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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 Hanover'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 · 10 so far
Things worth asking about
We read Hanover's financial reports and meeting minutes, and compared its numbers with 88 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.
$10 millionto be paid to West Grey, $500,000 a year for 20 years
In December 2025 the councils of Hanover and West Grey approved moving about 1,600 acres from West Grey into Hanover. Hanover will pay West Grey $10 million, in yearly payments of $500,000 over 20 years. The Province's order made the change official on May 1, 2026. The 2025 statements list this only as a "subsequent event", meaning something that happened after the year ended. The Town says it will also be responsible for the work to bring pipes and utilities to the new land. We did not find a published estimate of what that will cost, or of the new tax money the land is expected to bring in.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
$2,756,742the Westario Power shares as carried in the Town's books
The Town owns 1,509 common shares of Westario Power Inc., a private electricity company, carried at $2,756,742. In December 2025 the shareholders, including the Town, approved selling the company to ERTH Corporation. The statements say the total the Town will receive "cannot be reliably estimated" and that nothing has been counted yet. The Town's reserve list holds the same $2,756,742 "set aside in shares for future use". The 2025 budget counted on a Westario dividend of $120,000, double the year before. After a sale there would be no more dividend.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
$10,608,600the Town's adopted 2026 levy, up from $9,801,000 in the approved 2025 budget
The levy is the amount the Town must raise from property taxes after grants and fees. It was $9,102,400 for 2024 and $9,801,000 in the approved 2025 budget (the budget prints the rise as 7.67%). The 2026 levy the Town adopted is $10,608,600. That is $807,600, or 8.2%, more than 2025 (worked out by us), and $1,506,200, or 16.5%, more than 2024 (worked out by us). The 2025 budget explained its rise: most of it came from outside boards and organizations such as police and the library. We did not find an adopted explanation for the 2026 rise. The 2026 budget book is marked draft and its levy differs from the adopted one, so we do not quote it.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
$8.6 millionthe Town's estimate for a new police station
Council decided to build a new police station on the old firehall site. The Town's own release puts the estimated cost at about $8.6 million, to be paid by long-term borrowing, with the levy phased in over three years starting in 2025. Design was to be done in 2025, with construction starting in 2026 and finishing in 2027. The 2025 budget has a new "Police Building" line of $125,600 for the first phase. We did not find a current cost estimate or a borrowing plan.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
$10,987,241capital assets still under construction or removed from service, end of 2025
Capital assets are things the Town builds or buys to last, such as roads, buildings and water systems. At the end of 2025 the Town had $10,987,241 in assets that were still being built, in development or removed from service, up from $1,561,570 a year earlier. It also had signed commitments of $4,161,000 on capital projects, up from $1,771,000. It spent $17,649,687 on capital in 2025, against a budget of $17,337,000, and its cash fell from $15,849,132 to $12,214,680. The statements do not list the projects.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 4 sources
At the end of 2024, Hanover owed $5.8M on temporary loans. That is like putting 22% of a year's income on a line of credit. This is short-term borrowing for building projects, which is normal while waiting for a grant or a long-term loan. Only 4 of 88 similar towns had any temporary loans at the end of 2024.
Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 1 source
$4,026,424donations and contributed assets in 2025, against a budget of $376,000
The Town's statements show an annual surplus of $12,837,100 for 2025, against a budgeted $10,538,993. A surplus here is an accounting result, not cash in the bank: cash fell during the year. One line stands out. "Donations and contributed assets" was budgeted at $376,000 and came in at $4,026,424. The segment table shows most of it under transportation and water and wastewater. The statements' accounting policy says contributed assets, such as pipes or roads handed over to the Town, are recorded at fair value when received. The statements do not break down what was contributed in 2025.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 4 sources
$6,832,417long-term debt at the end of 2025, up from $112,326
At the end of 2024 the Town owed $5,800,000 on a short-term loan and $112,326 in long-term debt. At the end of 2025 the short-term loan was gone and long-term debt was $6,832,417. The 2025 budget explained the first part: a temporary Infrastructure Ontario loan was to be held "until FCM loan/grant received" for the firehall, and the 2025 statements list a Federation of Canadian Municipalities loan to 2045. The statements also list a TD Bank loan for the trail bridges. The 2025 budget showed the trail bridges as borrowing from the Town's own reserves, not from a bank. We did not find a report saying why that changed. The Town also says it had $500,000 of unused room on its line of credit.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
$10 millionto be paid to West Grey, $500,000 a year for 20 years
In December 2025 the councils of Hanover and West Grey approved moving about 1,600 acres from West Grey into Hanover. Hanover will pay West Grey $10 million, in yearly payments of $500,000 over 20 years. The Province's order made the change official on May 1, 2026. The 2025 statements list this only as a "subsequent event", meaning something that happened after the year ended. The Town says it will also be responsible for the work to bring pipes and utilities to the new land. We did not find a published estimate of what that will cost, or of the new tax money the land is expected to bring in.
Why it matters
A promise to pay $500,000 a year for 20 years is a long commitment, and it comes on top of other new borrowing. The land can only pay for itself if it is built on, and that takes servicing work the Town says it will pay for. Residents are owed a plain picture of both sides.
It could be because…
The Town says the land is needed because there is little room left to grow, so new homes and businesses on it could bring in more property tax over time.
The payments are spread over 20 years, so each year's cost is small next to the Town's yearly spending.
Servicing costs may be paid mostly from growth funds, grants or fees on developers, not from the general tax levy.
The Town may have published a plan or a staff report that we did not find.
Questions you could ask
What new property tax does the Town expect from the new land, year by year, and what is that based on?
What will it cost to bring servicing and utilities to the land, and how will that be paid for?
Where will the $500,000 a year come from in the budget, and has it been counted in the 2026 levy?
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 Hanover?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Note 24, Subsequent event: in December of 2025 the councils of the Town of Hanover and the Municipality of West Grey "approved a municipal boundary adjustment affecting approximately 1,600 acres of land". "The Town of Hanover will pay the Municipality of West Grey $10 million in compensation, payable in equal annual instalments of $500,000 over the next twenty years." In May 2026 the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing signed the order, effective May 1, 2026.
"Following the proposed adjustment, Hanover will be responsible for the necessary investments to bring servicing and utilities to the newly acquired lands." The page also says the lands are to be transferred in exchange for "a cash payment of $10 million over 20 years ($500,000 per year)".
$2,756,742the Westario Power shares as carried in the Town's books
The Town owns 1,509 common shares of Westario Power Inc., a private electricity company, carried at $2,756,742. In December 2025 the shareholders, including the Town, approved selling the company to ERTH Corporation. The statements say the total the Town will receive "cannot be reliably estimated" and that nothing has been counted yet. The Town's reserve list holds the same $2,756,742 "set aside in shares for future use". The 2025 budget counted on a Westario dividend of $120,000, double the year before. After a sale there would be no more dividend.
Why it matters
The shares are one of the Town's biggest single assets, and a sale could bring in a large one-time sum or leave a hole in yearly income. Council will decide how to use that money, and residents should know the plan before it arrives.
It could be because…
The sale price is not yet known, because the Ontario Energy Board had not approved the purchase when the statements were signed.
The Town may plan to put the proceeds into reserves or debt repayment, which is a sound use of one-time money.
The dividend line in the budget may be replaced by investment income once the money is received.
Questions you could ask
What does the Town expect to receive from the sale, and when?
What has council decided to do with the money, and will the yearly dividend be replaced in the 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 Hanover?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Note 4, Long-term investments: Westario Power Inc., 1,509 common shares 2,756,742 (2024: 2,756,742). "In December 2025, the shareholders of Westario Power Inc., including the Town of Hanover, approved the sale of Westario Power Inc. to ERTH Corporation." "The total proceeds from the disposition of the common shares of Westario Power Inc. cannot be reliably estimated at this time, and no amounts related to this transaction have been accrued in these financial statements".
Note 13, Reserve funds set aside for specific purpose by Council: "Westario Power proceeds, set aside in shares for future use" 2,756,742 in 2025 and 2,756,742 in 2024.
$10,608,600the Town's adopted 2026 levy, up from $9,801,000 in the approved 2025 budget
The levy is the amount the Town must raise from property taxes after grants and fees. It was $9,102,400 for 2024 and $9,801,000 in the approved 2025 budget (the budget prints the rise as 7.67%). The 2026 levy the Town adopted is $10,608,600. That is $807,600, or 8.2%, more than 2025 (worked out by us), and $1,506,200, or 16.5%, more than 2024 (worked out by us). The 2025 budget explained its rise: most of it came from outside boards and organizations such as police and the library. We did not find an adopted explanation for the 2026 rise. The 2026 budget book is marked draft and its levy differs from the adopted one, so we do not quote it.
Why it matters
The levy is what residents pay for the Town's own services. Two increases of this size in a row, with a third phase planned for the police station, add up. Residents should be able to see what each part of the 2026 rise pays for.
It could be because…
The 2025 budget says most of that year's rise came from police, the library, the conservation authority, the airport and the transit service, which the Town funds but does not run itself.
Council chose in 2024 to phase in a levy increase over three years to pay for a new police station, so some of the rise is planned and spread out on purpose.
Costs for wages, supplies and construction have risen across Ontario.
Questions you could ask
What does each part of the 2026 levy increase pay for, in dollars?
How much of the 2026 rise is the second step of the police station phase-in?
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 Hanover?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
2025 budget, previous year's comparison: "Total Town of Hanover" 2024 approved 9,102,400, 2025 approved 9,801,000, change 698,600, 7.67.
"Note that the overall increase in taxes is currently at 7.67% of which 5.04% of this increase is from outside Boards (Police, Library) and Organizations (SMA, SMART, SVCA). The remaining 2.63% is for the town departments." The budget says part of the town-department share is "for firehall loan, phase 1 of Police Services Building and Splashpad operations".
$8.6 millionthe Town's estimate for a new police station
Council decided to build a new police station on the old firehall site. The Town's own release puts the estimated cost at about $8.6 million, to be paid by long-term borrowing, with the levy phased in over three years starting in 2025. Design was to be done in 2025, with construction starting in 2026 and finishing in 2027. The 2025 budget has a new "Police Building" line of $125,600 for the first phase. We did not find a current cost estimate or a borrowing plan.
Why it matters
A building of this size is paid for over many years through the levy, so the final price and the loan terms matter to every taxpayer.
It could be because…
The estimate was made before design began, so the number may have been updated since and simply not posted where we looked.
The Town's yearly borrowing limit is far above what it uses now, so the project may be well within what it can afford.
Phasing in the levy is meant to avoid one large jump in a single year.
Questions you could ask
What is the current estimated cost, and has the design changed it?
What loan is planned, for how long, and what will the yearly payment be?
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 Hanover?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
"At their July 15th meeting, council unanimously supported a three-year levy increase phase-in commencing in 2025 to meet the long-term loan repayment funding obligations for a future police station." "The estimated cost of a new facility is approximately $8.6 million." Phases: "design in 2025, procurement and construction start in 2026 and facility completion in 2027."
$10,987,241capital assets still under construction or removed from service, end of 2025
Capital assets are things the Town builds or buys to last, such as roads, buildings and water systems. At the end of 2025 the Town had $10,987,241 in assets that were still being built, in development or removed from service, up from $1,561,570 a year earlier. It also had signed commitments of $4,161,000 on capital projects, up from $1,771,000. It spent $17,649,687 on capital in 2025, against a budget of $17,337,000, and its cash fell from $15,849,132 to $12,214,680. The statements do not list the projects.
Why it matters
Unfinished projects of this size, plus commitments, show where the next few years of borrowing and levy increases may come from. The statements do not say which projects they are.
It could be because…
Large water and wastewater projects funded by grants (the statements show capital grants of $5,836,765 in 2025) are normally built over more than one year.
The figure includes assets "removed from service", which may be buildings waiting to be sold or replaced.
The Town may list its projects in capital budget pages or council reports that we did not open.
Questions you could ask
Which projects make up the $10,987,241 and the $4,161,000?
How much of each will be paid by grants, reserves and new borrowing?
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 Hanover?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Note 11: "The carrying value of tangible capital assets not being amortized because they are under construction, development, or have been removed from service is $10,987,241 (2024 -$1,561,570)."
Statement of change in net financial assets: "Acquisition of tangible capital assets" budget (17,337,000), actual (17,649,687), 2024 actual (12,140,209).
Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows (2025, 2024): "Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of year 15,849,132 9,754,115"; "Cash and cash equivalents - end of year 12,214,680 15,849,132".
Town of Hanover 2025 Financial Statements · PDF page 9, Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows (also PDF page 6, Statement of Financial Position, cash and cash equivalents)
Hanover spent $3.4M on police, fire and safety in 2019 and $5.2M in 2024. Prices only went up about 18% in that time.
Why did the cost of police, fire and safety grow 52% in 5 years?
Police, fire and safety
Prices (inflation)
+0%+20%+40%+60%
+52%
201920202021202220232024
Show as a table
Year
Police, fire and safety
Prices (inflation)
2019
+0%
+0%
2020
+4%
+1%
2021
+11%
+4%
2022
+25%
+11%
2023
+33%
+16%
2024
+52%
+18%
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 $1.8M a year pay for?
Why did police (opp contract) go from $2.4M to $3.5M?
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 Hanover?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Police, fire and safety: 2019 $3.4M, 2020 $3.6M, 2021 $3.8M, 2022 $4.3M, 2023 $4.6M, 2024 $5.2M.
At the end of 2024, Hanover owed $5.8M on temporary loans. That is like putting 22% of a year's income on a line of credit. This is short-term borrowing for building projects, which is normal while waiting for a grant or a long-term loan. Only 4 of 88 similar towns had any temporary loans at the end of 2024.
What is the $5.8M short-term loan for, and when will it be paid off?
$0$2.0M$4.0M$6.0M
$5.8M
201920202021202220232024
Show as a table
Year
Temporary loans
2019
$28,864
2020
$23,965
2021
$25,186
2022
$33,347
2023
$41,609
2024
$5.8M
Why it matters
Short-term loans usually cost more interest and can be called in. If they roll over year after year, the town is really carrying debt that does not show up as long-term debt.
It could be because…
The town is waiting for a promised grant to arrive for a finished project.
A long-term loan (debenture) for the project has been approved but not yet issued.
Questions you could ask
Which project is the loan for, and what is the interest rate?
When will it be repaid or turned into a long-term loan, and where does that money 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 Hanover?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
Hanover spent about $101 per home on council in 2024. The typical similar town spent $55. Only 11 of 88 similar towns spent more.
Why it matters
Spending more than neighbours is not wrong by itself. It might buy better service. But it is the first place to look for costs that could be lower, such as contracts that were not competitively bid.
It could be because…
Geography: more roads, more snow, a bigger area or a landfill of its own.
Accounting: some towns record the same cost in a different category.
A one-time cost in this year.
Questions you could ask
What makes this cost higher here than in similar towns?
When were the main contracts in this area last put out to competitive tender?
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 Hanover?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Council per home: Hanover $101; typical similar town $55; ranked 12th highest of 89.
$4,026,424donations and contributed assets in 2025, against a budget of $376,000
The Town's statements show an annual surplus of $12,837,100 for 2025, against a budgeted $10,538,993. A surplus here is an accounting result, not cash in the bank: cash fell during the year. One line stands out. "Donations and contributed assets" was budgeted at $376,000 and came in at $4,026,424. The segment table shows most of it under transportation and water and wastewater. The statements' accounting policy says contributed assets, such as pipes or roads handed over to the Town, are recorded at fair value when received. The statements do not break down what was contributed in 2025.
Why it matters
A large surplus can look like unspent money. If most of it is assets handed over by developers, it adds to what the Town owns but also to what it must maintain. Residents should be able to tell which part is cash and which is not.
It could be because…
Roads, water mains or sewers built by developers and handed to the Town are counted as revenue at their value, without any cash changing hands.
The budget is prepared on a different basis from the statements, so some of the gap is accounting.
Questions you could ask
How much of the $4,026,424 was assets handed over to the Town, and how much was cash?
Which projects or subdivisions do the contributed assets 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 Hanover?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Consolidated statement of operations, 2025: "Donations and contributed assets" budget 376,000, actual 4,026,424 (2024 actual 388,011). "ANNUAL SURPLUS" budget 10,538,993, actual 12,837,100 (2024 actual 4,877,742).
$6,832,417long-term debt at the end of 2025, up from $112,326
At the end of 2024 the Town owed $5,800,000 on a short-term loan and $112,326 in long-term debt. At the end of 2025 the short-term loan was gone and long-term debt was $6,832,417. The 2025 budget explained the first part: a temporary Infrastructure Ontario loan was to be held "until FCM loan/grant received" for the firehall, and the 2025 statements list a Federation of Canadian Municipalities loan to 2045. The statements also list a TD Bank loan for the trail bridges. The 2025 budget showed the trail bridges as borrowing from the Town's own reserves, not from a bank. We did not find a report saying why that changed. The Town also says it had $500,000 of unused room on its line of credit.
Why it matters
The Town went from almost no long-term debt to nearly $7 million in one year. That is explained for the firehall, and the Town's own limit on debt payments is far above its current use. The open piece is the trail bridges, and how the new payments fit with the police station and the boundary payments.
It could be because…
The Town planned all along to replace the temporary loan with long-term borrowing once the firehall grant and loan came through.
A bank loan for the trail bridges may have been cheaper or faster than borrowing from its own reserves, or the reserves may have been needed elsewhere.
Questions you could ask
Why was the trail bridges project financed with a TD Bank loan instead of the internal borrowing shown in the 2025 budget?
What are the Town's total yearly debt payments for 2026, and how much room is left under its own limit after the police station and the boundary payments?
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 Hanover?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Note 14, Amounts to be recovered: "Short term debt" 2025 -, 2024 5,800,000. "Long term debt" 2025 6,832,417, 2024 112,326. "New debt issued" 6,862,350 (2024: 5,800,000). "Principal payments on debt" (5,942,259) (2024: (164,753)).
Note 7 lists a "Federation of Canadian Municipalities Term Loan, 4.98%, payable $213,251 semi-annually principal and interest, due October 2045" and a "TD Bank Trail Bridges Loan, 4.49%, payable $15,538 monthly principal and interest, due September 2035". Note 2: "At December 31, 2025, the municipality had undrawn credit capacity under this facility of $500,000."
Debt section: tax supported debt of approximately $5,698,125, including "$5,585,800 Temporary Infrastructure Loan until FCM loan/grant received in early 2025". Internal borrowing table: "2024 Trail Bridges 1,024,000.00", completion year 2033, listed under internal borrowing from reserves.
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