2026 Oxford County Municipal Election
Zorra Township — Acclaimed for 2026-2030 term Ward 3 Councillor
We asked. Michael Kukhta 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?
Introduction: I was born and raised in Fonthill in the Niagara Region. I am a Mechanical Engineer with industry and management experience in the automotive and aerospace sectors. I have been self-employed as a consultant and trainer for many years, worked at Sheridan College in the School of Skilled Trades as a professor and Program Coordinator, served on Sheridan College’s Board of Governors and Sheridan’s Senate and as Chair of the Academic Policy Committee. I also worked for 8 years as a Professor in the Supply Chain and Operations Management program at Conestoga College while being active on the Management Union Committee. Nine years ago I moved to a rural area in Northeast Zorra near Kintore and Medina. I have been very busy with community work since coming to Zorra: was Chair of the Zorra Community Policing Committee for 4 years; am an active member of and recently stepped down as Chair of the Harrington and Area Community Association; was a member of the Board of Directors of the Oxford Community Foundation; am the current Chair of the Zorra Heritage Committee; was a member of the Community Liaison Committee for the Embro Dam Environmental Assessment process for the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority. This community work helped me develop a lot of relationships with the people who make Zorra and Oxford work. I feel ready to build on this history to work as a Councillor.
Why am I running: I ran, unsuccessfully, for this same position on Council 8 years ago. I was acclaimed this time. I decided to run again to be a Councillor in Zorra because I want to engage more in my community at a level where I can have more involvement in issues that affect me and my neighbours. My work experience, community work and governance experience has helped prepare me for the type of oversight, planning, budgeting and response to issues that Township Councils are responsible for. I was laid off from Conestoga College this past Spring. This opportunity to serve as Councillor aligns with having time available to do the job and with my motivation to continue making the community I live in more resilient and prosperous. I am particularly interested in the initiative to redo the Oxford County Official Plan. I would like to influence and help build a strong plan that establishes long-term land use strategy and the policy framework needed to manage the physical growth and development across the county, in concert with the eight municipalities of Oxford.
Principals and Values: honesty; reliability; hard work; perseverance; patience; studying and being prepared; being accepting of and celebrating the differences and diversity of the people and different cultures I encounter; willing to confront, listen to and engage with people who have different views; ready to make decisions: curious to read, research,ask questions, understand situations and solve problems.
Most important issue facing Council: There are many issues facing Zorra but I would put balancing the competing needs caused by the growth of people, industry, agriculture and transportation as being a priority.
What would I do about this: As a township Councillor, I can affect things like planning and budgeting for municipal services delivered while doing my best to ensure that the staff of Zorra Township have the resources and support they need to do their jobs. My notes above regarding developing a robust Official Plan for Oxford County apply to this answer. I will also listen to and actively seek advice from people across Zorra and Oxford County. For issues at the County and Provincial level, I can learn, advocate and educate on the Boards, Committees, conferences and develop relationships with community, service and government organizations that work in harmony with our township. (The Association of Municipalities of Ontario, Rural Oxford Economic Association and Stand4Oxford are examples.)
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.
Municipal governments and their mandates, including Counties and Regions, are created by the Provincial government. As a Councillor I would be making decisions that are defined by the authority and responsibility delegated by the Provincial Government. It is important to remember what our jurisdiction is. If I disagree with a Provincial direction I would first work vigorously within the areas I can affect: do what I can within the system. If I am still not satisfied with the outcome or path in front of me or if there is opposition and questions from our community I would challenge the processes, statutes and systems to effect change. I may be faced with accepting the direction or decisions forced on us, or allowed by us to make, this time but I will then direct my energy to change the system. An example of this is zoning changes for how land is used. We are bound by the regulations and Official Plan. A thorough review process is updating the Oxford County Official Plan. Zorra’s portion of their official plan resides in this document. There are many different ways around the province to plan and build. I am very interested in the idea of establishing buffer zones between industrial and residential use of land. I would work to get this system into our Oxford County Official Plan. Township and County Staff are excellent resources to help.
Another path to try to change things not in Council’s mandate is to seek out other Council members – in and beyond – Oxford and our Members of Provincial and Federal Parliament to seek insight and to help resolve issues. Other sources would be past Council and community members. They would offer context and lessons learned.
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 will attend council meetings that are available to watch live or streamed later. I will be active on the Boards and committees I am assigned as well as attend meetings of community groups. I will also be responsive to emails and phone calls. I will be available to meet with community members and will attend community events. Another idea would be to convene public meetings or gatherings if there is an urgent and significant issue at hand. As Chair of the Zorra Community Policing Committee, we organized a community talk, question and answer regarding road safety, speeds and road signs. Staff from the County and members of the OPP attended a very productive and well-received meeting.
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 elected council is responsible for strategic and financial decisions including: approving the municipal budget, asset management plans, and property tax levy rates; passing municipal by-laws regarding land-use planning, zoning, and local restrictions; setting service levels; and, hiring and managing the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). Staff run day-to-day operations, delivery of service and support Council requests for research and reports. Elected officials retain oversight, stewardship and own the political accountability for their 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?
No.
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.
Determining a reasonable municipal property tax increase requires balancing community affordability with infrastructure and service needs. Expenditures should be managed by prioritizing mandatory services over discretionary ones, maximizing internal operational efficiencies, and preventing costly deferred infrastructure maintenance. User-pay models for specialized programs can also help alleviate the burden on the general tax base.
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.
Our priority should always be to maintain farmland. We should strive to find places to build and expand that are not prime agricultural land. Infilling and focusing development in current urban settlement areas should be our focus.
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.
Zorra has already declared itself to not be a willing host for large-scale wind farms. We already have some solar farms and at least 3 biogas generating facilities. I would support viable localized and smaller-scale wind, solar and geothermal applications.
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.
Sovereignty of our data is very important; however I find it hard to imagine that a large-scale data centre could work in Zorra or Oxford. Our land and water are too valuable for this kind of facility. There is a lot to learn about these centres before we make decisions.
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.
Balancing private property rights and municipal environmental regulation requires aligning regulatory restrictions with clear scientific evidence and public safety needs, ensuring that environmental protections protect the broader community without infringing on the core economic viability of privately owned rural land.
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.
Carbon dioxide emissions are widely recognized as a primary driver of global climate change, and while municipal governments share a responsibility to address local environmental impacts, any taxpayer-funded initiatives should focus on cost-effective infrastructure resilience and measurable local benefits without creating an undue financial burden on residents.
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.
Zorra has hiring policies and training in place that are compliant with appropriate laws, regulations and that meet the needs of the work done in the Township.
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.
The UN frameworks and the Sustainable Development Goals have a broad scope. They are interesting to read and use as guides, along with many other sources to ensure that we continue to be transparent and accountable.
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.
Balancing the need for public safety and security with individual rights is the key here. I look forward to learning more about the systems above before commenting.
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.
During a public health emergency, a municipality can best serve its residents by implementing measured, health-expert-guided access guidelines for areas that the Township is responsible for that safely maintain community connections and facility use. This also requires that we continue the active democratic oversight of elected councils that ensure temporary protections remain transparent and limited in duration.
Questionnaire sent: September 8, 2026
Response received: September 24, 2026
← Back to the 2026 Oxford County Municipal Election
Leave a Reply