York Regional Council is the political body for the Regional Municipality of York in Ontario, Canada. Created in 1970, it consists of 21 elected representatives plus the appointed Regional Chair. The elected members are the mayors of each of its nine municipalities (Aurora, East Gwillimbury, Georgina, King, Newmarket, Markham, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, and Whitchurch-Stouffville), as well as an additional eleven Regional Councillors from the more populous municipalities—four from Markham, three from Vaughan, two from Richmond Hill and one each from Georgina and Newmarket. These members are elected via double direct election, serving as both members of regional council for their municipality and as at-large members of their city/town council.
The Regional Chair is appointed by the provincial government. Until 2022 the position was elected by the members of regional council. The first Regional Chair, Garfield Wright, was appointed by the provincial government upon the creation of York Region and served for two terms (1971-1978). The Regional Chair & CEO is currently Eric Jolliffe, who was appointed in December 2024 and took office on January 1, 2025.
Regional Council usually meets on the third Thursday of each month at 9:30 a.m. at the York Region Administrative Centre offices in Newmarket.
Membership 2022-2026 Regional Council Elected in the 2022 York Region municipal elections.
Chair and CEO: Wayne Emmerson (2022-2024) John Taylor (2024, interim) Eric Jolliffe (2025-)
MunicipalityRepresentativesMayorRegional councillorsAuroraTom MrakasNoneEast GwillimburyVirginia HacksonNoneGeorginaMargaret QuirkOne: Naomi DavisonKingSteven PelligriniNoneMarkhamFrank ScarpittiFour: Michael Chan, Alan Ho, Jim Jones, Joe LiNewmarketJohn TaylorOne: Tom VeghRichmond HillDavid WestTwo: Joe DiPaola, Godwin ChanVaughanSteven Del DucaFour: Linda D. Jackson, Mario Ferri, Gino Rosati, Mario RaccoWhitchurch-StouffvilleIain LovattNone
2018-2022 Regional Council The chairman and CEO for this term is Wayne Emmerson.
MunicipalityRepresentativesMayorRegional councillorsAuroraTom MrakasNoneEast GwillimburyVirginia HacksonNoneGeorginaMargaret QuirkOne: Rob GrossiKingSteven PelligriniNoneMarkhamFrank ScarpittiFour: Don Hamilton, Jack Heath, Jim Jones, Joe LiNewmarketJohn TaylorOne: Tom VeghRichmond HillDave BarrowTwo: Joe DiPaola, Carmine PerelliVaughanMaurizio BevilacquaThree: Mario Ferri, Linda D. Jackson, Gino RosatiWhitchurch-StouffvilleIain LovattNone
2014-2018 Regional Council The chair and CEO of York Regional Council is Wayne Emmerson, who was elected by a majority of York Region Councillors on December 11, 2014.
MunicipalityRepresentativesMayorRegional councillorsAuroraGeoffrey DaweNoneEast GwillimburyVirginia HacksonNoneGeorginaMargaret QuirkOne: Danny Wheeler (2014-2016); Naomi Davison (2016-2018)KingSteven PelligriniNoneMarkhamFrank ScarpittiFour: Jack Heath, Jim Jones, Nirmala Armstrong, and Joe LiNewmarketA.J (Tony) Van BynenOne: John TaylorRichmond HillDave BarrowTwo: Brenda Hogg, Vito SpataforaVaughanMaurizio BevilacquaThree: Michael Di Biase (2014-2017); Sunder Singh (2017-present), Mario Ferri and Gino RosatiCity of Vaughan 2014 Elections: Local and Regional Councillors (unofficial results) , City of Vaughan, October 28, 2014.Whitchurch-StouffvilleJustin AltmannNone
2010-2014 Regional Council
The chair and CEO of York Regional Council was Bill Fisch.
MunicipalityRepresentativesMayorRegional councillorsAuroraGeoffrey DaweNoneEast GwillimburyVirginia HacksonNoneGeorginaRobert GrossiOne - Danny WheelerKingSteven PelligriniNoneMarkhamFrank ScarpittiFour - Jack Heath, Jim Jones, Gordon Landon, and Joe LiNewmarketTony Van BynenOne - John TaylorRichmond HillDave BarrowTwo - Brenda Hogg, Vito SpataforaVaughanMaurizio BevilacquaThree - Michael DiBiase, Gino Rosati, and Deb SchulteWhitchurch-StouffvilleWayne EmmersonNone
Regional Committees
There is no executive committee, instead ideas are brought forward in Regional Committees and voted upon by the council.
Accessibility Advisory Committee Audit Committee Community Services and Housing Committee Environmental Services Committee Finance and Administration Committee Planning and Economic Development Committee Transportation Services Committee
Boards, Subcommittees and Task Forces Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) Character Community Foundation of York Region Don Watershed Regeneration Council Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance GTA Agricultural Action Committee Housing York Inc Human Services Planning Board Humber Watershed Alliance Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority Markham Stouffville Hospital Rouge Park Alliance Executive Royal Agricultural Winter Fair Southlake Regional Health Centre Toronto and Region Conservation Authority York Region Abuse Program York Region Community Partnership Council York Region Rapid Transit Corporation York Regional Police Services Board
Services
Services under the region's scope include:
Children Services Community Planning Construction Corporate Services Economic Strategy and Tourism Emergency Medical Services - York Region EMS - downloaded from the Province of Ontario Environmental Financial Department Forestry Housing Infrastructure Planning Branch Legal Services Long Term Care and Seniors Public Health and Safety Real Estate Planning Services Regional Property Taxes York Region Tourism Transportation Services - regional roads only Sewers Employment and Financial Support Transit - York Region Transit and VIVA Water - water source via Toronto Water Waste management (garbage, recycling, hazardous waste; excludes curbside collection) Policing - York Regional Police
Regional Chairs
The Regional Chair is the CEO of the Region and serves, ex officio, on all Committees. The position replaced the former Warden of York County (1850-1970) and is, as of 2022, selected by the provincial government.
Regional Chair Term of Office Notes Garfield Wright 1971-1978 Former Town Councillor (1958-1961), Deputy Reeve (1961-1962) and Reeve (1964-1969) of East Gwillimbury; Former Warden of York County (1968-1970); Appointed Regional Chair by Lieutenant-Governor in Council. Died 2009. Bob Forhan 1978-1984 Former hockey player and high school teacher; Town Councillor and Mayor of Newmarket (1971-1978); CAO of York Region (1978-1996) Died 2018. Tony Roman 1984 Township Councillor (1966-1968), Regional Councillor and Mayor (1970-1984 and 1988-1992) of Markham, Federal Member of Parliament for York North (1984-1988). Died 1992. Eldred R. King 1984-1997 Vice Chair and Chair of GO Transit, member of the Markham Township School Board (1965-1969) and councillor on Markham Township Council (1969-1970), member of Whitchurch-Stouffville Township Council (1971-1977) and Mayor of the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville (1978-1984). Died 2011. Bill Fisch 1997–2014 Lawyer, formerly practicing in Thornhill, Ontario (1976-1997); Former Councillor, Ward 7 (1988-1994) and Regional Councillor (1994-1997) for Markham. Wayne Emmerson 2014–present Former Town Councillor (1998-1994) and Mayor (1997-2014) of Whitchurch-Stouffville.
Former Regional Councillors
Regional Councillor Term of Office Notes Ronald Moran 1972-1991 Former Deputy Mayor of Markham; died 2013. Donald Cousens 1994-2006 former mayor of Markham and MPP, died 2017. Tony Roman 1971-1984 and 1988-1992 former mayor of Markham and Regional Chair, died 1992. Tony Wong 2006-2009 former Markham Town Councillor, died 2009.
York Region Administrative Centre
York Regional Council main operations are located at 17250 Yonge Street in Newmarket. The four-floor complex was designed by Canadian architect Douglas Cardinal and opened in 1992. It features an organic building shape with various towers located at the end. The main entrance features two clock towers.
Before 1992, Council sat at 50 Eagle Street, which is now home of the Newmarket Courthouse. The administration offices were located at 62 Bayview Parkway, which was built from 1954 to 1957 for York County and used by the region from 1971 to 1994. The old regional offices are being demolished in 2022.
A new 8 storey glass annex by WZMH Architects has been built to consolidate several rented facilities and also to house the Newmarket Courthouse.
References
External links Regional Municipality of York Regional Council Regional Committees