2026 Oxford County Municipal Election
Norwich — Councillor, Ward 4
We asked. Karl Toews 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 am currently the Councillor for Ward One in Norwich Township and I make my living as a criminal lawyer. I believe that it is valuable to have a lawyer on Council for many reasons. I am now seeking to represent Ward Four in Norwich Township. Ward Four is the ward where my family and I live. I believe the biggest issue currently facing Ward Four is Woodstock seeking to expand into our area. We fought off a potential annexation in 2024 very shortly after I was elected. I’m very proud of that accomplishment. However, I suspect this issue will come at us again. I believe my experience as a lawyer is helpful in these kinds of battles. I also believe it is very important to raise public awareness so that people know what is happening and can take action before it’s too late.
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.
I strongly believe that decisions should be made by the most local level of government that can effectively deal with the issue. We should avoid having a higher level of government do something that a lower level of government can do effectively. Unfortunately, there are times when the provincial government imposes policies on municipalities that are “top-down” and run contrary to this idea. Recent examples include “Strong Mayor Powers,” expanding provincial control over the selection of regional heads of council, and centralizing Ontario’s conservation authorities which, historically, has been a locally governed system. It is not easy for municipalities to oppose provincial directives. Afterall, the province is a higher level of government. However, municipalities can take steps such as raising public awareness, taking concerns to the local M.P.P., and publishing open letters of concern.
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?
Residents should have full access to everyone who is granted the honour of being an elected official. My Township email address and my personal cell number have been available through the Township website ever since I was first elected. My campaign email and my cell number are also on all of my campaign materials, my campaign website, and my social media. As a lawyer, I believe I have an obligation to respond to every client email and to always be available to take client calls. I take the same approach to my position as a township councillor. In my mind, every constituent is a client. I consider it a privilege to respond to those who disagree with me and to explain my decision. I also strive to consider differing viewpoints carefully and, if appropriate, change course.
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?
In Norwich Township, staff typically provide a report to council that includes a recommendation as to how council should proceed. Staff have experience and expertise that members of council do not. For example, I do not have any expertise in stormwater management or traffic calming. The experience and expertise of staff is valuable and should be respected. At the same time, Council should not simply accept every staff recommendation. If you watch the Norwich Township Council meetings, you will see that our Council often seeks clarification or further information from staff before making a decision. This has led to an improvement in our staff reports in recent years and that’s great. Having said that, it is not uncommon for our Council to vote against a staff recommendation. We don’t do it often, and we don’t do it lightly, but we were not elected to be rubber stamps.
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 have never deleted, hidden, or altered a social media post or any other publicly available online content.
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 have participated in two years of budget meetings. The tax increases for those years came in at 2.89% and 2.96%. I consider those numbers to be reasonable. (In 2024, before I came onto Council, the tax increase was 9.91%!) I also note that the tax increases imposed on Norwich residents by Oxford County have been much higher than the tax increases at the Township level. There are some service levels that we must at least maintain – such as policing and fire. However, there are areas where we have some discretion. For example, in Norwich, we currently allot $500,000 per year to hard-surfacing our gravel roads. This is about 5% of our budget and I support this project. However, this is an expenditure that could be deferred if we were ever in a position where we could not maintain existing service levels without a large tax increase.
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.
It would be irresponsible not to plan for future population growth when we know it is coming. However, at the same time, we should seek to influence the rate and location of the future growth as best we can so that our precious, prime, Oxford agricultural land is protected. This would involve lobbying higher levels of government and encouraging action at the grass roots level. Development should be done in such a way as to minimize the impact on food production. Afterall, when population increases, so does the need for food.
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 don’t see that industrial wind turbine and utility-scale solar developments assist agriculture in any way. I also don’t see how they benefit the community. They bring down property values for neighbouring properties. There is no question that they are highly controversial and divisive. In fact, Norwich Council already voted to declare itself an unwilling host in 2011. Further, in 2025, SWOX council voted to declare SWOX an unwilling host amidst overwhelming public sentiment against a potential industrial wind turbine project. If I am ever asked to vote on this issue, I will also vote to declare Norwich an unwilling host.
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.
There is no question that AI is changing the world rapidly. Recently, I was given a letter that a local farmer had received offering him “top dollar” if he were to sell his land to a data centre developer. On Sept. 8, 2026, I put forward a motion at Norwich Township council calling on Oxford County to make public any discussions about potential data centre development. My motion received unanimous approval. Data centres put very high demands on local electricity and water resources. It is also not clear to me that, once they are built, they provide a significant number of jobs to the community. Before I would support any data centre going into my Township, I would need very strong evidence that the data centre would be in the long-term best interests of the Township and that the data centre would not destroy precious farmland.
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.
It definitely is a balance. We all have a duty to be good stewards of our land but, at the same time, government interference on private property should be kept to an absolute minimum. My view is that people should be allowed to do what they want on they own property so long as it does not interfere with another person’s use or enjoyment of their property. One of the first issues I dealt with after I was elected was whether Norwich Township would enact a by-law allowing a number of Township employees to enter private property as by-law officers and for inspection purposes. I convinced our Council to reject the proposed by-law. Entering private property by government officials is a big deal. It should only happen with judicial authorization (such as a police search warrant) or in an emergency situation.
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.
In my view, this is properly a question for an environmental scientist – which I am not. However, I question the assertion that there is scientific consensus on this issue. I know that there are some environmental scientists who assert that, while climate change certainly does occur, human activity does not have a significant impact. It is not my place to say which scientists are correct. I simply don’t know. Having said that, millions, if not billions, of tax dollars have been spent on climate related initiatives in recent years across Canada. Like all government spending, this spending should be carefully detailed and fully transparent. In September of 2025, I spear-headed a motion at Norwich Township Council asking for Oxford County to make public this information. I was very disappointed when Oxford County Council voted against providing those numbers to our taxpayers.
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.
When hiring new employees, municipalities should strive for equality, they should not strive for equity. There’s a difference. Equality means each individual is given the same opportunity to get the job. I support that 100%. Equity, in the context of DEI hiring, means considering a candidate’s demographic and/or racial characteristics in the hiring process. At first glance, this sounds fine but it can lead to situations where the most highly qualified candidate is turned away in favour of candidate who has preferred demographic and/or racial characteristics. This is unfair, discriminatory, and divisive. I do not support it and, in turn, I do not support DEI. Hiring should be based on merit, not quotas. Municipal governments have a duty to the people they serve to hire the best person for the job, full stop.
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.
In my mind, this is a very similar question to question #2 about local versus provincial authority. Again, I strongly believe that decisions should be made by the most local level of government that can effectively deal with the issue. Municipal decision-making should adhere to this principle as opposed to allowing international policy frameworks or provincial authority to play a role. As I wrote in my answer to question #2, there are times when higher levels of government impose policies on municipalities that are “top-down” and place limits on local decision-making. I worry that, at times, some of the polices imposed on municipalities by higher levels of government may involve international policy frameworks influencing decision-making at the provincial and/or federal level.
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.
Not so long ago, camera-based surveillance systems and other data gathering instruments were unavailable or prohibitively expensive. Now, they have become relatively inexpensive and common-place. When a police officer uses ALPR in a police cruiser to determine if a vehicle is stolen, if the owner of the vehicle is a suspended driver, or it the owner of the vehicle has a DUI and now has an ignition interlock condition, those are legitimate use for this technology. I know police do this routinely and it promotes public safety. Nowadays, municipalities use camera-based surveillance systems to determine traffic counts, speeds on our roadways, and when planning street parking. Again, those are legitimate uses for this technology. However, once used for its legitimate purpose, the data should not be used for any other purpose. It should be permanently destroyed. Otherwise, our residents’ right to privacy has been infringed.
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.
The answers to all of these questions would largely depend on the specific nature and scope of the public-health emergency at issue. If a public-health emergency was to occur that truly posed an imminent and serious threat to the health and safety of the entire population, municipalities and elected council should have the authority to restrict access to municipal buildings, facilities, programs or community activities as necessary to deal with the emergency. As to what limits should apply to the municipal authority during the emergency, again that would depend on the specific nature and scope of the public-health emergency. However, any expansion of municipal authority should be directly connected to dealing with the emergency at hand. It should also be considered extraordinary and temporary. It should not go beyond what is absolutely necessary and it should be revoked as soon as possible once the emergency has passed.
Questionnaire sent: September 8, 2026
Response received: September22, 2026
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