2026 Oxford County Municipal Election
Township of Southwest Oxford — Ward 2 CouncillorWe asked. Pete Ypma 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 own and operate a farm next to the village of Culloden with my family. We have been here since 1985, and prior to that just inside the western border of Norwich Township since 1974. I am completing my second term on council, and feel that there’s still more work to do. I believe in prudent fiscal management, respectful dialogue, and strong family values. With a large portion of the current Southwest Oxford council retiring after the current term ends, I am looking to give some stability to council going into the new term.
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.
The 444 municipalities that make up Ontario’s municipal landscape are widely varied in terms of geography, population and size. Each have unique needs which are not necessarily met well by a one-size-fits-all provincial policy or funding scheme, and should have the autonomy to implement funding to achieve provincial goals in the manner that best suits their situation. Each municipality needs to be cognizant of its own people and needs and advocate for them to the provincial government on its own, and through joint efforts with AMO and ROMA. A municipality should challenge provincial direction when it is clearly not in the best interests of its citizens, but must always do so within the constraints of the law and provincial statute.
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?
Technology has never been my strongest area of ability, so I am not very active on social media. I prefer one-on-one conversations. To that end, in the past my phone number and email address have been posted on the township website, so for anyone who needs to contact me, I’m only a phone call or email away. I would support that approach in the new term of council as well. I also think part of my job during this campaign is to present my opinions as clearly to people as possible, so that if I’m re-elected they will have a reasonable understanding of where I will stand on the various issues that come before council. In addition to these measures there will also be opportunities for residents to attend both council and public meetings on issues of major importance to the community.
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?
The job of staff is to analyze the issues of the day, and provide as much pertinent information as possible to council in a timely manner, and then to implement the decisions of council to the best of their ability. Staff is also to conduct the day-to-day operations of the township within the constraints of the annual budget approved by council. Council is ultimately responsible to the community for the decisions and actions that are taken. Staff need to answer to council through the CAO, and council answers to the public.
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?
Again, I’ve never been very good at the whole social media thing, so I tend not to use it a lot. I rarely post anything, and to the best of my knowledge, I don’t think I’ve ever substantially changed anything for any reason.
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.
The budget of the township should always reflect the true cost of operating the township annually. That means that at the very least, the budget needs to keep pace with the rate of inflation, or the township will start to fall behind in its ability to maintain current infrastructure. The township budget is also subject to external forces beyond council’s ability to control, which are not optional, such as the cost of police services. In terms of prioritizing areas for spending, those projects that address protection of life come first, and protection of property, maintenance of current infrastructure, enhancing financial reserves and new projects follow. While I can see that a ‘0%’ tax increase might look attractive to some people, it actually represents a council that is not planning for the future.
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.
The provincial government needs to start evaluating land in terms of its ability to produce food (crops), rather than with abstract soil type names that few people can remember and even fewer really understand. Then industrial and residential development needs to be focused in areas where the ground is less desirable for agricultural production. Oxford County is made up of almost entirely class 1 agricultural land. I support minor infilling in our villages, and a reasonable amount of development on lesser quality land, but the vast majority of the county needs to be protected for human and animal food production. We can’t create more farmland. In conjunction with this, I think rapid public transportation built along the 400 series highways in Ontario (not on new land) needs to be established so people could live further distances from their jobs and still have a reasonable commuting time. This would allow more concentrated residential development in areas of lesser quality land.
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.
I would not be in favour of a large scale solar project unless it was proposed for an area that is not suitable for agriculture. As for the aesthetics of wind turbines, I am neither in favour nor opposed to them. The size of the turbines currently being proposed in various projects do cause me some level of concern in terms of their impact on the surrounding area. The new turbines are much larger than those we have seen in Ontario to date.
In 2025 Southwest Oxford did declare itself an unwilling host to wind projects. Based on community feedback at that time, I have no interest or intention to reopen that decision.
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 am not all that familiar with the requirements for establishing a data centre. I would only support such an application if it was for an area that is unsuitable for agriculture. Further to this, the proponent would need to demonstrate that there would be no negative impact on the surrounding area.
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.
Municipalities need to make sure farmland and the environment are protected to the extent reasonably possible. So a 50 or 100 acre farm should not be allowed to become a spent tire dump or a storage site for wrecked cars etc. Landowners need to use and care for their property in a manner that is not detrimental to the health or property values of their neighbours. For farmers, I think it is reasonable to restrict the spreading of manure during months when the ground is frozen and unable to absorb the nutrients, and to maintain the requirement for a pesticide safety license for applying herbicides and pesticides. I think farmers should be able to demonstrate a basic understanding of how to care for the environment they are stewards of.
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.
We’re talking about plant food here. Increasingly, I am of the opinion that carbon dioxide emissions have very little impact on climate change. Especially in Canada, where we account for only 1 1/2 % of the world’s man-made greenhouse gases. Essentially the entirety of our country could be erased from the globe tomorrow, and the worldwide impact on the environment would be 0. So the only way I would support spending on climate related issues is if said spending would make needed assets cheaper to buy, construct or operate for the residents of our township.
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.
DEI is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. It purports to create an inclusive, level playing field for all people and/or businesses living in, working for or doing business with the municipality. In reality it is nothing more than government sanctioned discrimination and favouritism that pits identifiable people and groups against each other for limited government attention and resources. It fractures society and will create rot within our workforce by using the very methods it claims to be fighting against. It is a cancer that is slowly creeping into more and more policies within Oxford County and, like cancer, it needs to be identified wherever it raises its ugly head and removed. All people and businesses need to have equal opportunity to succeed in Southwest Oxford, but each outcome needs to be determined based on the merit of those involved. I oppose any DEI initiatives with every fibre of my being and will do so every day of the next term.
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.
Sometimes international policy frameworks can serve as an interesting backdrop to the discussions of municipal councils, but they should not necessarily influence decisions made by local council here in Southwest Oxford or Oxford County. Environmental or other targets issued from Brussels or Davos or New York may not be reasonable to apply in our township or county. Some international policies may have negative effects on the environment or economy here in Oxford County, because they were not developed with our unique situation in mind. The further away from the grassroots that decisions are made, the bigger the chance that they will be erroneous decisions. Local governments should always be prepared to explain to constituents how the decisions that are made will benefit the local community. Our job as leaders is to make principled decisions based on local facts, not bend whichever way the political wind is blowing strongest.
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.
I have long been a proponent for Automated Speed Enforcement (photo radar) in Southwest Oxford. Despite our ever-increasing O.P.P. fees, there never seems to be enough police enforcement of the Highway Traffic Act to curb excessive speed on our roads. Unfortunately, late in 2025 the provincial government removed our ability to access this tool. I still support the idea of using camera systems to enhance security around our public spaces and to enhance public safety through Highway Traffic Act violation enforcement. I would not support the use of flock cameras in our community. There needs to be a reason to collect data on people or vehicles, not just do it “because we can”. That becomes an invasion of privacy.
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.
I am very undecided about this question. During the Covid-19 pandemic my family and I did our best to follow the directives of the provincial government and local health authorities. We were determined to do what we could to protect the health of our neighbours. Looking back, it is clear that many mistakes were made by all levels of authority. The lockdown of society was an overreach by government. I don’t know what the right answer here is. My response would largely depend upon the severity of the situation and the information available at the time.
Questionnaire sent: September 8, 2026
Response received: September 18, 2026
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