Wes Mazur

2026 Oxford County Municipal Election
City of Woodstock — City Councillor

We asked. Wes Mazur answered. You decide.

Answers are published as submitted.

I. Candidate & Municipal Governance

1. Candidate Introduction

Please introduce yourself to the residents of Oxford County. Briefly tell us why you are running for municipal office, what principles or values would guide you as an elected official, and what you believe is the most important issue facing the municipality you are seeking to represent. What would you do about it?

I’m Wes Mazur, and I’m running for Woodstock City Council because I believe I can bring a practical, balanced and independent voice to the council table.

My wife Sarah and I have raised our family here, built businesses here and invested a lot of ourselves in this community. My background includes public policy, workplace safety, education, small business and years of community involvement.

My approach is pretty simple: listen, ask questions, do the homework and put Woodstock first.

One of our biggest challenges is managing growth while keeping Woodstock affordable. We need housing and economic development, but we also need the infrastructure, recreation and services to support a growing city.

I want us planning ahead instead of constantly playing catch-up.

2. Local vs. Provincial Authority

Municipalities are increasingly affected by decisions, policies and requirements established by the provincial government. What degree of local discretion do you believe municipalities should have when provincial direction affects decisions within municipal jurisdiction? When, if ever, should a municipality challenge or oppose provincial direction? Please explain.

Municipalities operate within provincial legislation, so there are limits to what Woodstock City Council can and cannot do. I think candidates need to be honest about that.

That doesn’t mean Woodstock should be silent when provincial decisions significantly affect our community. Council should advocate strongly for Woodstock, work with other municipalities when appropriate and bring forward practical, evidence-based alternatives.

There may be circumstances where challenging the Province is warranted, but I’d rather build a strong case and work toward a solution than pick a fight simply for political theatre.

3. Accountability & Access

Once elected, how will you maintain open communication and accountability with your constituents? What level of access should residents have to you, and what responsibility do you have to explain and defend your decisions and votes, particularly when constituents disagree with them?

I already make myself very accessible, and that won’t stop after the election.

People contact me through email, phone, social media and in person. I’ve also held community events throughout this campaign specifically to give residents opportunities to meet me, ask questions and share ideas.

Being accountable doesn’t mean everyone will agree with every vote I cast. They won’t.

But if I vote for or against something, residents deserve to know why.

My one promise throughout this campaign has been simple: I’ll listen, treat people respectfully and put Woodstock first.

4. Staff vs. Elected Council

What do you believe is the proper division of responsibility between municipal staff and elected council? What decisions should be made by staff, what decisions should be made by council, and what responsibility should elected officials retain for decisions recommended or implemented by staff?

Council sets priorities and policy. Professional staff provide advice and carry out the direction of council.

I respect professional expertise, but elected officials still have a responsibility to ask questions, challenge assumptions when necessary and understand what they’re voting on. “Staff recommended it” shouldn’t end the conversation.

At the same time, councillors shouldn’t micromanage departments or interfere with day-to-day operations.

Council makes the decisions, and elected officials ultimately remain accountable to residents for those decisions.

5. Candidate Social-Media History

Have you ever deleted, hidden or substantially altered past social-media posts or other publicly available online content because you believed it might affect how voters viewed you or your candidacy? If so, what did you change and why?

I’ve been active on social media for many years, personally and professionally.

Have I deleted posts over the years? Of course. I’ve corrected information, removed outdated posts and occasionally decided something simply wasn’t worth leaving online.

What I haven’t done is attempt to erase or “scrub” my history or manufacture a different version of myself for an election.

I’m human. My thinking has evolved on some issues over the years.

II. Taxes, Growth & Development

6. Taxes & Services

What annual municipal property-tax increase do you consider reasonable over the next four years? If maintaining existing services would require an increase above that level, what principles would you use to determine which services or expenditures should be reduced, delayed or eliminated instead? Please explain.

I don’t think it would be responsible to promise an arbitrary tax number for four future budgets before seeing the financial pressures, assessment growth, infrastructure needs and economic conditions council will actually face.

What I can promise is scrutiny.

Before asking taxpayers for more, council should be looking for efficiencies and asking some basic questions:

What do we need?

What can we afford?

Can we do it differently?

And what can wait?

Affordability matters. So do the services residents rely on every day.

My goal would be to keep increases as low as reasonably possible while protecting important services and making responsible long-term decisions. Sometimes saying “not yet” to a project is also responsible government.

7. Population Growth & Agricultural Land

Oxford County’s current planning projections anticipate substantial population growth over the coming decades, creating increasing pressure on agricultural land. Should Oxford plan to accommodate the projected level of growth, or should the County and its municipalities seek to influence the rate and/or location of future growth? When development competes with agricultural and food-production uses, should agricultural land and food production receive priority? What principles should guide these decisions? Please explain.

Woodstock is growing. The real question is how we manage that growth.

I support responsible intensification, making good use of existing infrastructure and carefully considering expansion before unnecessarily consuming productive agricultural land.

Agriculture is enormously important to Oxford County and deserves protection.

At the same time, a growing city needs housing, employment lands, infrastructure and community services.

Good planning means balancing those needs and thinking decades ahead rather than simply reacting to the next development proposal.

III. Energy & Major Development

8. Wind & Utility-Scale Solar

What is your position on industrial wind turbine and utility-scale solar developments in Oxford County? If your municipality were asked to determine whether it should be a willing or unwilling host for a large-scale wind or solar project, how would you vote, and what factors would guide your decision? Please explain.

Energy generation is largely a provincial responsibility, although municipalities can have important roles depending on the project.

I wouldn’t commit today to voting yes or no on a hypothetical development without knowing what was actually being proposed.

If a proposal came before Woodstock Council, I’d look at what is within our authority: location, land use, infrastructure, environmental impacts, costs and benefits, and the concerns of affected residents.

I’d be particularly cautious about unnecessarily removing productive agricultural land when reasonable alternatives exist.

Residents should expect councillors to make decisions based on the evidence and proposal actually in front of them.

9. Data Centres

What is your position on approving data centres in Oxford County? Under what circumstances, if any, would you support one? How should council weigh its potential economic benefits against demands on electricity, water, land and other municipal infrastructure? Please explain.

I wouldn’t automatically support or oppose a data centre simply because of the type of development it is.

There could be significant investment and assessment benefits, BUT there are legitimate questions about electricity, water, infrastructure, land use and how many permanent jobs are created relative to the resources required.

I’d want those answers before making a decision.

To my knowledge, our area was being looked at / considered for a Data Centre; however, the current electrical infrastructure does not support it.

IV. Property Rights, Environment & Climate

10. Property Rights & Environmental Regulation

What principles should determine the balance between private property rights and municipal environmental regulation? What limits, if any, should municipalities place on environmental restrictions affecting the use of privately owned rural land? Please explain.

Private property rights matter.

Municipalities also have legitimate responsibilities involving planning, neighbouring properties, infrastructure and environmental protection. The balance, for me, comes down to reasonableness, evidence and fairness.

Regulation should address an identifiable problem, fall within the municipality’s legal authority and shouldn’t be more restrictive than reasonably necessary.

Property owners should also understand why a restriction exists, how the decision was made and what options they have to challenge or appeal it.

11. Climate Change & CO₂

What role, if any, do you believe carbon dioxide emissions play in climate change? What responsibility, if any, should municipal government have for addressing climate-related issues, and should municipal taxpayers fund those efforts? Please explain.

For Woodstock City Council, my focus would be practical and local.

We maintain roads, stormwater systems, buildings, trees and other infrastructure that can be affected by severe weather and changing conditions.

I support measures that make Woodstock more resilient, protect residents and infrastructure, and have a clear local benefit. If taxpayers are funding an initiative, they deserve to know what it costs, what it accomplishes and how success will be measured.

Woodstock City Council can’t solve global issues. We should concentrate our resources on practical things we can actually influence.

V. Municipal Policy & Public Institutions

12. DEI, Hiring & Public Services

When municipal government makes decisions about hiring employees or providing services, what role, if any, should a person’s race, ethnicity, sex, disability, newcomer status or other demographic characteristics play? Do you support mandatory diversity, equity and inclusion training for municipal employees, and should municipal taxpayers fund it? Please explain.

Municipal employees should be qualified for the jobs they’re hired to do, and hiring should be fair, transparent and based on merit.

Municipalities also have legal responsibilities involving human rights, accessibility, accommodation and respectful workplaces. Those responsibilities need to be taken seriously.

I support practical training when there is a clear purpose, including helping employees understand their legal responsibilities and provide professional, accessible service to residents.

I don’t support training simply to check a box.

For me, this isn’t about political labels or slogans. It’s about qualified people, fair opportunities, responsible use of tax dollars and treating every resident with dignity and respect.

13. International Policy Frameworks

What role, if any, should international policy frameworks such as the United Nations’ Agenda 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals play in municipal decision-making? If municipal policies are influenced by such frameworks, what responsibility does council have to ensure that those decisions remain transparent and accountable to local residents? Please explain.

My responsibility as a Woodstock City Councillor would be to the residents of Woodstock and to decisions within the authority of Woodstock City Council.

Municipalities operate under Canadian and Ontario law, not United Nations resolutions.

There’s nothing wrong with considering research, ideas or best practices from elsewhere. But Woodstock shouldn’t adopt a policy simply because another organization or level of government recommends it.

Any policy should stand on its own merits. Residents deserve to know what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, what authority we have, what it costs and how it benefits Woodstock.

Local decisions require local accountability.

VI. Public Safety, Privacy & Emergency Powers

14. Flock Cameras & Surveillance

What is your position on the use of Flock cameras and other automated licence-plate recognition (ALPR) or camera-based surveillance systems by municipalities for public safety? What limits, if any, should apply to their use, and how should council balance public safety with residents’ privacy? Please explain.

Public safety matters. So does privacy.

I wouldn’t automatically support or oppose a particular technology without understanding how it would actually be used.

If Woodstock considered automated licence-plate recognition or similar technology, I’d want to know why it’s needed, whether there is evidence it works, who can access the information, how long information is retained, how it is protected and what oversight exists.

I wouldn’t support unrestricted surveillance or adopting technology simply because it’s available.

The test should be whether it is necessary, effective, lawful, proportionate and appropriately safeguarded.

15. Public-Health Emergency Powers

If another public-health emergency occurred, what restrictions, if any, should a municipality be able to impose on access to municipal buildings, facilities, programs or community activities? What role should elected council have in approving or overseeing such restrictions, and what limits should apply to municipal authority during an emergency? Please explain.

This is an area where it’s particularly important to distinguish municipal responsibilities from decisions made by the Province and public-health authorities.

If another genuine public-health emergency occurred, measures within Woodstock’s control should be lawful, evidence-based, proportionate to the circumstances, regularly reviewed and removed when they’re no longer necessary.

Council should remain informed and accountable for decisions that actually fall within its authority.

I don’t believe any level of government should have unlimited authority. I also don’t think it would be responsible for me to promise today exactly what I would or wouldn’t do during an unknown future emergency.

I would examine the circumstances, credible evidence and legal authority at the time, while considering both public safety and individual rights.

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Questionnaire sent: September 9, 2026
Response received: September 10, 2026

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