Oxford County

What Oxford County does

Oxford County is a two-tier municipal government in southwestern Ontario, Canada, serving as the upper-tier authority for eight area municipalities: Blandford-Blenheim, East Zorra-Tavistock, Ingersoll, Norwich, South-West Oxford, Tillsonburg, Woodstock, and Zorra. Established in 1850 and headquartered in Woodstock, the County delivers mandated county-level services including water and wastewater management (17 drinking water systems and 11 wastewater systems), roads and bridges, paramedic services, waste management and recycling, social services, affordable housing and homelessness support, long-term care at Woodingford Lodge, and a county-wide library system. It operates central technology platforms including the Service Oxford digital portal, Corporate Geographic Information System (GIS), Wasteline App, and the Speak Up, Oxford! public engagement platform.

The County's 2024 Business Plan and Budget totals $349.5 million ($245.9 million operating, $103.6 million capital), funded through a general tax levy of $82.6 million (a 16.7% increase over 2023), federal and provincial grants, water and wastewater rates, development charges, and tourism partnership fees. Strategic infrastructure planning is anchored by the 2024 Water and Wastewater Master Plan and 2024 Transportation Master Plan, both projecting needs through 2046 to accommodate population and employment growth. Tourism Oxford functions as the County's designated Destination Management Organization, managing sub-brands including the Oxford County Cheese Trail, Oxford Fresh, Oxford Handcrafted, and Your Next Stop itineraries, with over 20,000 consumers engaged through social media and email channels. The County's governance is provided by a Council composed of mayors from each area municipality plus two additional Woodstock representatives, with an elected Warden presiding.

Name

Oxford County

Legal name

Oxford County

Website

https://oxfordcounty.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1850

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Oxford County is a two-tier municipal government in Ontario, Canada, serving eight area municipalities with water/wastewater infrastructure, transportation, social services, paramedic services, long-term care, waste management, library services, and destination tourism marketing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Government Services

NAICS

Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Regulation and Administration of Transportation Programs (92612)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Mayor/City Manager & General Administration (BPAIACAA)

Keywords

• Municipal government services
• Water wastewater management
• Waste management recycling
• Paramedic long-term care
• Destination tourism marketing

Headquarters

HQ city

Woodstock

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Municipal Tax Levy: Oxford County's primary revenue source is a general tax levy collected through the eight area municipalities. The 2024 general tax levy was $82.6 million, a 16.7% increase over 2023. Oxford County residents do not pay taxes directly to the County; the levy is added to tax bills in each area municipality and transferred to the County.
2. Federal and Provincial Grants: Oxford County receives federal and provincial grants as part of its total budget funding, including support from FedDev Ontario for tourism initiatives.
3. Water and Wastewater Rates: Revenue from water and wastewater services, included in the $170 million in revenues from federal and provincial grants, water and wastewater rates, and fees and charges.
4. Development Charges and Fees: Fees and charges including development charges to fund infrastructure growth, contributing to the $92.1 million from other sources including reserves.
5. Tourism Partnership Fees: Fees from tourism business partnerships including Enhanced Profile listings ($250 Year 1, $150 annually thereafter), Cheese Trail partnership ($300/year plus $100 for Big Cheese Days), Oxford Fresh Map ($235), and Digital Advertising Partnership ($250/campaign).

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Oxford County is a two-tier municipal government in southwestern Ontario serving eight area municipalities. It delivers essential public services including drinking water and wastewater, waste management, roads and transportation, social services, paramedic services, long-term care, libraries, planning, and destination tourism marketing through Tourism Oxford.

Product overview

Oxford County operates as a two-tier municipal government providing comprehensive public services to eight area municipalities. The county's service portfolio spans water and wastewater management (17 drinking water systems and 11 wastewater systems), waste management with the Wasteline App, transportation infrastructure planning via the 2024 Transportation Master Plan, human services including social assistance and housing, long-term care at Woodingford Lodge, paramedic services, library services, and planning/development services. Tourism Oxford serves as the Destination Management Organization managing destination marketing, product development partnerships, and programs including the Oxford County Cheese Trail, Oxford Fresh, and Your Next Stop itineraries. The county also publishes strategic plans including the 2024 Water and Wastewater Master Plan and 2024 Transportation Master Plan guiding infrastructure development through 2046. Digital services include Service Oxford for service requests and eAlerts for communications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Oxford County Cheese Trail: A curated list of over 30 attractions celebrating Oxford County's dairy heritage, featuring museums, restaurants, artisans, and cheesemakers.
• Oxford Fresh
• Oxford Handcrafted
• Wasteline App

Products and services

• Water and Wastewater Services Management of 17 drinking water systems and 11 wastewater systems providing clean drinking water supply, wastewater collection and treatment, water distribution, storage towers, and related infrastructure maintenance to communities across Oxford County.
• Waste Management and Recycling Curbside garbage and recycling collection, green bin organics program, large item collection, hazardous waste disposal, construction and demolition waste management, and waste education programs. Includes the Wasteline App for schedule tracking.
• Tourism Oxford Destination Management Organization managing Oxford County as a tourism destination, supporting product development and marketing to visitors. Operates TourismOxford.ca and coordinates tourism partnerships and marketing campaigns.
• Tourism Partnership Programs Cooperative marketing programs for tourism operators including free and enhanced website listings, video partnerships, digital advertising partnerships, experiential tourism support, and photography/video asset sharing. Programs include the Oxford County Cheese Trail, Oxford Fresh, Your Next Stop itineraries, and Oxford Handcrafted.
• Woodingford Lodge Long-term care facility operated by Oxford County providing residential care, family transition programs, and support services for residents, including admissions, volunteer programs, and donation capabilities.
• Paramedic Services Emergency medical services including ambulance response, community paramedicine programs to redirect care from emergency rooms, professional standards monitoring, and emergency management coordination.
• Human Services Social services including income support, children's services, shelter and housing assistance, and community resources for vulnerable populations.
• Roads and Transportation Infrastructure Management and maintenance of County roads, bridges, and culverts including construction projects, line painting, winter driving maintenance, road permits, and reduced load limits.
• Service Oxford Online self-service portal for residents to submit service requests, report issues such as potholes or water problems, provide feedback, and access county services digitally.
• Geographic Information System (GIS) Corporate Geographic Information System providing geographic data services and mapping products for Oxford County, including interactive maps and data requests for spatial analysis.
• Library Services County-wide library system (excluding Woodstock) providing archives, mobile outreach programs, community resources, and reading programs including Oxford Reads annual selection.
• Planning and Development Official Plan management, community profile development, land use planning, development applications processing, and studies and reports for sustainable community growth.
• eAlerts Subscription Service Email notification system allowing residents to subscribe to news, career opportunities, public notices, and other county updates through the Manage Subscriptions portal.
• Oxford County Cheese Trail Curated touring route featuring over 30 attractions celebrating Oxford County's dairy heritage including museums, restaurants, artisans, and cheesemakers.
• Oxford Fresh Partnership between Tourism Oxford and the Oxford County Federation of Agriculture connecting locals and visitors with local farms and producers, including a dedicated website section, farm gate signage program, digital advertising, and a bi-annual printed map.
• Tourism Oxford Resources Training, workshops, and resources for tourism operators including digital marketing guides, event planning tools, market readiness checklists, sustainability resources, workforce development materials, and certification support programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2024 budget of $349.5 million with $103.6 million capital plan
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Southwest Ontario Tourism Corporation (SWOTC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSWOTC is the regional tourism organization providing cooperative marketing programs, training (Unlocked and Inspired), Signature Experiences Program, sustainable tourism initiatives, and workforce development resources. Tourism Oxford participates in SWOTC programs for provincial matching funds and regional marketing.
• Ontario's SouthwestmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional destination marketing organization (DMO) that Tourism Oxford collaborates with for Ontario tourism marketing initiatives and visitor promotion.
• Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvincial tourism industry association providing advocacy, research (Tourism Counts), membership services, and representation. TIAO participates in judging panels for Oxford Tourism Awards.
• Culinary Tourism AlliancemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization promoting culinary tourism experiences. Provides Feast On certification for restaurants and food tourism resources including Food Tourism 101 training. Participates in Oxford Tourism Awards judging.
• Destination OntariomajorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvincial tourism marketing organization providing marketing resources and destination promotion for Ontario.
• Destination CanadaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNational tourism marketing organization providing tools, tips, training videos, destination development resources, and traveller segmentation data for tourism marketing.
• Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgricultural advocacy organization partnering with Tourism Oxford on Oxford Fresh initiative. Provides resources on uses permitted in prime agricultural areas for farm diversification.
• Options for EmploymentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOxford County resource providing comprehensive employment services to job seekers and local employers, supporting workforce development for tourism and hospitality sector.
• Community Employment ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployment service offering free wrap-around support, digital attraction, and retention services for workforce in Oxford County businesses.
• Rural Oxford Economic Development Corp. (ROEDC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEconomic development corporation for rural Oxford providing business supports, grants, and development resources.
• South Central Ontario Region Economic Development Corporation (SCOR EDC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional economic development organization serving Oxford County area.
• R.V. Anderson Associates LimitedmajorTechnology or IntegrationEngineering consulting firm retained as Senior Project Manager for the 2024 Water and Wastewater Master Plan Class EA Study, leading technical analysis and recommendations.
• Parsons Inc.majorTechnology or IntegrationEngineering consulting firm retained by Oxford County to complete the 2024 Transportation Master Plan Update, assessing existing and future transportation network conditions.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Norfolk County: Adjacent southwestern Ontario two-tier county government delivering water/wastewater, paramedic, social services, library, and roads to its member municipalities. Closely comparable in scale, mandate, and service mix to Oxford County.
• Middlesex County: Ontario upper-tier municipality providing the same suite of county-level services (water, paramedic, social services, long-term care, roads) across a mix of urban and rural member municipalities. Highly comparable governance and service model.
• Perth County: Small southwestern Ontario two-tier county with similar municipal responsibilities including water, paramedic services, and long-term care. Directly comparable in scale, agricultural base, and rural-urban mix.
• Elgin County: Southwestern Ontario upper-tier county providing water/wastewater, paramedic, social services, and library services. Comparable population scale and growth profile to Oxford County.
• Haldimand County: Single-tier Ontario municipality with similar rural/small-urban mix delivering water, wastewater, paramedic, social services, and long-term care. Closely comparable in service breadth and infrastructure mandate.
• Brant County: Two-tier municipal structure in southwestern Ontario providing county-level services including water, paramedic, and social services. Directly comparable as a peer county government serving member municipalities.
• Wellington County: Southwestern Ontario upper-tier municipality delivering water, paramedic, social services, and library services. Comparable service portfolio and growth-management approach to Oxford.
• Grey County: Rural southwestern Ontario county with similar agricultural and tourism economy, providing water, paramedic, and social services. Comparable in scale and tourism/agriculture orientation.
• Huron County: Rural southwestern Ontario county offering water, paramedic, social services, and library services to member municipalities. Directly comparable in size, rural mix, and service responsibilities.

Broad incumbents

• Southwest Ontario Tourism Corporation (SWOTC): Regional tourism organization that Tourism Oxford partners with and is partially funded by; operates at a broader regional scale with cooperative marketing, training, and Signature Experiences programming that overlaps with Tourism Oxford's mandate.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/oxfordcounty
• YouTubeyoutube.com/oxfordcountyontario
• Facebookfacebook.com/oxfordcounty
• Instagraminstagram.com/oxfordcountyon

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Oxford County