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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 Arran-Elderslie'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 Arran-Elderslie's financial reports and meeting minutes, and compared its numbers with 81 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.
$50,394,796tangible capital assets reported at December 31, 2024, which the auditor says may need adjusting
An audit is a check of the town's yearly financial statements by an outside accountant. A "qualified" opinion means the accountant is telling readers that, apart from certain problems, the statements are fair. For both 2023 and 2024, MNP LLP gave a qualified opinion. It names two problems. First, the Municipality has not gathered the information it needs to correct the value it records for its water, sewer and roads assets. Second, it has not yet adopted a new accounting rule (PS 3280) for the cost of closing down old assets, so the auditor cannot say what that does to the numbers. The statements report tangible capital assets (things the town owns that last for years, such as roads, buildings and water systems) of $50,394,796 at December 31, 2024.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 4 sources
November 14, 2025date of the auditor's report on the 2024 statements (and on the 2023 statements)
The auditor's reports on the 2023 statements and on the 2024 statements are both dated November 14, 2025. The 2024 statements were therefore signed about 10 and a half months after the year ended (worked out by us). On October 5, 2026 the Municipality's financial statements list showed 2024 as its newest year.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
$6,001,192capital assets bought in 2024, against a budget of $9,564,019
Capital spending is money spent on things that last, such as roads, buildings and pipes. The 2024 budget in the statements planned $9,564,019 for buying capital assets. The actual was $6,001,192, about 63% of the plan (worked out by us). The statements show that $2,431,828 of unspent capital money was transferred back to reserves (savings set aside for a purpose) in 2024, and $1,512,581 in 2023. The notes list commitments, including $2,700,000 for the Paisley Fire Hall, that were still to come after year-end.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
$9,000,000principal protected notes held at cost, December 31, 2024, out of $22,085,030 in cash and investments
Of $22,085,030 in cash and investments at the end of 2024, $9,000,000 (at cost) was in principal protected notes, down from $10,500,000 a year earlier. The Municipality's notes explain what they are: the town is repaid its principal at maturity, plus variable interest that follows the performance of Solactive Canada indexes, up to a maximum. The notes say their market value at December 31, 2024 was $9,282,330. The Municipality did not say in the statements who chose the notes or what they earned.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
$233,300budgeted for Strategic Initiatives in 2026, against $101,800 in 2025
In the 2026 operating budget, the economic development account shows a line called Strategic Initiatives. It was $8,436 in 2023 and $27,183 in 2024, and $96,249 had been spent by November 2025. The 2025 budget was $101,800 and the 2026 budget is $233,300, up $131,500 or 129.2%. Over the same years the net cost of the whole economic development account goes from $215,527 to $292,904. We did not find a written explanation of what the money is for in the documents we read.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
$7,933,3162026 lower-tier taxation line, up 6.8% from $7,431,306
The lower-tier tax line, which is the part of the property tax bill the Municipality keeps for itself (not the county or school boards), rises from $7,431,306 in the 2025 budget to $7,933,316 in the 2026 budget, up $502,010 or 6.8%. Residential taxes rise 7.0%. Some of the rise is bills from outside bodies: the OPP contract goes from $1,188,621 to $1,319,369 (11.0%) and the conservation levy on the SVCA line goes from $72,013 to $108,208 (50.3%). The transfer to reserves in the general government account also rises, from $1,126,661 to $1,446,878 (28.4%), while the interest income budget falls from $344,845 to $300,000.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 4 sources
$169,755solid waste closure and post-closure liabilities at December 31, 2024
A landfill has to be covered and watched for years after it closes. The Municipality records $169,755 for this at the end of 2024. The notes say the total estimated future cost for the Arran landfill is $526,681, and that the amount recorded counts only the share of the site already used. The Municipality is therefore following its own stated method. The auditor adds that it has not adopted the newer rule, so it cannot say what the effect on the numbers would be.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
$13,506,424expenses in 2024, against a budget of $11,187,206
The 2024 statements show expenses of $13,506,424 against a budget of $11,187,206, a gap of $2,319,218 (worked out by us). Two areas stand out: transportation services ($3,846,541 against $2,812,587) and environmental services ($2,838,199 against $1,892,894). The gap looks mostly like an accounting difference. Note 9 shows no amortization (the yearly wearing-out cost of assets) in the budget column and $2,272,741 in the actual column. That leaves $46,477 of the gap unexplained by amortization alone (worked out by us). The Municipality did not say in the statements how the gap splits by service.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
$50,394,796tangible capital assets reported at December 31, 2024, which the auditor says may need adjusting
An audit is a check of the town's yearly financial statements by an outside accountant. A "qualified" opinion means the accountant is telling readers that, apart from certain problems, the statements are fair. For both 2023 and 2024, MNP LLP gave a qualified opinion. It names two problems. First, the Municipality has not gathered the information it needs to correct the value it records for its water, sewer and roads assets. Second, it has not yet adopted a new accounting rule (PS 3280) for the cost of closing down old assets, so the auditor cannot say what that does to the numbers. The statements report tangible capital assets (things the town owns that last for years, such as roads, buildings and water systems) of $50,394,796 at December 31, 2024.
Why it matters
Water, sewer and roads are the biggest part of what the town owns. If the value on the books is wrong, the yearly cost of wearing those assets out is wrong too, and so is any plan for paying to replace them. The Municipality's own 2022 statements were also qualified by its earlier auditor, so this is not new.
It could be because…
Many small Ontario towns find the old records for pipes and roads hard to rebuild, and it can take years of staff time and money.
The new rule on the cost of closing down old assets (PS 3280) is a large job, and other towns have been slow to adopt it too.
The Municipality may already have a plan, a consultant or a budget line for this work that we did not find.
Questions you could ask
What is the plan, the cost and the date for gathering the water, sewer and roads asset information the auditor asked for?
Will the 2025 statements still carry a qualified opinion, and for which reasons?
When will the Municipality adopt PS 3280 on the cost of closing down old assets?
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 Arran-Elderslie?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
The auditor's report on the 2024 statements gives a qualified opinion: "except for the possible effects of the matters described in the Basis for Qualified Opinion section of our report". It says "adjustments are required to water, sewer, and roads assets but the Municipality has not yet gathered the necessary information", and that the auditor is "unable to determine whether further adjustments to the amounts recorded are necessary for the years ended December 31, 2020 through to December 31, 2024".
The same report says the Municipality was required to adopt PS 3280 Asset Retirement Obligations on January 1, 2023, that "Management has not completed its assessment of the tangible capital assets for potential asset retirement obligations", and that "it is not possible to quantify the impact of this departure from Canadian public sector accounting standards".
The Consolidated Statement of Financial Position shows tangible capital assets (Note 6) of $50,394,796 at December 31, 2024 and $46,729,873 at December 31, 2023.
The auditor's report on the 2023 statements is also qualified for the same two reasons. It says the auditor was "unable to determine whether further adjustments to the amounts recorded are necessary for the years ended December 31, 2020 through to December 31, 2023". It adds that the 2022 statements were "audited by another auditor who expressed a qualified opinion on those statements on February 13, 2024".
November 14, 2025date of the auditor's report on the 2024 statements (and on the 2023 statements)
The auditor's reports on the 2023 statements and on the 2024 statements are both dated November 14, 2025. The 2024 statements were therefore signed about 10 and a half months after the year ended (worked out by us). On October 5, 2026 the Municipality's financial statements list showed 2024 as its newest year.
Why it matters
Residents and council use the yearly statements to see how the town did. The later they come, the less use they are for the budget that is already being set. A change of auditor can explain a delay, but residents should be able to find out.
It could be because…
The Municipality changed auditors after 2022, and the new auditor may have needed extra time to audit asset records.
The 2023 statements may have been finished and signed together with 2024 so that both could be issued at once.
The 2025 statements may be in progress and simply not posted yet.
Questions you could ask
Why were the 2023 and 2024 audit reports signed on the same day, and what held up the 2023 report?
When will the 2025 audited statements be finished and posted?
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 Arran-Elderslie?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
The auditor's report on the 2024 statements, signed by MNP LLP in Owen Sound, is dated November 14, 2025.
The Municipality's Budgets and Financial Statements page, read on October 5, 2026, lists Arran-Elderslie Financial Statements 2024 first under Financial Statements, followed by 2023, 2022, 2021 and earlier years. We did not find a 2025 entry.
$6,001,192capital assets bought in 2024, against a budget of $9,564,019
Capital spending is money spent on things that last, such as roads, buildings and pipes. The 2024 budget in the statements planned $9,564,019 for buying capital assets. The actual was $6,001,192, about 63% of the plan (worked out by us). The statements show that $2,431,828 of unspent capital money was transferred back to reserves (savings set aside for a purpose) in 2024, and $1,512,581 in 2023. The notes list commitments, including $2,700,000 for the Paisley Fire Hall, that were still to come after year-end.
Why it matters
If planned projects slip year after year, roads and water systems may be getting fixed later than residents were told, and costs may rise while they wait. It also means taxes raised for those projects sat in savings instead.
It could be because…
Large projects such as a fire hall often span more than one year, so money is set aside in one year and spent in the next. The notes list the Paisley Fire Hall as a commitment.
Tenders, weather or supply delays can push work into the next year.
Some budgeted projects may have been cancelled or replaced.
Questions you could ask
Which 2024 capital projects were budgeted but not finished, and when will each be done?
Does Council get a yearly report on capital projects carried over?
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 Arran-Elderslie?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
The Consolidated Statement of Changes in Net Financial Assets shows acquisition of tangible capital assets of $(9,564,019) in the 2024 budget column, $(6,001,192) in the 2024 actual column and $(6,796,938) in the 2023 actual column.
Note 16, Commitments, says: "The municipality had also committed to the construction of the Paisley Fire Hall for $2,700,000, purchase of a tandem plow truck for $400,000 and a pickup truck for $58,320 to be delivered subsequent to year-end."
$9,000,000principal protected notes held at cost, December 31, 2024, out of $22,085,030 in cash and investments
Of $22,085,030 in cash and investments at the end of 2024, $9,000,000 (at cost) was in principal protected notes, down from $10,500,000 a year earlier. The Municipality's notes explain what they are: the town is repaid its principal at maturity, plus variable interest that follows the performance of Solactive Canada indexes, up to a maximum. The notes say their market value at December 31, 2024 was $9,282,330. The Municipality did not say in the statements who chose the notes or what they earned.
Why it matters
This is public money, and a large part of it is in a product that pays interest based on a stock index rather than a fixed rate. Residents can reasonably ask how that choice was made, and what it has earned.
It could be because…
Council may have approved an investment policy that allows these notes, with the principal protected, to earn more than a plain savings account or GIC.
The notes mature in stages from 2025 to 2028, which may match when the money is needed for the reserves they back.
The town's reserves are large, so it may be spreading them across several kinds of low-risk investment.
Questions you could ask
What is the Municipality's investment policy, and which part of it allows principal protected notes?
How much did the notes earn in 2024 and 2025 compared with GICs of the same length?
Who chose the notes, and how and when does Council review them?
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 Arran-Elderslie?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Note 1, Cash and Investments, lists principal protected notes (cost) of $9,000,000 for 2024 and $10,500,000 for 2023, within a total of $22,085,030 for 2024.
The note says the notes entitle "the investor to repayment at maturity of the principal amount in addition to variable interest based on various percentages of performance of various Solactive Canada indexes", that "The variable interest has maximum payable percentages", and that "These notes have full principal protection at maturity." It says the maturity dates "range from 2025 to 2028. Market value at Dec 31, 2024 was $9,282,330."
$233,300budgeted for Strategic Initiatives in 2026, against $101,800 in 2025
In the 2026 operating budget, the economic development account shows a line called Strategic Initiatives. It was $8,436 in 2023 and $27,183 in 2024, and $96,249 had been spent by November 2025. The 2025 budget was $101,800 and the 2026 budget is $233,300, up $131,500 or 129.2%. Over the same years the net cost of the whole economic development account goes from $215,527 to $292,904. We did not find a written explanation of what the money is for in the documents we read.
Why it matters
A line this size that more than doubles should have a clear purpose. Residents are asked to pay for it through the tax rate, and the label "Strategic Initiatives" does not say what will be bought.
It could be because…
The money may be for a named project (a plan, a study, a sign program) that Council approved in a separate report we did not read.
Some of it may be paid back by grants. The account shows a grants line that changes in 2026, but one row in the PDF has a missing column, so we did not use it.
The 2025 figure shown is spending so far as of the November 24, 2025 meeting, not the full year.
Questions you could ask
What projects are in the $233,300 Strategic Initiatives line for 2026, and which report did Council approve them in?
What did the $96,249 spent so far in 2025 buy?
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 Arran-Elderslie?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Under 01-7410 Plan/Dev-Economic Development, account 4601 Strategic Initiatives shows 8,436 (2023 actuals), 27,183 (2024 actuals), 96,249 (year-to-date 2025 actuals), 101,800 (2025 council-approved budget) and 233,300 (2026 Draft 2 budget), a variance of 131,500 or 129.2%.
The total for 01-7410 Plan/Dev-Economic Development shows 105,919 (2023), 181,182 (2024), 191,074 (year-to-date 2025), 215,527 (2025 budget) and 292,904 (2026 budget), a variance of 77,377 or 35.9%.
The Municipality's budget page lists "Strong Mayor's Budget 2026 (Draft 2 adopted as final on December 24, 2025)" and the Operating Budget Draft 2 details document under it.
$7,933,3162026 lower-tier taxation line, up 6.8% from $7,431,306
The lower-tier tax line, which is the part of the property tax bill the Municipality keeps for itself (not the county or school boards), rises from $7,431,306 in the 2025 budget to $7,933,316 in the 2026 budget, up $502,010 or 6.8%. Residential taxes rise 7.0%. Some of the rise is bills from outside bodies: the OPP contract goes from $1,188,621 to $1,319,369 (11.0%) and the conservation levy on the SVCA line goes from $72,013 to $108,208 (50.3%). The transfer to reserves in the general government account also rises, from $1,126,661 to $1,446,878 (28.4%), while the interest income budget falls from $344,845 to $300,000.
Why it matters
This budget was proposed by the Mayor under strong mayor powers that the Municipality says it has had since May 1, 2025, and the Municipality's budget page says it was adopted as final on December 24, 2025. Residents are paying for it now. Knowing how much of the rise is set by others (police, conservation) and how much is the town's own choice, such as saving more in reserves, is a fair question.
It could be because…
The OPP bills the town under a formula it does not control, and the 2026 bill may reflect a new costing from the province.
The conservation authority may have raised its levy for flood control or new work that its member towns agreed to.
Putting more into reserves may be a deliberate step to pay for roads and buildings later, which the 2026 capital list shows are needed.
Questions you could ask
How much of the 6.8% rise is from bills the Municipality does not control, and how much is its own choice?
Why did the transfer to reserves go up by 28.4% in 2026 when the interest income budget went down?
Will the Mayor's written budget decisions be posted? The Municipality's mayoral decisions page says "coming soon".
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 Arran-Elderslie?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Total 01-0100 LT Taxation (Lower Tier - Municipality of Arran-Elderslie): -7,431,306 (2025 council-approved budget) and -7,933,316 (2026 Draft 2), a variance of -502,010 or 6.8%. Account 5100 PT - Res Full Occupied: -5,233,195 and -5,600,519, a variance of -367,324 or 7.0%.
Under 01-2020 Protection-Police, account 4316 Contract OPP shows 1,160,590 (2023), 1,159,862 (2024), 885,254 (year-to-date 2025), 1,188,621 (2025 budget) and 1,319,369 (2026 budget), a variance of 130,748 or 11.0%. Under 01-2031 Protection-Conservation SVCA, account 4671 Conservation Levy shows 51,937 (2023), 59,462 (2024), 69,252 (year-to-date 2025), 72,013 (2025 budget) and 108,208 (2026 budget), a variance of 36,195 or 50.3%.
Under 01-1020 General-Program Support, account 9030 Transfer to Reserve shows 1,846,638 (2023), 1,474,925 (2024), 1,126,661 (year-to-date 2025), 1,126,661 (2025 budget) and 1,446,878 (2026 budget), a variance of 320,217 or 28.4%. Account 5701 Interest Income shows -570,807, -591,263, -272,016, -344,845 and -300,000, a variance of 44,845 or (13.0%).
The Municipality's page on mayoral decisions says that on May 1, 2025 the mayor was granted strong mayor powers and duties, which include the ability to "Propose the municipal budget".
$169,755solid waste closure and post-closure liabilities at December 31, 2024
A landfill has to be covered and watched for years after it closes. The Municipality records $169,755 for this at the end of 2024. The notes say the total estimated future cost for the Arran landfill is $526,681, and that the amount recorded counts only the share of the site already used. The Municipality is therefore following its own stated method. The auditor adds that it has not adopted the newer rule, so it cannot say what the effect on the numbers would be.
Why it matters
A closed landfill is a bill the town will have to pay later. Knowing how much has been counted, and how much is still to come, helps residents see what future councils will owe.
It could be because…
The Municipality is spreading the cost over the years the site is used, which is how the old accounting rule works.
The notes say the open space at the Arran landfill will take about 57 years to fill, so most of the cost may be far in the future.
Questions you could ask
How much has been set aside in reserves toward the landfill costs still to come?
What will the liability be once the Municipality adopts the new rule?
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 Arran-Elderslie?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
The Consolidated Statement of Financial Position shows solid waste closure and post-closure liabilities (Note 4) of $169,755 at December 31, 2024 and at December 31, 2023.
Note 4 says the liability for the Chesley Landfill is recorded at $148,333 and the liability for Phase I and II of the Arran Landfill is recorded at $21,422, "for 38% of the current site's capacity". It says "The liability is recorded based on the capacity of the landfill used to date. The total estimated future expenditures for closure and post-closure care are $526,681."
The auditor says the Municipality accounts for its landfill liability under the withdrawn PS 3270 and that "it is not possible to quantify the impact of this departure from Canadian public sector accounting standards" on the landfill liability.
$13,506,424expenses in 2024, against a budget of $11,187,206
The 2024 statements show expenses of $13,506,424 against a budget of $11,187,206, a gap of $2,319,218 (worked out by us). Two areas stand out: transportation services ($3,846,541 against $2,812,587) and environmental services ($2,838,199 against $1,892,894). The gap looks mostly like an accounting difference. Note 9 shows no amortization (the yearly wearing-out cost of assets) in the budget column and $2,272,741 in the actual column. That leaves $46,477 of the gap unexplained by amortization alone (worked out by us). The Municipality did not say in the statements how the gap splits by service.
Why it matters
A budget is the promise made to taxpayers about what the year will cost. When the budget and the statements use different rules, it is hard for a resident to see whether the town stayed on budget. Revenue was also higher than budgeted, and the annual surplus came in at $3,999,338 against a budget of $5,039,653.
It could be because…
The budget Council approves is built on a cash basis that leaves out amortization, while the statements include it, as Note 9 appears to show.
Some services (roads, water) may have cost more than planned in the year, and revenue covered it.
Questions you could ask
Does the Municipality publish a yearly comparison of the Council-approved budget with actual results, on the same basis?
How much of the transportation and environmental overspending was real extra cost, and how much was amortization?
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 Arran-Elderslie?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
The Consolidated Statement of Operations shows total expenses of $11,187,206 budgeted and $13,506,424 actual for 2024. Transportation services: $2,812,587 budget, $3,846,541 actual. Environmental services: $1,892,894 budget, $2,838,199 actual. Revenue: $16,226,859 budget, $17,505,762 actual. Annual surplus: $5,039,653 budget, $3,999,338 actual.
Note 9, Budgets, says the 2024 budget approved by Council "has been restated to conform to the presentation" of the statements. Its reconciliation shows amortization of "-" in the budget column and $2,272,741 in the actual column.
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