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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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 Deseronto'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.
Ontario / DeserontoUpdated Oct 1, 2026

Your town, in plain words

How Deseronto uses the money we share.

A clear, checkable guide to Deseronto's budget, taxes and council decisions. A town of about 1,600 people in Eastern Ontario. Every figure links back to the public record.

Your typical 2024 property tax bill$2,235on a $120K home74% Town18% County8% SchoolsSee your tax bill explained →
Town spending, 2024$4.8MAbout $5,542 per household, up 10.5% from 2023.See the money →
Property tax change+4.6%Deseronto's own property tax came to $1.6M in 2024, against $1.6M in 2023.What changed →

Where it goes

Most of every dollar supports the everyday town.

Explore every service →
Water, sewers and garbage$1.7M · 35%
Roads and snow$1.1M · 23%
Police, fire and safety$683K · 14%
Running the town office$669K · 14%
Show all 7 servicesShow fewer
Parks, arena and library$628K · 13%
Health$9,942 · 0%
Planning and business$8,498 · 0%

Day-to-day spending in 2024, from Deseronto's report to the Province.

A fair comparisonHow does Deseronto compare?Among 9 similar Ontario towns, Deseronto's day-to-day spending per household is on the high side.Deseronto is here · 8 of 9, lowest to highestCompare Deseronto →

Questions worth asking

A closer look at the numbers.

Each one is a question, not an accusation. Every one lists ordinary reasons it could be true, and the documents it comes from.

All 8 questions
Worth askingHow decisions are made

What is happening with the water and sewer agreement with the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, which was due to run out in November 2025?

25 yearsthe term of the November 2000 water and sewer agreement

Deseronto's water and sewage plants serve the town and also the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory next door. The two have shared the costs since 1985. A written agreement signed in November 2000 says how. A joint board of both sides reviews rates and big projects, and the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte (MBQ) pay a share of the plants' yearly cost, worked out from how much water and sewage they use. The agreement runs for 25 years from signing, so it was due to end in November 2025. In December 2024 a working group was set up to prepare the next one, and in June 2025 council asked staff to start cost-sharing talks with the MBQ. On August 12, 2026 council went into closed session on “land claim & water contract”. We did not find a new or extended agreement, or any joint board minutes after 2024, on the town's website or meeting portal.

Found by reading the town's own documents · 7 sources

Worth askingMoney health

Does Deseronto have enough saved for repairs and emergencies?

$2.1Min savings at the end of 2024

Towns keep savings (called reserves) to pay for new trucks, roof repairs and surprises. Deseronto had $2.1M saved at the end of 2024, up from $1.6M in 2019. That is 44% of one year's spending. None of the 8 similar towns had less, compared with what they spend.

Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 8 sources

Good to knowRising costs

Why do the water and sewer books show overtime and capital work from the plant operator that has no operating budget line?

$258,915.97booked in 2025 to “Consulting - O/T & Capital - Include MBQ”, a line with no operating budget

The town pays the Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA) to run its water and sewage plants. The yearly contract shows up in the books as “Consulting”: 875,321.69 in 2025 against a budget of 833,335. Two more lines, “Consulting - O/T & Capital” (overtime and capital work), have no operating budget at all. They held 258,915.97 (the version that includes the Mohawks' share) and 81,795.44 (the version that excludes it) for 2025. By September 17, 2026 they held 205,361.18 and 2,905.01. The town does budget for the work, in a different place: the capital part of the water and sewer budget sets aside 399,200 for 2025 and 250,500 for 2026 for “Capital Project - OCWA”, to be paid from reserves. That capital line shows nothing spent; the spending appears to be booked in the operating lines instead. As a result, the water and sewer account for 2025 shows a deficit of 153,562.36 against a planned surplus of 284,854.39.

Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources

Show 4 more questionsShow fewer
Good to knowHow decisions are made

How much does council decide behind closed doors, and how much is reported back?

21 of 34regular council meetings from January 2025 to September 2026 had a closed session

Ontario lets councils meet privately for a few reasons, like staff matters, lawsuits or legal advice. Deseronto's council went into closed session at 21 of its 34 regular meetings from January 8, 2025 to September 9, 2026. The agenda names the reason by section of the Municipal Act each time, which is good. After 18 of those sessions, council voted in public that “staff follow the direction of Council as discussed in Closed Session”, without saying what the direction was. Sometimes it does say: on March 11, 2026 it adopted a staff pay grid in public after a closed session. The special budget meetings were not counted.

Found by reading the town's own documents · 4 sources

Good to knowHow decisions are made

Why did council set a pay rise of about 20% for the next term of council?

+$11,773estimated yearly increase for the five-member council from the 2026-2030 term (staff report)

On June 24, 2026 council approved higher yearly pay for the 2026-2030 term: $18,161 for the Mayor, $14,330 for the Deputy Mayor and $12,829 for each Councillor. Staff say today's pay is $15,393, $11,841 and $10,657, and that the pay had not been independently reviewed since 2010. Staff asked 14 municipalities in Hastings County for their pay. The report estimates the rise at about $11,773 a year before statutory costs. It starts with the next term, so no member raises their own pay in this term. The vote was recorded only as “Carried”. Council also decided to give no health benefits.

Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources

Good to knowOpenness

Why do Deseronto's audited statements take 7 to 11 months to finish, and what does the Treasurer's departure mean for the next one?

Aug 14, 2026the date of the auditor's report on the 2025 statements, 7.5 months after year end (worked out by us)

Every year an outside auditor checks the town's books. For 2023 the auditor signed on November 27, 2024. For 2024 it was September 10, 2025. For 2025 it was August 14, 2026. That is getting faster, and each time the opinion is clean and the auditor reported no internal control problems for 2024. But the statements still arrive well after the year ends. On September 9, 2026 council was told the Treasurer's position will become vacant on September 23, 2026, and appointed the Town Manager interim Treasurer, with a search firm and a part-time temporary Treasurer through December 31, 2026. The town expects this to cost about $10,000 net in 2026.

Found by reading the town's own documents · 4 sources

2024 tax year · Deseronto, Ontario

Your tax bill, worked out.

Enter your home's assessed value to see roughly what you pay in property tax each year, who gets it, and what Deseronto's share pays for.

Ontario still uses property values from January 1, 2016 for tax, so your assessed value is probably well below what your home would sell for today.

It is on your property assessment notice from MPAC, and on your tax bill. We filled in the typical value in Deseronto.

Source

a year in property tax, at 2024 rates

  • Deseronto
  • County or region
  • Schools

Deseronto council sets only its own share. County or region sets its share, the Province sets the school rate.

See what your Deseronto share pays forHide the breakdown

Roughly what your Deseronto share pays for

Source
  • Roads and snow
  • Police, fire and safety
  • Running the town office
  • Parks, arena and library
  • Planning and business

An estimate. It uses the residential tax rate, and splits Deseronto's share by what each service cost in 2024 after its own fees and grants (for example, water bills pay for much of a water system). Real bills also depend on your property class, local charges and any rebates.

  • Every fact, sourced

    Each number links to the public document it came from. Check it yourself.

  • No accusations

    We ask questions. Every one lists ordinary reasons a number could look odd.

  • Compared fairly

    Towns are only compared with places of a similar size and kind, from the same yearly reports.

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