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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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.
Questions · 11 so far
Things worth asking about
We read Loyalist's financial reports and meeting minutes, and compared its numbers with 36 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.
$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
$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
$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
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
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
$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
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
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
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
$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.
Why it matters
In 2025 just over two-thirds of the growth in what the Township owns came from this one project, and it is a main reason the Township's net debt grew. The Township has been open about the numbers. What residents cannot yet see is how the disputed $1,450,000 will be settled, and how much more could be added before the project is finished.
It could be because…
Old buildings hide problems. The Township lists pipes in poor condition, a larger electrical service than expected and tricky ground under the site, none of which showed up in the earlier drawings.
Construction prices rose between 2023 and 2026, and a supplier told the project team that its ice-plant price was a mistake.
The project is built under a shared-cost contract: the Township and the builders agreed on a target price and share any overrun. Disagreements about what counts as an agreed extra are possible under that kind of contract.
Some of the added cost was paid for by new money, not new borrowing. One-time funding rose by $7,487,609, so the extra amount to borrow is $2,412,391.
Questions you could ask
What is the $1,450,000 of disputed contract costs about, who decides it, and when? What happens to the project total if the Township loses or wins?
The March 2026 update says $59,400,000 is an estimate "at completion". What is the latest number, and what is still to be paid?
Why did the validation report in 2023 not include the interim financing cost ($1,285,000) or the cost of the fundraising campaign?
Will council get a final report that compares the final cost, line by line, with the November 2023 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 Loyalist?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
Total capital costs: $49,500,000 in the November 2023 validation report, $59,400,000 now estimated at completion, a difference of $9,900,000. One-time funding (grants, reserves, fundraising and the City of Kingston) rose from $41,287,391 to $48,775,000. The amount to be borrowed rose from $8,212,609 to $10,625,000.
Where the $9,900,000 sits: the main contract (without HST) went from $46,400,000 to $53,700,000, up $7,300,000. A new line of $1,450,000 is listed as "Disputed Project Costs". Interim financing costs of $1,285,000 and fundraising costs ($70,000 to $343,000) were not in the original budget. Contingency went from $250,000 to $441,000. The municipal share of HST went from $817,000 to $0.
The Township lists $5,385,017 of "unforeseen conditions", including $2,800,000 for schedule delays caused by ground conditions that the geotechnical report had not shown, $600,000 for structural bracing, $548,248 for an electrical transformer Hydro One required, and $528,960 to replace storm and sanitary pipe in poor condition. It also lists $393,622 of changes the Township asked for.
Agreed extras of $5,778,639 set the "Final Target Cost" at $52,178,639.00. The report says the project is in the scenario where costs paid by the Township exceed that target by $1,521,361 (not counting the disputed costs) and the builders earn no profit. It names about $1 million more for the ice-plant equipment after the supplier said its estimate was wrong, and about $1.5 million more for mechanical and electrical work.
To pay for the work before long-term loans are in place, the Township borrowed from its own reserve funds and took a $15 million temporary construction loan from RBC at the prime rate. It expects the interest to total about $1.28 million.
The staff report on the 2025 audited statements says just over two-thirds of the $31.39M increase in tangible capital assets (buildings, roads and other things the Township owns) in 2025 came from this project.
$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.
Why it matters
Loan payments and staff pay are fixed. Sponsorship money is not: it has to be raised. The Township says that if the sponsorship target is missed, or if it stops moving $700,000 a year away from its savings for future repairs, the tax cost is higher. Residents can only judge the plan if they know which of these it depends on.
It could be because…
This is how a careful plan looks: the Township published the risks next to the base case.
Staffing costs of a larger building with a pool were always going to be higher than for the old one. The original plan already counted $780,221 a year.
Sponsorship takes time. The $1.8 million target may be reached over several years.
Council can phase a cost in over more than one year, as the 2026 draft budget proposed for the loan payments.
Questions you could ask
How much sponsorship and naming-rights money has been signed so far, against the $1.8 million target?
Did council keep the one-time use of the Tax Rate Stabilization reserve in the final 2026 budget? If so, what is the 2027 tax increase it is putting off?
If the $700,000 a year stays away from the capital reserve, how does the asset management plan fill the gap?
Will the Township publish a first-year report on what the centre actually costs to run, next to the $1,314,580 for staffing and $221,000 for energy it planned?
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 Loyalist?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Yearly costs now compared with the November 2023 plan: staffing $780,221 then, $1,314,580 now; energy $100,000 then, $221,000 now; yearly loan payment $549,097 then, $660,000 now. The amount still to be funded each year is $737,750. Of that, $479,024 is already in the 2026 operating budget and $180,000 is expected from sponsorship, leaving $78,726, which the report says is an increase of 0.34% on the 2026 general tax levy of $24,457,260.
If only $1.3M of the $1.8M sponsorship target is raised, the 2027 impact rises to $128,726 and the tax increase needed to 0.55%. If the $700,000 a year now moved from the capital reserve transfer to offset the project is not moved, the 2027 impact is $778,726, a tax increase of 3.34%. The report says this reduced transfer "could have a negative effect" on the Township's asset management plan.
The long-term loan: $7.5M for 30 years from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities at a variable rate (4.56% when written, with a minimum of 4.30%), and the rest from Infrastructure Ontario at an assumed 4.78%. The Township says the combined yearly payment is $660,000.
In the 2026 draft budget, debt payments paid from the general tax levy rise from $509,000 a year to an estimated $1,157,000 once the new loans are issued, which would add $648,000 (a 2.75% tax increase). To spread this out, staff proposed using the Tax Rate Stabilization reserve in 2026 so only $383,000 (1.6%) was levied. The draft says this is "one-time" and the rest has to be levied in 2027. We did not confirm that council kept this in the final 2026 budget.
The final 2026 operating budget has a tax levy of $24.457 million, which the Township says is a 3.64% increase for residential taxpayers. Council reviewed and amended the draft on November 18 and 26, 2025. The Mayor said he would not veto any amendments.
$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.
Why it matters
The Province's loan costs little now, but repayments start at the end of 2027 and interest starts in July 2028. The money to repay it can come from selling the land, from taxes, or both. Residents should know which, before the payments start.
It could be because…
The Township may plan to repay the loan from the sale of the serviced lots in its business parks. The budget does say land sales through the Business Park flow into reserve funds.
An interest-free loan for ten years is a good deal, and the Province may have offered it to help the area attract a large employer.
Council may have approved a repayment plan in a report we did not find, or in a closed session.
The loan is carried at less than its face value ($16,311,084 against $19,000,000) because it does not charge interest at first. This is how the accounting rule for interest-free loans works. It makes the debt look smaller than what will be paid back.
Questions you could ask
Where will the repayments from December 31, 2027 to July 2035 come from: land sales, taxes, reserves or a mix?
How much of the industrial land financed in 2022 has been sold or leased, to whom, and for how much?
Is there a council report or by-law that sets out the repayment plan for the Province's loan?
What does the Township expect the loan to cost in interest once the interest-free period ends in 2028?
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 Loyalist?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
A note about a "significant expenditure": the Planning and Development spending that year includes $22,631,000 "for the municipal purpose of Industrial Land Redevelopment". It was financed by an interest-only loan from the Royal Bank of Canada under By-law 2022-062.
At the end of 2023 the Royal Bank loan of $22,631,000 (2022 balance) was gone, and a new "0%" debenture of $19,000,000 from the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade was listed. Its payments do not start until December 31, 2027, interest is charged from July 2028 at half the lender's cost of borrowing, and it is due in July 2035.
At the end of 2025 the $19,000,000 loan is carried at $16,311,084 (2024: $15,662,651), out of total long-term debt of $26,002,805. Its "interest free" period ends in 2028 and the lender's full cost of borrowing applies from July 2033. The statements show the same amount, $16,311,084, as a negative line, "Industry financed by long-term debt", inside the accumulated surplus. The repayment table in note 4(e) shows principal due on all debt of $551,380 in 2027, $1,022,668 in 2028, $1,590,274 in 2029 and $3,209,676 in 2030.
The draft 2026 budget says reserve contributions "primarily" consist of land sales through the Business Park, "with the net proceeds flowing to the appropriate reserve fund". It does not say the proceeds repay the provincial loan.
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.
Why did the cost of roads and snow grow 80% in 6 years?
Roads and snow
Prices (inflation)
−20%+0%+20%+40%+60%+80%+100%
+80%
2019202020212022202320242025
Show as a table
Year
Roads and snow
Prices (inflation)
2019
+0%
+0%
2020
−2%
+1%
2021
+1%
+4%
2022
+23%
+11%
2023
+41%
+16%
2024
+71%
+18%
2025
+80%
+21%
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
Of the extra $6 million a year since 2019, how much is the ferry, how much is work paid for by the County, and how much is roads, snow and roadside upkeep paid for by Township taxes?
What is in the "transportation other" line (line 0698 in the Province's return), which grew from $2,456,096 to $5,957,160?
What did the ferry cost in 2019, and how much of the increase did the Province pay for?
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 Loyalist?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
In the Province's return, the Township's transportation operating costs (before amortization) were $7,490,702 in 2019 and $13,485,106 in 2025. The biggest part is "other" (line 0698): $2,456,096 in 2019 and $5,957,160 in 2025. Roadside upkeep went from $1,482,389 to $2,511,800 and winter control from $1,131,380 to $1,766,095.
The audited statements say the transportation function includes "construction and maintenance of the Township's roads and bridges, winter control, Amherst Island ferry operations, Amherstview Transit Service and street lighting". It cost $16,343,461 in 2025 and $15,376,902 in 2024 in the statements (this figure includes amortization).
The Amherst Island ferry is part of this function. Its operating costs in the Township's petition to the Ministry were $3,824,514 for 2025 (the Ministry paid all the fuel that year, which lowered the Township's cost). All expenses except fuel, insurance and an administration fee are subsidized by the Province at 90%.
The Township does road work on County of Lennox and Addington roads. The County has no public works department, and the Township provides winter maintenance (snow plowing, sanding), summer maintenance and bridge work on those roads. The County compensates the Township; the updated agreement sets a base rate of $3,168.51 per lane kilometre (the old rate was $6,130.90 per road kilometre).
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.
Why are so many property taxes unpaid?
$0$1.0M$2.0M$3.0M$4.0M$5.0M
$4.6M
2019202020212022202320242025
Show as a table
Year
Unpaid property tax at year end
2019
$2.6M
2020
$2.8M
2021
$1.9M
2022
$2.6M
2023
$3.9M
2024
$4.0M
2025
$4.6M
Why it matters
When taxes go unpaid, everyone else carries the cost, and the town may borrow to cover the gap. The Province's financial indicators treat 10% to 15% as a moderate risk and more than 15% as a high risk. Collection is the town's job, so a rising number is worth asking about.
It could be because…
The final tax bill was due late in the year, so some payments simply arrived in January.
A few large properties are in dispute or being sold for back taxes.
Hard times for residents, which the town may be handling with payment plans.
Questions you could ask
How much of the $4,580,774 is owed for 2025 only, and how much for earlier years?
How much of it is the Township's share, and how much belongs to the County and school boards?
How many accounts are three or more years behind, and how much do they owe in total?
Is the allowance for taxes that may never be collected still about the same as in 2023 ($787,878)?
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 Loyalist?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The Township's April 2026 report says that after "limited tax collection efforts due to staff turnover" it started working through accounts with several years of arrears. Every February it now sends notices to owners who owe for 3 years. At the time of the report 1 property was out for public tender, 9 were registered for tax sale and available for sale in June 2026, and 8 in December 2026.
The 2023 statements record a provision for uncollectible taxes (including losses on assessment appeals) of $787,878 (2022: $694,094). It reduces taxes receivable. Taxes for the County and school boards are collected by the Township and passed on to them.
The Township collects property taxes for the County of Lennox and Addington and the Province (education) as well as for itself. The Township's own part is 54% of the property taxes on a bill.
$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.
Why it matters
The ferry is the way on and off Amherst Island, and it costs millions a year. If the Province paid less, the Township would have to raise fares, raise taxes, or cut service. The Township has been open that the agreement is still being talked about.
It could be because…
Negotiating a new agreement takes time, and the Township may not want to set fares before it knows the terms.
In 2025 the Province covered all of the fuel cost, which lowered the Township's bill. This is why the 2025 total is lower than in 2024.
Borrowing internally is a common way to cover a short gap and the loan accrues interest, so the ferry account pays it back.
The Mayor, who works for the Ministry of Transportation, declares that interest and steps out of ferry decisions.
Questions you could ask
When is the new ferry agreement expected, and what will it change about who pays what?
How much of the ferry's 2026 costs are being financed through internal debt, and when will that debt be repaid?
What will the fare rate study look at, and will residents be asked about fares before they are set?
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 Loyalist?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
"Similar to 2025, 2026 will be a transitional period" for the ferry while a new agreement is negotiated. The 2026 draft budget projects ferry operating costs of $7 million, with $250,000 for fuel as the Ministry is expected to cover most of it, and says that any additional operating expenses "typically funded by passenger fares are proposed to be financed through debt". The draft shows about 90% from the provincial subsidy.
For 2025 the Township petitions the Province for subsidy on total operating expenditures of $3,824,514. All expenses except fuel, insurance and a Township administration fee are subsidized at 90%. "2025 was not a normal operating year": the Ministry covered all fuel costs, and instead of a payment from the Ministry there is a credit of $157,093 on the account, which staff and the Ministry are discussing.
In the closed session of September 9, 2025, council discussed "Ferry Operation Negotiations". It reported back that it gave direction to staff. The Mayor declared a conflict of interest because he is employed by the Ministry of Transportation, which owns the ferry.
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.
Why it matters
Audited statements are how outsiders check the numbers. The sooner they come out, the sooner residents and lenders can use them. A town that is building a $59 million centre has more to explain, and more reason to have the numbers checked soon.
It could be because…
A new audit firm took on the Township for 2024, and a first-year audit takes longer.
New accounting rules for the cost of cleaning up old facilities (asset retirement obligations) came in for 2023 and took work to apply.
The Township has a large capital project to account for, and its finance staff changed over the period. The Township's own tax report mentions "staff turnover".
The 2025 date shows the Township has moved back to a mid-year schedule.
Questions you could ask
What caused the 2023 and 2024 audits to finish when they did, and what has changed for 2025?
Will the Township aim to have the audit approved by council by a set date each year, and will it say so?
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 Loyalist?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
The 2023 audit was done by KPMG LLP, and the independent auditor's report is dated November 6, 2024.
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.
Why it matters
Many of the items are about human resources policies and about the Leisure and Activity Centre. These are decisions that affect Township staff and what residents pay. If one vote is regularly missing, residents want to know decisions still get a full hearing.
It could be because…
Small towns have many connections. The councillor is doing exactly what the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act asks, each time.
The family member is a part-time employee, and the items are general policies where the law asks for a declaration even if the effect is small.
Council has six other members to decide these items.
Other council members also declared interests in 2025 and 2026 (for example, on a local golf course, a community radio station and nearby properties). It is common for rural councillors with volunteer and business ties.
Questions you could ask
Does the Township check that staff matters involving a councillor's household member are handled by the CAO and the Director of Human Resources, not by council?
Would it help residents if the Township published a yearly summary of declarations by council member and by reason?
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 Loyalist?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Declaration on January 28, 2025: Councillor Budarick declared a pecuniary interest on item 5.1 on the closed session agenda ("HR Policies"), because, the minutes say, his spouse is employed by the Township.
Declaration on February 25, 2025: Councillor Budarick declared a pecuniary interest on item 13.3.1, "Human Resources Policies", because, the minutes say, his spouse is employed by the Township.
Declaration on March 11, 2025: Councillor Budarick declared a pecuniary interest on item 14.1, the confirmation of the February 25, 2025 minutes, because, the minutes say, his spouse is employed by the Township.
Declaration on November 11, 2025: Councillor Budarick declared a pecuniary interest on item 5.1 on the closed session agenda, because, the minutes say, his spouse is employed by the Township.
Declaration on February 10, 2026: Councillor Budarick declared a pecuniary interest on items 5.1 and 5.2 on the closed session agenda, because, the minutes say, his spouse is employed by the Township.
Declaration on March 10, 2026: Councillor Budarick declared a pecuniary interest on item 11.4, "Leisure and Activity Centre Feasibility Assessment", because, the minutes say, his spouse is employed by the Township.
Declaration on May 12, 2026: Councillor Budarick declared a pecuniary interest on item 11.2, "Leisure & Activity Center Services Petition", because, the minutes say, his spouse is employed by the Township.
Declaration on May 26, 2026: Councillor Budarick declared a pecuniary interest on item 5.2 in closed session, because, the minutes say, his spouse is employed by the Township.
Declaration on June 9, 2026: Councillor Budarick declared a pecuniary interest on items 11.2 and 11.3 (the Leisure and Activity Centre reassessment, and a proposal from BGC South East about 177 Park Crescent), because, the minutes say, his spouse is employed by the Township.
Declarations made by council members are filed in a public registry on the Township's council portal, as the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act requires. The filed forms are scans of handwritten pages, so their text cannot be searched. The reasons are in the minutes.
Loyalist spent about $3,210 per home on long-term debt in 2025. The typical similar town spent $1,119. Only 5 of 36 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
Where will the repayments of the $19,000,000 provincial loan come from? (See "How will the Township repay the $19,000,000 interest-free provincial loan ...?")
How much new debt will be issued for the W.J. Henderson centre, and what is the total debt payment in 2027?
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 Loyalist?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Long-term debt per home: Loyalist $3,210; typical similar town $1,119; ranked 6th highest of 37.
Total long-term debt at the end of 2025 is $26,002,805 (2024: $22,528,742). $16,311,084 of it is the interest-free provincial loan for industrial land. A new debenture of $3,750,000 was issued to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities in 2025, due April 2055, with interest only until April 2028. Interest paid on debt in 2025 was $872,782.
The Township says that, on its 2025 debt, its annual repayment limit (the share of its own revenue going to debt payments) is 5.7%, "well below the Provincial threshold". The Province's limit is based on 25% of own-sourced revenues. Debt payments from the general tax levy are $509,000 a year now and the Township estimates $1,157,000 once the loans for the W.J. Henderson project and other projects are issued.
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.
Loyalist went from having money in the bank to owing more than it has. What changed?
−$20M−$10M$0$10M$20M
−$12.5M
2019202020212022202320242025
Show as a table
Year
Net financial position
2019
$4.5M
2020
$8.4M
2021
$12.6M
2022
−$2.4M
2023
$1.2M
2024
−$7.0M
2025
−$12.5M
Why it matters
This number is one of the clearest signs of whether a town is living within its means. The accounting-rule part is a bill that will come due when the landfill closes, not money already spent. The rest is real borrowing and spending of savings.
It could be because…
A new accounting rule (asset retirement obligations, from 2023) added a large future cost to the books all at once.
Borrowing for a planned project, such as sewage lagoons, which is paid back over many years.
Questions you could ask
What is the plan and timeline for paying the landfill closing cost?
Without the accounting change, is the town's position getting better or worse?
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 Loyalist?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The Township's explanation: net financial assets "decreased by $5.55M" in 2025, "primarily a result of significant capital expenditure in 2025, as well as an increase in liabilities", in particular long-term debt and deferred revenue. Tangible capital assets had a net increase of $31.39M, and "just over two-thirds" of that came from the W.J. Henderson project. Long-term debt rose by $3.47M because of the $3.75M Federation of Canadian Municipalities debenture.
The earlier drop came in 2022. That year's Planning and Development expenses include $22,631,000 for industrial land redevelopment, financed by an interest-only bank loan.
Net financial assets in the Province's return: $12,592,424 at the end of 2021, $(2,416,709) at the end of 2022, $1,180,764 at the end of 2023, $(6,986,241) at the end of 2024 and $(12,545,604) at the end of 2025.
Loyalist spent about $241 per home on snow ploughing in 2025. The typical similar town spent $118. Only 1 of 36 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 Loyalist?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The County of Lennox and Addington has no public works department. The Township provides winter maintenance, including snow plowing, sanding and culvert thawing, on County roads, and the County compensates the Township.
The 2026 draft budget lists "Roadway Winter Control (Township & County)" among the public works services, and a Township roadway and sidewalk winter control budget of $1,099,000.
By the end of the second quarter of 2026, winter control had used 111% of its 2026 budget "due to more significant winter weather at the beginning of 2026". The Township keeps a winter maintenance reserve, currently $365,712, for years with extreme winters.
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