Not the full picture. Built from public records, which leave things out.Older reportDetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 An older report. We have no 2024 report for Haldimand County in the Province's latest release, so these pages use its 2023 report. It may simply be filed late. Read by hand. We read Haldimand County'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.
A clear, checkable guide to Haldimand County's budget, taxes and council decisions. A single-tier municipality in southern Ontario, with a mayor and six councillors, one for each of six wards. Every figure links back to the public record.
$165,049,676held in principal protected notes whose return depends on equities, at December 31, 2025
At December 31, 2025 the County held investments with a carrying value of $311,271,709. Most of that is in "principal protected notes", a bank product that promises to give the original money back at the end, with any extra return tied to stock indexes or funds. Note 4 lists $96,272,184 in notes with a fixed interest return and $165,049,676 in notes whose return depends on equities. Together that is $261,321,860, or about 84% of the carrying value (worked out by us). In the 2025 statements the County says it had recorded these notes at their cost, decided they should be shown at their fair value, and corrected the 2024 figures: investments went up by $13,784,134 and the accumulated surplus by $10,610,324. For 2025 it reports a further net gain of $46,511,539 that has not been turned into cash.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 5 sources
$15,033,564investment income in 2025, against a budget of $1,647,300
The 2025 budget counted on $1,647,300 of investment income. The audited statements show $15,033,564 (2024: $10,172,275). The County's annual surplus for 2025 was $37,721,946 against a budgeted $11,779,310, and $9,503,196 of federal transfers came in against $3,239,510 budgeted. The County has explained the way it treats investment gains: under its Investment Policy, differences of more than $100,000 from the budgeted earnings go into the Investment Income Stabilization Reserve, which grew from $8,204,480 to $15,103,421 in 2025. It has also said that the reported surplus is a "book value adjustment, not a cash surplus".
Found by reading the town's own documents · 4 sources
207.4%tax reserves as a share of taxation in 2024, against a survey average of 98.1% (BMA study)
At the end of 2025 the County's reserves and reserve funds totalled $125,678,181, and a separate Hydro Legacy Fund held $105,346,130 (2024: $101,294,356). A consultant's 2025 study of Ontario municipalities, which the County posts, puts the County's tax reserves at 207.4% of its taxation, against a survey average of 98.1%. The draft 2026 tax-supported operating budget shown to Council on February 12, 2026 gave a "Budget Increase Summary - 3.74%". The County's answer is that growth needs heavy spending on roads, water and buildings: its credit rating report says so, and its draft budget puts a growing share of the levy into capital.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 6 sources
120 dayssuspension of pay recommended for the Mayor by the Integrity Commissioner
On May 26, 2025 Council confirmed a decision to ask the Integrity Commissioner to look into the leak of confidential papers about the merger of two public health boards. In his report of September 8, 2025, the Commissioner found that Mayor Shelley Ann Bentley broke the Code of Conduct four times by releasing confidential information and recommended a 120-day suspension of her pay and a public apology. He recorded that the Mayor denied wrongdoing in a newspaper article and told him she has no idea how the person who posted the documents obtained them. His report is only advice; Council decides. We did not find what Council decided.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 6 sources
At the end of 2023, $10M of property tax had been billed but not paid. That is 10% of everything billed. Only 1 of 11 similar towns had a higher share. A year earlier it was $9.3M.
Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 2 sources
3Integrity Commissioner complaint reports on sitting members that we read, September 2024 to June 2026
In his report of September 17, 2024 the Integrity Commissioner found that Councillor Rob Shirton (only) broke the Code of Conduct over comments at two meetings, and dismissed the complaints against five other members, including the Mayor. In his report of June 18, 2026 he found that Councillor Debera McKeen broke the rule on decorum in emails to other councillors in March 2026 and recommended a formal reprimand and a public apology. He also said she did not answer the complaint on its substance. Together with the report on the Mayor, that is at least three reports of this kind in about two years from a seven-member council; the County also posts a fourth, dated March 19, 2026, which we could not read.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 4 sources
June 27, 2025date of the Mayor's decision to dismiss the Chief Administrative Officer
The County says strong mayor powers were extended to Haldimand County on May 1, 2025. Under a decision dated June 27, 2025 the Mayor revoked the appointment of the Chief Administrative Officer and dismissed them "effectively immediately", and named senior managers to fill the job weekly in rotation. In September 2025 she handed the choice of a new Chief Administrative Officer to Council, and on November 18, 2025 she ended the interim appointment after Council had named a new one. The decision gives no reason, and we did not find one on the pages we read.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 4 sources
3.74%increase in the draft 2026 tax-supported operating budget (draft of February 12, 2026)
The draft deck shown to a special Council meeting on February 12, 2026 gave a total increase of 3.74%. Staffing is the largest piece it breaks out: $2,782,600, or 3.02% on the levy, made up of $2,097,770 for existing staff, $239,550 for approved and $445,280 for new positions. The policing contract rises by $970,000. For the average home, the deck shows $145 more a year on $4,060 in total taxes. We read the draft deck only. The final approved budget is in the County's online budget book, which we could not download, so the final figures may differ.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 4 sources
March 31the County's own yearly deadline for the council pay and expenses report, under its Council Eligible Expense Policy
The County's Council Eligible Expense Policy, in effect since June 23, 2025, says the Treasurer must report each year what council members were paid and reimbursed for the year before, by March 31. We did not find that statement on the County's website pages for budget and finances or council. We have not filled in a council pay table, because we did not find a statement to copy it from.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
2023 tax year · Haldimand County, 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 Haldimand County'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 Haldimand County.
An estimate. It uses the residential tax rate, and splits Haldimand County's share by what each service cost in 2023 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.
How Haldimand County's share of the bill compares with similar towns
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