Not the full picture. Built from public records, which leave things out.Read by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date. Check the sources, and tell us if you spot a mistake. What this site can't tell you Read by hand. We read Adelaide-Metcalfe's own documents for this site in October 2026; the Sources page lists which ones. The comparisons with other places still come from the Province's yearly reports.
Questions · 8 so far
Things worth asking about
We read Adelaide-Metcalfe's financial reports and meeting minutes, and compared its numbers with 29 similar Ontario towns. These are the things that stood out.
What these are, and what they are not. A question here means a number or practice is unusual, or harder to see than it should be. It does not mean anyone did anything wrong. Most unusual numbers turn out to have ordinary explanations, and every question lists some. The only way to know is to ask.
Worth asking
Worth asking
There may well be a good reason. It is still worth asking what it is.
$802,718landfill closure and care liability at December 31, 2025, against a reserve of $492,350
A landfill that stops taking waste must be covered and watched for many years. Accounting rules make the Township record that future cost as a debt today. The 2025 statements put it at $802,718 and say the Adelaide site reached capacity in 2025 (the Metcalfe site closed earlier). The reserve set aside for it was $492,350. The 2026 budget slides give different figures for the same two things ($733,444 owed, $469,001 saved) and say a report on options (expansion, closure or a transfer station) is still to come to Council. The Township has a plan to be fully funded by 2028.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 4 sources
7.51%2026 increase in tax money raised, against a 5.08% rate increase
The levy is the total money the Township collects in property tax. The rate is the amount charged per dollar of a property's value. The 2026 schedules show the Township raising 5,322,618 in taxes against 4,950,751 the year before, a change of 371,867 or 7.51%, while the tax rate rises 5.08%. Staff say the budget started at a 15.31% rate increase and the budget working group cut it to 5.08%.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
$1,853,466increase in accounts payable and accrued liabilities during 2025
Accounts payable are bills received or owed but not yet paid at year end. The 2025 statements show 4,820,938 owed, against 2,967,472 a year earlier. Cash on hand was 13,637,371 at the end of 2025. Capital work in progress (projects not yet finished) rose to 2,033,384 and money owed to the Township by benefiting landowners (mostly for drainage work) rose to 1,098,195. The Township says the remaining drain billing is to be issued in August 2026.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
$1,217,794actual general government expenses in 2025, against a budget of $971,175
General government covers council, the administration office and corporate costs. The 2025 statements show actual spending of 1,217,794 against a budget of 971,175, and 1,123,188 in 2024. The 2025 budget schedules show a large rise in the Economic Development line (studies and planning work). Amortization (the yearly write-down of what assets are worth) is only 16,931 in this department, so it does not explain the gap on its own. We cannot tell from the documents what does. The budget in the statements is a restated version, which makes a clean comparison hard.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 5 sources
(299,250)development charges balance at December 31, 2025, a negative balance
The 2026 budget includes several growth items: a servicing agreement with a neighbouring town for the Centre Road water and wastewater system (an interim agreement is in place and a final one is being negotiated), $70,000 for that agreement's renewal and legal fees, a $25,000 municipal services corporation to give the Township more room to borrow for infrastructure, and $150,000 for a secondary plan and official plan amendment. Separately, the development charges reserve fund is in the red, at (299,250) in the 2025 statements. The Township says it borrowed from future development charges to pay for qualifying projects and that this is paid back with interest.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 4 sources
3,484,983projected end-of-2026 balance of the Lifecycle Management Reserve Fund, down from 3,661,788
The Township saves money each year in a Lifecycle Management Reserve Fund to replace roads, bridges and equipment as they wear out. The 2026 budget schedules show it starting 2026 at 3,661,788, with contributions of 1,438,136 and withdrawals of 1,614,942, so it ends 2026 lower at 3,484,983. The Township also shows a long-range projection to 2040, which it says is meant to spot high-spend years early so tax increases can be smoothed out.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 1 source
$18,660Integrity Commissioner expenses incurred in 2025, against $2,000 contingency in the 2026 budget
The Integrity Commissioner is an outside lawyer who checks that members of council follow the Code of Conduct. The 2026 budget slides say legal fees of $2,000 are included in 2026 as a contingency for Integrity Commissioner expenses, and that 2025 incurred $18,660. The Township's page on the Integrity Commissioner explains how to complain, but we did not find any reports on it.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
$802,718landfill closure and care liability at December 31, 2025, against a reserve of $492,350
A landfill that stops taking waste must be covered and watched for many years. Accounting rules make the Township record that future cost as a debt today. The 2025 statements put it at $802,718 and say the Adelaide site reached capacity in 2025 (the Metcalfe site closed earlier). The reserve set aside for it was $492,350. The 2026 budget slides give different figures for the same two things ($733,444 owed, $469,001 saved) and say a report on options (expansion, closure or a transfer station) is still to come to Council. The Township has a plan to be fully funded by 2028.
Why it matters
Money not yet saved for closing a landfill has to come from future taxes or other reserves. A large choice such as a new landfill or a transfer station is still open, so the cost is not settled.
It could be because…
The Township says it plans to pay in over time and be fully funded by 2028, and that the plan works for whichever option Council picks.
Care of a closed landfill is spread over 25 years, so the money is not needed all at once.
The budget slides were written in December 2025, before the year-end audit, so their estimates can differ from the audited figures.
Questions you could ask
Which figure is the current one for the landfill liability and reserve: the audited $802,718 and $492,350, or the slide's $733,444 and $469,001?
When will the report on landfill options come to Council, and what does each option (expansion, closure, transfer station) cost?
If the reserve reaches full funding in 2028, where does the rest of the audited gap come from?
You can ask during the public part of a council meeting, by writing to the clerk, or by contacting your councillors. How to reach council.
Speak for Adelaide-Metcalfe?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Note 10 says the Adelaide site was expected to reach capacity in 2025 and the Metcalfe site in 2020, with estimated remaining capacity of 0 at both. It puts the estimated liability at $802,718 (2024 - $802,679) and says "At year end this reserve was $492,350 (2024 - $448,274)." It says the Adelaide site has reached capacity and the Municipality is reviewing further plans for possible expansion.
The slides say the landfill has reached capacity and cannot accept general non-hazardous waste, that landfill revenue is $0, that a future report on landfill options is to come to Council, and that the "Operating loss projected at $104,749".
The Landfill Financial Strategy slide gives a closure and post-closure liability of $733,444, an estimated reserve balance at 2025 year-end of $469,001 and a remaining amount to fund of $252,000. It lists a 2026 recommended contribution of $82,486 and says the landfill is "Projected to be fully funded by 2028". The two figures printed here differ by more than the $252,000 the slide lists (worked out by us; see the research notes).
The reserve fund projections list the Landfill Reserve Fund with a projected 2026 opening balance of 492,369, contributions of 82,486 and a projected 2026 end balance of 574,855.
7.51%2026 increase in tax money raised, against a 5.08% rate increase
The levy is the total money the Township collects in property tax. The rate is the amount charged per dollar of a property's value. The 2026 schedules show the Township raising 5,322,618 in taxes against 4,950,751 the year before, a change of 371,867 or 7.51%, while the tax rate rises 5.08%. Staff say the budget started at a 15.31% rate increase and the budget working group cut it to 5.08%.
Why it matters
Residents see the rate increase on the news and the bill. The levy tells how much more money the Township takes in total. A 2.4 point gap between the two should be explained so people know whether it comes from new homes and businesses paying tax or from something else.
It could be because…
More property value may be added during the year (new buildings, changes of property class), which raises the levy without raising a household's rate.
The Township says the budget started at a 15.31% increase and was cut by its working group of staff and two councillors, which shows the process was reviewed line by line.
Part of the difference may come from how the rate is applied to different kinds of property (residential, farm, pipeline, commercial).
Questions you could ask
What accounts for the difference between the 7.51% rise in money raised and the 5.08% rise in the rate?
How much of the 2026 levy increase comes from new or reclassified property?
You can ask during the public part of a council meeting, by writing to the clerk, or by contacting your councillors. How to reach council.
Speak for Adelaide-Metcalfe?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
The 2026 Draft Budget Summary total line, "Total for Municipal Purposes", prints 4,505,003, 9,827,620, 5,322,618, 4,950,751, 371,867 and 7.51%. The same page prints "Y/Y Change (%) 5.08% 5.08%" for the projected 2026 municipal tax rate.
The Cuts Made by Working Group slide says the budget "started at a 15.31% tax rate increase", raising $890,024 over 2025, and that the working group cut $511,138 to reach a 5.22% rate increase, raising $378,886. After updated OPP and insurance information the final figure was a 5.08% rate increase, raising $371,867. The Considerations slide says "No property assessment phase-in growth".
2026 Budget Presentation · Cuts Made by Working Group, PDF page 92; Operating Highlights - Impacts, PDF page 41
$1,853,466increase in accounts payable and accrued liabilities during 2025
Accounts payable are bills received or owed but not yet paid at year end. The 2025 statements show 4,820,938 owed, against 2,967,472 a year earlier. Cash on hand was 13,637,371 at the end of 2025. Capital work in progress (projects not yet finished) rose to 2,033,384 and money owed to the Township by benefiting landowners (mostly for drainage work) rose to 1,098,195. The Township says the remaining drain billing is to be issued in August 2026.
Why it matters
The Township's cash looks strong at year end, but part of it was owed out. A reader needs to know how much of the 2025 cash is already spoken for and whether the drainage work paid up front will be repaid by the landowners as planned.
It could be because…
Large road and equipment projects were still under way at year end, so invoices for work done in late 2025 may simply not have been paid yet.
Drainage work is paid for by the Township first and billed to the landowners who benefit later, so a higher receivable and a higher payable can rise together.
The Township ended 2025 with its cash balance far above its bills, so a larger payable does not by itself mean a cash problem.
Questions you could ask
What are the main invoices in accounts payable at December 31, 2025, and how much has since been paid?
How much of the drainage money the Township fronted had been billed to landowners by the end of 2025, and how much is still to come?
You can ask during the public part of a council meeting, by writing to the clerk, or by contacting your councillors. How to reach council.
Speak for Adelaide-Metcalfe?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
The Statement of Financial Position prints "Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 4,820,938 2,967,472" and "Cash 13,637,371 8,283,141". The cash flow note prints a change in accounts payable and accrued liabilities of 1,853,466 for 2025 and 2,078,003 for 2024.
Note 4 lists accounts receivable from "Benefitting land owners 1,098,195 541,266". Note 11 shows work in progress rising from 243,457 to 2,033,384 in 2025, with additions of 1,793,907.
$1,217,794actual general government expenses in 2025, against a budget of $971,175
General government covers council, the administration office and corporate costs. The 2025 statements show actual spending of 1,217,794 against a budget of 971,175, and 1,123,188 in 2024. The 2025 budget schedules show a large rise in the Economic Development line (studies and planning work). Amortization (the yearly write-down of what assets are worth) is only 16,931 in this department, so it does not explain the gap on its own. We cannot tell from the documents what does. The budget in the statements is a restated version, which makes a clean comparison hard.
Why it matters
Statements compare actual spending with the budget Council voted. If one department runs well over, the reason can show where decisions made during the year (studies, legal costs, staff) changed the plan.
It could be because…
The statements restate the Council-approved budget (3,283,793 for general government) by removing transfers to reserves of 2,312,618, so the comparison may not be like for like.
Projects carried forward from earlier years (such as the industrial lands study, total cost $131,677) may have been paid for from reserves in 2025 without being in the 2025 budget lines.
Staff pay was adjusted to market on January 1, 2025, which the Township says in its 2026 slides.
Outside legal and Integrity Commissioner services may have cost more than planned in 2025 (the Township says Integrity Commissioner expenses were $18,660).
Questions you could ask
What are the main costs that took general government from the restated budget of $971,175 to $1,217,794?
Does the Township publish a year-end budget-to-actual report for each department, with the reasons for large differences?
You can ask during the public part of a council meeting, by writing to the clerk, or by contacting your councillors. How to reach council.
Speak for Adelaide-Metcalfe?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
The Statement of Operations prints "General government 971,175 1,217,794 1,123,188" for budget 2025, actual 2025 and actual 2024.
Note 17 shows the approved budget for General government as 3,283,793, a PSAB adjustment of (2,312,618) and a PSAB budget of 971,175. It says the Municipality does not budget activity within reserve funds except for transactions that affect operations or capital.
The segment schedule for 2025 prints amortization of 16,931 in the General Government column and total General Government expenses of 1,217,794. Taking amortization out still leaves actual spending above 971,175 (worked out by us; see the research notes).
The 2025 draft schedules print "Economic Development 10,000 144,177 134,177 12,500 121,677 973.42%" and "Total General Government 1,293,226 3,283,793 1,990,567 1,879,465 111,101 5.91%".
The slides say the industrial lands feasibility study has a total cost of $131,677 and that staff compensation market alignment was implemented on Jan 1, 2025.
2026 Budget Presentation · Operating Highlights - Impacts, PDF page 41; General Government - Economic Development, PDF page 52
(299,250)development charges balance at December 31, 2025, a negative balance
The 2026 budget includes several growth items: a servicing agreement with a neighbouring town for the Centre Road water and wastewater system (an interim agreement is in place and a final one is being negotiated), $70,000 for that agreement's renewal and legal fees, a $25,000 municipal services corporation to give the Township more room to borrow for infrastructure, and $150,000 for a secondary plan and official plan amendment. Separately, the development charges reserve fund is in the red, at (299,250) in the 2025 statements. The Township says it borrowed from future development charges to pay for qualifying projects and that this is paid back with interest.
Why it matters
Growth projects can commit a small township to long-term costs and debt. The Township's own slides say the services corporation allows 'greater debt capacity', so residents may want to know how much borrowing is planned and who will repay it.
It could be because…
Development charges are paid when new buildings go up, so a temporary negative balance is normal when infrastructure comes first and the fees follow.
The Township says its department deficit for Centre Rd/Hwy 81 water is $42,141 and that part of the legal cost ($20,000) is funded by the legal reserve fund.
Larger partners often handle servicing for small townships, and an interim agreement lets service continue while a final one is negotiated.
Questions you could ask
When is the final Centre Road servicing agreement expected, and what will the Township pay under it each year?
How much borrowing does the Township expect to take on through the municipal services corporation, and for which projects?
How and when will the development charges deficit be paid back?
You can ask during the public part of a council meeting, by writing to the clerk, or by contacting your councillors. How to reach council.
Speak for Adelaide-Metcalfe?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
The slides say the Centre Rd servicing agreement has an "Interim agreement complete" and that the Township is "Working alongside Strathroy-Caradoc to reach a final agreement".
For Water/Wastewater: Centre Rd/Hwy 81 the slides list "Servicing agreement renewal and legal fees: $70,000", with $20,000 funded by the legal reserve fund, and "Overall department deficit: $42,141".
2026 Budget Presentation · Environmental Services - Water/Wastewater: Centre Rd/Hwy 81, PDF page 80
The Economic Development slide lists a "Municipal services corporation: $25,000" for water and wastewater public utility provision that "Allows for greater debt capacity for infrastructure projects", and a "Secondary Plan and Official Plan Amendment: $150,000".
Note 5 lists Development charges at (299,250) for 2025 and (356,516) for 2024, and says the Municipality "has borrowed money from future development charges" to fund qualifying capital assets in advance, and that the amounts are paid back, including the prescribed rate of interest.
Adelaide-Metcalfe spent $274K on water, sewers and garbage in 2019 and $436K in 2025. Prices only went up about 21% in that time.
Why did the cost of water, sewers and garbage grow 59% in 6 years?
Water, sewers and garbage
Prices (inflation)
+0%+20%+40%+60%+80%+100%
+59%
2019202020212022202320242025
Show as a table
Year
Water, sewers and garbage
Prices (inflation)
2019
+0%
+0%
2020
+55%
+1%
2021
+25%
+4%
2022
+81%
+11%
2023
+25%
+16%
2024
+79%
+18%
2025
+59%
+21%
Change since the first year shown. The grey line is how much prices rose overall, for comparison.
Why it matters
When one area grows much faster than prices, it is either doing more (which may be great) or paying more for the same thing. Residents deserve to know which.
It could be because…
The town added a service, a building or staff that residents asked for.
Costs were moved from another area, so the total did not really change.
Accounting rules changed how costs are sorted.
Large one-time costs, like a study, lawsuit or repair, landed in one year.
Questions you could ask
What did the extra $162K a year pay for?
Why did sewer pipes go from $27,015 to $159K?
Was each increase approved by council as a separate decision, or did it happen through the yearly budget?
You can ask during the public part of a council meeting, by writing to the clerk, or by contacting your councillors. How to reach council.
Speak for Adelaide-Metcalfe?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
3,484,983projected end-of-2026 balance of the Lifecycle Management Reserve Fund, down from 3,661,788
The Township saves money each year in a Lifecycle Management Reserve Fund to replace roads, bridges and equipment as they wear out. The 2026 budget schedules show it starting 2026 at 3,661,788, with contributions of 1,438,136 and withdrawals of 1,614,942, so it ends 2026 lower at 3,484,983. The Township also shows a long-range projection to 2040, which it says is meant to spot high-spend years early so tax increases can be smoothed out.
Why it matters
A savings fund that runs low means later councils face either big tax jumps or borrowing to replace roads and bridges. Seeing this now gives time to plan, which is what the Township says the chart is for.
It could be because…
The fund is meant to be spent on replacing assets as they wear out, so a falling balance can be the plan working as designed.
The Township says the projection assumes grants from the province and federal government stay at today's levels and that actual funding could be higher.
Questions you could ask
Which years in the Township's long-range projection have the lowest balance, and what replacements drive them?
What happens to the projection if the OCIF and CCBF grants are cut?
You can ask during the public part of a council meeting, by writing to the clerk, or by contacting your councillors. How to reach council.
Speak for Adelaide-Metcalfe?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
The projected Lifecycle Management Reserve Fund line shows a 2026 opening balance of 3,661,788, contributions of 1,438,136, withdrawals of (1,614,942), an in-year change of (176,805) and a projected 2026 end balance of 3,484,983.
2026 Budget Schedules · Reserve & Reserve Fund Projections, Lifecycle Management Reserve Fund row, PDF page 11
$18,660Integrity Commissioner expenses incurred in 2025, against $2,000 contingency in the 2026 budget
The Integrity Commissioner is an outside lawyer who checks that members of council follow the Code of Conduct. The 2026 budget slides say legal fees of $2,000 are included in 2026 as a contingency for Integrity Commissioner expenses, and that 2025 incurred $18,660. The Township's page on the Integrity Commissioner explains how to complain, but we did not find any reports on it.
Why it matters
The Integrity Commissioner's work is paid for by taxpayers. Councils usually publish a summary of the commissioner's yearly activity, which helps residents see whether the system is used.
It could be because…
The Integrity Commissioner also gives advice to council and may have run training or reviewed policies, which is not about any complaint.
Reports may be on the meeting portal, which we did not open.
Costs vary from year to year with the number of requests, so a small contingency can be reasonable.
Questions you could ask
Does the Township publish an annual summary of the Integrity Commissioner's activity and cost?
What did the $18,660 in 2025 cover, in general terms (advice, training, or investigations)?
You can ask during the public part of a council meeting, by writing to the clerk, or by contacting your councillors. How to reach council.
Speak for Adelaide-Metcalfe?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
The slides say "Legal fees included in 2026: $2,000" as a "Contingency for integrity commissioner expenses" and "2025 incurred $18,660".
The reserve fund projections show the Legal Reserve Fund with a projected 2026 opening balance of 176,349, a withdrawal of (40,000) and a projected 2026 end balance of 141,110.
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