York Regional Council is the political body for the Regional Municipality of York in Ontario, Canada. Created in 1970, it consists of 21 elected representatives plus the Regional Chair. The elected members are the mayors of each of its nine municipalities (Aurora, East Gwillimbury, Georgina, King, Newmarket, Markham, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, and Whitchurch-Stouffville), as well as an additional eleven Regional Councillors from the more populous municipalities—four from Markham, three from Vaughan, two from Richmond Hill and one each from Georgina and Newmarket. These members are elected via double direct election.
The Regional Chair is elected at large by the members of Regional Council at their inaugural meeting and serves a four-year term. The first Regional Chair, Garfield Wright, was appointed by the provincial government upon the creation of York Region and served for two terms (1971-1978).[1] The current Regional Chair is Wayne Emmerson[2]
Regional Council usually meets on the third Thursday of each month at 9:30am at the York Region Administrative Centre offices in Newmarket.