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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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

Your town, in plain words

How Loyalist uses the money we share.

A clear, checkable guide to Loyalist's budget, taxes and council decisions. A township of about 17,900 people in Eastern Ontario. Every figure links back to the public record.

Property tax raised in 2025$43Mall property in Loyalist54% Town35% County11% SchoolsSee where your tax bill goes →
Town spending, 2025$41.3MAbout $5,103 per household, up 7.6% from 2024.See the money →
Property tax change+7.4%Loyalist's own property tax came to $24.6M in 2025, against $22.9M in 2024.What changed →

Where it goes

Most of every dollar supports the everyday town.

Explore every service →
Roads and snow$13.5M · 33%
Water, sewers and garbage$7.1M · 17%
Police, fire and safety$6.9M · 17%
Running the town office$6.6M · 16%
Show all 7 servicesShow fewer
Parks, arena and library$4.5M · 11%
Planning and business$2.7M · 7%
Health$123K · 0%

Day-to-day spending in 2025, from Loyalist's report to the Province.

A fair comparisonHow does Loyalist compare?Among 37 similar Ontario towns, Loyalist's day-to-day spending per household is on the high side.Loyalist is here · 34 of 37, lowest to highestCompare Loyalist →

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 11 questions
Worth askingRising costs

Why did the W.J. Henderson Community Centre project grow from $49,500,000 to $59,400,000, and what is still in dispute?

$59,400,000estimated cost at completion (March 2026), against $49,500,000 approved in November 2023

In November 2023, council approved rebuilding the W.J. Henderson Community Centre (the arena and a new pool) for $49,500,000. In March 2026 the Township told council that the job will cost an estimated $59,400,000, which is $9,900,000 more. The Township published a long, itemized explanation: ground and building problems nobody could see in advance, extras the Township asked for, and a price on the contract that went up. It also lists $1,450,000 of contractor costs as "disputed", which is not settled.

Found by reading the town's own documents · 6 sources

Worth askingMoney health

Who pays to run the renewed W.J. Henderson centre, and what happens if the sponsorship money falls short?

$737,750a year the operating budget must find for the centre, according to the Township's March 2026 update

A bigger building costs more to staff, heat and pay for. The Township's March 2026 update says the project adds $737,750 a year to what the operating budget must find, once the loan payments start. About $479,024 of that is already in the 2026 budget, and the Township counts on $180,000 a year from sponsorship and naming rights. The rest, $78,726, would be a 0.34% tax increase. The Township also shows what happens if its assumptions do not hold.

Found by reading the town's own documents · 5 sources

Worth askingMoney health

How will the Township repay the $19,000,000 interest-free provincial loan it took after spending $22,631,000 on industrial land?

$16,311,084the provincial loan as carried in the 2025 statements, out of $26,002,805 of total long-term debt

In 2022 the Township spent $22,631,000 on "Industrial Land Redevelopment", paid for with an interest-only bank loan. By the end of 2023 that loan was gone and a $19,000,000 loan from the Province was on the books. It charges no interest at first. Payments start at the end of 2027 and it is due in July 2035. At the end of 2025 it was still the biggest part of the Township's debt. The Township's documents say what the loan is and when it is due. We did not find a plan that says where the repayments will come from.

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

Worth askingRising costs

Why did the cost of roads and snow grow 80% in 6 years?

+80%roads and snow, 2019 to 2025

Loyalist spent $7.5M on roads and snow in 2019 and $13.5M in 2025. Prices only went up about 21% in that time. Only 1 of 36 similar towns had faster growth here.

Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 7 sources

Show 7 more questionsShow fewer
Worth askingMoney health

Why are so many property taxes unpaid?

$4.6Mowed in unpaid property tax, end of 2025

At the end of 2025, $4.6M of property tax had been billed but not paid. That is 11% of everything billed. Only 7 of 36 similar towns had a higher share. A year earlier it was $4.0M.

Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 7 sources

Good to knowMoney health

What happens to the Amherst Island ferry's costs if the Province changes its agreement with the Township?

$3,824,514the ferry's operating costs in 2025, according to the Township's petition to the Ministry of Transportation

The Township runs the Amherst Island ferry. The Province pays 90% of most of the cost under an agreement that is being renegotiated. The 2026 draft budget says the Township expects to borrow, possibly from its own reserves, to cover costs that fares have usually paid until a new fare study is done. The ferry is a large part of the Township's transportation costs.

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

Good to knowOpenness

Why were the audited statements for 2023 and 2024 finished about ten months after year-end, and has the Township caught up?

The auditors' report on the 2023 statements is dated November 6, 2024. The 2024 statements went to council as drafts dated October 10, 2025 and were approved on October 14, 2025. The 2025 statements were approved on June 23, 2026, about six months after year-end. The Township changed auditors in 2024. We did not find a reason for the dates in the documents we read.

Found by reading the town's own documents · 6 sources

Good to knowConflicts of interest

Why did one councillor declare a conflict of interest on Township staffing items at 9 of 37 meetings, by our count, and does it affect decisions?

9 of 37meetings with the same staff-household declaration, January 2025 to September 2026

The law says a council member must declare a "pecuniary interest" (a money interest) in an item and then step out of it. At 9 of the 37 regular council meetings whose minutes we read (January 14, 2025 to September 22, 2026), Councillor Mike Budarick declared one because, the minutes say, his spouse works for the Township. The Township records each declaration and the reason in its minutes. This is the rule working as it should. The question is how often the same reason comes up, and whether council gets the same advice on staff matters without that vote.

Found by reading the town's own documents · 10 sources

Good to knowMoney health

Loyalist went from having money in the bank to owing more than it has. What changed?

−$12.5Mnet financial position, 2025

In 2019, Loyalist had $4.5M more in cash and money owed to it than it owed to others. By 2025 it was −$12.5M. About 24% of that change ($4.0M) is a new accounting rule from 2023: towns must now record the future cost of closing things like a landfill. That is not new spending or borrowing. Even leaving that out, only 5 of 36 similar towns are in a weaker position.

Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 6 sources

Where your tax bill goes

A property tax bill in Loyalist pays for three governments. Only part of it goes to the town, and that part is what Loyalist council controls.

Tax bill split: Loyalist 54%, County or region 35%, Schools 11%
$43Mraised in 2025
  • Loyalist54%
  • County or region35%
  • Schools11%

  • 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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