2026 Oxford County Municipal Election
City of Woodstock — Deputy Mayor/County Councillor
We asked. Bernia Martin 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 Bernia Martin, running for Deputy Mayor of Woodstock and Oxford County Councillor because I believe the next term will require experienced, thoughtful leadership around both council tables.
Author Jim Collins, in Good to Great, describes leadership as “first who, then what.” Get the right people on the bus, get them in the right seats, and then determine where you’re going. Municipal elections are our opportunity to do exactly that.
For 15 years I worked in municipal economic development before being elected to Woodstock and Oxford County Councils. My approach is grounded in preparation, collaboration, evidence, accountability and a willingness to ask difficult questions and stand behind difficult decisions. Our greatest challenge is managing growth without sacrificing affordability or the quality of life that makes Woodstock a great place to live. That means making disciplined decisions about infrastructure, housing, services, debt and taxation, not just for the next budget, but for decades.
I’m ready for this responsibility and this leadership seat.
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 are creatures of the Province, but that does not mean local voices should be ignored. Provincial legislation establishes our authority; within that authority, locally elected councils should have meaningful discretion to respond to the communities they represent.
I believe decisions should be made as close as reasonably possible to the people affected by them. A solution appropriate for Toronto may not be appropriate for Woodstock or Oxford County. Municipalities should challenge provincial direction when it undermines local accountability, creates significant unfunded costs, removes meaningful local decision-making, or produces unintended consequences for our community. Challenge does not mean political theatre. It means using evidence, municipal associations, direct advocacy with Ministers and MPPs.
My approach has always been to advocate constructively. Good municipal leadership requires working with the Province while also being prepared to say clearly when provincial policy is not working for Oxford.
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 be able to reach their elected representatives, ask questions and receive a respectful response, including people who disagree with us.
Throughout this term, I have tried to make complicated municipal issues easier to understand through social media, longer-form articles, community conversations and direct responses to residents. I intend to continue these actions. Accessibility, however, means more than answering emails. Councillors should explain what they voted for, why they voted that way, what alternatives they considered and what the financial or long-term implications are.
I won’t promise that every resident will agree with every decision I make. Representative government requires councillors to consider public input alongside legislation, professional advice, financial realities and the interests of the entire community. Whether you agree with my vote or not, you deserve to know why I cast it. I believe accountability includes being willing to defend difficult decisions after the meeting is over.
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 should establish priorities, policies, budgets and service levels and make the significant decisions entrusted to elected officials. Professional staff should provide objective advice, identify options and risks, manage day-to-day operations and implement council’s decisions.
Councillors should not micromanage staff or individually direct employees. Equally, “staff recommended it” is not an acceptable excuse for an elected official’s decision. A staff report is advice. Council remains responsible for the decision. My responsibility is to read the reports, ask questions, understand the financial and operational consequences, consider alternatives and then vote. If I support a staff recommendation, I own that vote. If I disagree with the recommendation, I should be able to articulate an evidence-based reason for doing so.
Healthy municipalities require professional staff and strong elected leadership. Respecting their different roles makes both more effective and ultimately provides better service to residents.
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, I have not undertaken a cleanup of my social-media history to make myself more politically appealing during this campaign.
People can find a substantial record of what I have written, said and advocated for. Like many candidates who have used social media for decades, individual posts may have been deleted over time because information became outdated, links stopped working, events passed or content was no longer relevant. I also edit posts and correct information when I discover an error.
I have not systematically deleted or substantially altered past content because I feared how voters might view my candidacy. I believe a public record is valuable. Voters should be able to assess not only what candidates say during an election campaign, but how they have approached issues over time.
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 believe responsible budgeting begins by choosing an arbitrary percentage and forcing the budget to fit it.
My objective is to keep annual increases as reasonable as possible while recognizing that inflation, growth, infrastructure requirements and provincial downloading can vary significantly from year to year. When pressures exceed that level, council should first distinguish needs from wants. Protect core services and existing infrastructure; examine staffing and operating efficiencies; scrutinize new programs; defer lower-priority capital projects where responsible; review service levels; and ensure growth-related costs are appropriately assigned to growth.
Debt also matters. Holding today’s tax increase artificially low by borrowing excessively simply transfers the bill, plus the cost of interest to future taxpayers.
Every significant expenditure should answer three questions: Is this a municipal responsibility? Is it necessary now? Are we delivering it efficiently? Affordability matters, but sustainable municipal finances require looking beyond a single year’s tax bill.
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.
Oxford must plan for growth because ignoring provincial population forecasts does not make growth disappear. However, we should have a strong voice in determining where and how that growth occurs.
I grew up on a working farm. I understand that farmland isn’t simply vacant land waiting for a higher-value use. It is productive infrastructure, an economic resource and the foundation of our food system. Our first priority should be making better use of land already within settlement boundaries through responsible intensification, redevelopment and a broader range of housing. I have supported intensification, increased density, and better use of existing infrastructure rather than supporting urban sprawl at the expense of rural lands. Expansion should occur only where it can be justified by demonstrated need and supported by infrastructure.
Prime agricultural land deserves significant protection. I have voted repeatedly to support land preservation and will continue to do so, because once it is paved, we don’t get it back. The guiding principles should be efficient land use, protection of viable agriculture, infrastructure capacity, complete communities and long-term financial sustainability. Growth should strengthen Oxford rather than consume the assets that make Oxford successful.
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 make a willing-host decision based simply on whether a project involved wind or solar. I would evaluate the actual proposal.
My questions would include: Where is it located? What agricultural land is affected? What do neighbouring property owners experience? What infrastructure is required? Who pays for it? What are the setbacks, noise impacts, decommissioning requirements and financial securities? What benefit does the host community receive? And what does meaningful public consultation tell us?
Renewable energy will be part of Ontario’s future electricity mix, but provincial energy objectives should not eliminate legitimate local land-use considerations. If asked to declare Woodstock as a willing host, I would require a specific proposal, complete information, meaningful community consultation and clear local benefit. I would not provide a blanket approval or rejection, in advance.
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 would not support a data centre simply because it promises investment or assessment growth.
Data centres can consume enormous amounts of electricity and, depending on their design, significant water and land while creating comparatively few permanent jobs. Oxford already faces infrastructure and electricity-capacity constraints, so those costs and opportunity costs matter.
Economic development isn’t about attracting development at any cost. It is about finding the right investment for the right location. For a project of this nature, I would want the economic, infrastructure, environmental and community impacts clearly documented before making a decision.
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.
Landowner rights matter.
Property ownership has never meant an unlimited right to develop or alter land without regard for zoning, drainage, wetlands, source-water protection, neighbouring properties or other legitimate public interests. Where restrictions are proposed, municipalities should clearly explain the problem being addressed, the evidence supporting the regulation and why the proposed restriction is necessary. Good regulation protects legitimate public interests while interfering with private property as little as reasonably possible.
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.
The scientific evidence demonstrates that increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, contribute to climate change. Municipalities will not solve global climate change on their own, nor should local taxpayers be asked to fund symbolic initiatives with little measurable benefit. Our responsibility should focus on areas where municipal action makes practical and financial sense: energy-efficient municipal buildings, responsible fleet management, waste diversion, infrastructure resilience, stormwater management, land-use planning and preparing municipal assets for increasingly severe weather.
These decisions should be evaluated the same way as other municipal investments by examining costs, benefits, risks and measurable outcomes. Reducing energy consumption, for example, can lower both emissions and operating costs. Protecting infrastructure from flooding can avoid much larger future costs.
I support Woodstock revisiting and implementing a practical Community Energy Plan for precisely this reason. Climate policy at the municipal level should be evidence-based, financially responsible and focused on actions within our jurisdiction that produce demonstrable local benefits.
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.
The objective is straightforward: hire the best people, treat employees fairly, provide services equitably and ensure every resident can interact with their municipal government with dignity and respect. Municipal services are provided to an increasingly diverse population. Barriers related to disability, language, discrimination or accessibility can affect whether residents are able to use those services effectively. Good government should identify and remove unreasonable barriers.
I support appropriate workplace training that helps employees meet their legal obligations, treat residents and colleagues respectfully and provide accessible public services. That can include training related to accessibility, human rights, workplace harassment and diversity.
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.
Oxford County and the City of Woodstock are accountable first to our residents and to the laws of Ontario and Canada, not to the United Nations.
International frameworks can provide research, benchmarks or ideas, just as municipalities learn from universities, professional associations, other governments and organizations around the world. They should not replace locally established priorities or democratic decision-making. If an idea associated with an international framework makes sense for Woodstock or Oxford, such as improving infrastructure, reducing waste, increasing housing options or protecting drinking water, for example, council should evaluate that proposal on its local merits.
The source of an idea matters less to me than whether it solves a real local problem effectively and affordably.
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 support the use of Cruiser-Mounted Mobile ALPR. Active Woodstock Police and Oxford OPP front-line patrol vehicles are currently equipped with mobile Automated Licence Plate Recognition (ALPR). Unlike fixed municipal poles, these scan license plates on active roadways to flag suspended drivers, stolen vehicles, or unregistered plates. Why? There is no expectation of privacy on a road.
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.
As Chair of the Southwestern Public Health Board, I believe one of our most important responsibilities happens long before an emergency: this includes an emphasis on planning and preparedness. Regular training, exercises and coordination among public health, municipalities, emergency services, hospitals and community partners helps to ensure we can respond effectively rather than improvise during a crisis.
Being prepared and acting quickly when necessary are compatible with transparency, democratic oversight, proportionality and respect for individual rights.
Preparedness is our first line of defence; restrictions become a tool of last resort rather than the centre of emergency management.
Questionnaire sent: September 8, 2026
Response received: September 11, 2026
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