tier by s.11(3) and (4) of the Municipal Act, 2001 and enforces them (s.425).

  • Land use planning and development

    Prepares an upper-tier official plan and is often the approval authority for plans of subdivision and local official plans under the Planning Act.

  • Waste management

    Provides waste management services assigned to it, commonly waste disposal and diversion (Municipal Act, 2001 s.11(3), s.11(4)).

  • Roads

    Has jurisdiction over county or regional roads and bridges, including keeping them in repair (Municipal Act, 2001 s.11(3), s.44).

  • Municipal purposes

    Has the capacity, rights, powers and privileges of a natural person and may provide services and pass by-laws only in the spheres, or parts of spheres, of jurisdiction the Municipal Act, 2001 assigns to upper-tier municipalities (s.9, s.11(1), s.11(4)).

Sourced · checked

Sources for what it can do

  • Emergency management ontario.ca · checked
  • Property tax ontario.ca · checked
  • Bylaws ontario.ca · checked
  • Land use planning and development ontario.ca · checked
  • Waste management ontario.ca · checked
  • Roads ontario.ca · checked
  • Municipal purposes ontario.ca · checked
Report a problem

Sources

  • durham.ca · checked Regional Municipality of Durham, Council Members page (29 members: Regional Chair, 8 mayors, 20 regional councillors), retrieved 2026-10-11 For: Durham Regional Council, Regional Chair, Regional Councillors for Whitby, Mayor of Whitby, Regional Councillors for Uxbridge and 13 more
  • ontario.ca · checked Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, c. 25: Municipal Act, 2001, ss. 2, 8, 10 and 11. Statute text read 2026-10-12 (research:authority-explainers, ticket 405). For: What it's for
  • ontario.ca · checked Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, c. 25: Municipal Act, 2001, s. 14. Statute text read 2026-10-12 (research:authority-explainers, ticket 405). For: What it can't do
  • ontario.ca · checked Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, c. 25: Municipal Elections Act, 1996, ss. 4 and 5; Municipal Act, 2001, ss. 223.3, 223.13 and 284.2. Statute text read 2026-10-12 (research:authority-explainers, ticket 405). For: Who it answers to
  • ontario.ca · checked Municipal Elections Act, 1996, S.O. 1996, c. 32, Sched.: Municipal Elections Act, 1996, ss. 4 and 5; Municipal Act, 2001, ss. 223.3, 223.13 and 284.2. Statute text read 2026-10-12 (research:authority-explainers, ticket 405). For: Who it answers to
  • ontario.ca · checked Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, c. 25: Municipal Act, 2001, ss. 311, 312 and 391. Statute text read 2026-10-12 (research:authority-explainers, ticket 405). For: Where its money comes from
  • ontario.ca · checked Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, c. 25: Municipal Act, 2001, ss. 2 and 11. Statute text read 2026-10-12 (research:authority-explainers, ticket 405). For: Shares responsibility with
  • ontario.ca · checked Ontario statute named in the power description; section numbers only where confirmed on e-Laws/CanLII 2026-10-11. Tier: toronto For: Emergency management
  • ontario.ca · checked Ontario statute named in the power description; section numbers only where confirmed on e-Laws/CanLII 2026-10-11. Tier: upper For: Emergency management
  • ontario.ca · checked Ontario statute named in the power description; section numbers only where confirmed on e-Laws/CanLII 2026-10-11. Tier: upper For: Property tax, Bylaws, Waste management, Roads, Municipal purposes
  • ontario.ca · checked Ontario statute named in the power description; section numbers only where confirmed on e-Laws/CanLII 2026-10-11. Tier: upper For: Land use planning and development
  • ontario.ca · checked Municipal Act, 2001, ss. 218, 218.1-218.3 (upper-tier council composition and head of council), e-Laws consolidation 2026-06-08 For: Regional Chair
  • durham.ca · checked Regional Municipality of Durham, Council Members page: Regional Chair John Henry (elected by voters across Durham Region), retrieved 2026-10-11 For: John Henry as Regional Chair
  • durham.ca · checked Regional Municipality of Durham, Council Members page (29 members: Regional Chair, 8 mayors, 20 regional councillors), retrieved 2026-10-11; ex officio term follows the member's current term as Regional Councillor (same person) For: Chris Leahy as Regional Councillors for Whitby, Maleeha Shahid as Regional Councillors for Whitby, Rhonda Mulcahy as Regional Councillors for Whitby, Steve Yamada as Regional Councillors for Whitby, Bruce Garrod as Regional Councillors for Uxbridge and 15 more
  • durham.ca · checked Regional Municipality of Durham, Council Members page (29 members: Regional Chair, 8 mayors, 20 regional councillors), retrieved 2026-10-11; ex officio term follows the member's current term as Mayor (same person) For: Elizabeth Roy as Mayor of Whitby, Dave Barton as Mayor of Uxbridge, Wilma Wotten as Mayor of Scugog, Kevin Ashe as Mayor of Pickering, Dan Carter as Mayor of Oshawa and 3 more

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