$1,013,126more taken out of reserves than put in under the 2026 budget (worked out by us)
Reserves are savings a town sets aside for later costs, such as replacing a truck or a road. The Township's own 2026 budget report says that more will be taken out of reserves than put in. It lists $71,000 coming out for the operating budget and $1,498,603 for capital projects, against $556,477 going in. By our count (worked out by us) that is a net draw of $1,013,126. The last reserve total we could read is $2,633,724 at the end of 2024, in the draft 2024 statements. One large item, the fire tanker, has since come in under budget. The slides and minutes also give a different figure for contributions to reserves ($452,256 and $452,266).
$240,000the 2025 "shortfall compared to 2024", as recorded in the July 28, 2026 minutes
On July 28, 2026 the Township's auditor presented draft 2025 statements. The minutes record him saying the Township "did have a shortfall compared to 2024 of $240,000." Asked by the Mayor where it came from, he named computers in General Government and road maintenance in Public Works, which "is weather dependent". Council approved the statements the same day. We could not find the 2025 statements posted. The Finance page lists budget presentations and tax rates, not audited statements. The 2024 statements are visible only inside a council package, marked "Draft".
$466,379transportation reserve at the end of 2024, against roads and similar assets that cost $27,744,678
The Township's roads and similar "linear assets" cost $27,744,678 to build. The draft 2024 statements show $19,333,714 of that already written off as amortization, which is the way accounts spread the cost of an asset over its life. By our count (worked out by us) that is about 70%. This is an accounting measure, not an inspection of the roads. The transportation reserve, the savings set aside for roads and equipment, was $466,379 at the end of 2024. The Township's own budget reports say reserve contributions should be higher and that it plans to raise the levy by 3.5% each year to add to reserves and increase road maintenance. Its slides say the reserve contributions will be lined up with its asset management plan (a plan for repairing and replacing assets), a project "targeted" for the 2027 budget.
$36,000Horton's share of a debt, voted on in public after a closed session labelled "personal matters"
A council can close a meeting only for reasons listed in the Municipal Act. The minutes of January 13, 2026 show council went into closed session under the section for "Personal matters about an identifiable individual" to discuss the "Renfrew Health Services Village". Council then came back out and voted in public to pay $36,000 as its share of the remaining debt of that organization under a 2013 funding agreement, and to fund it from the 2026 operating budget. Another closed session on August 26, 2025 used the same section for an item labelled "County Strategic Plan - Information". By our count (worked out by us), 11 of the 12 closed sessions in 2025 that we found were under that same section.