Your town, in plain words
A clear, checkable guide to North Algona-Wilberforce's budget, taxes and council decisions. A rural township in Renfrew County, in the Ottawa Valley, with a mayor and four councillors. Every figure links back to the public record.
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Questions worth asking
Each one is a question, not an accusation. Every one lists ordinary reasons it could be true, and the documents it comes from.
+11%town property tax, 2024 to 2025
In 2025, North Algona-Wilberforce collected $413K more in its own property tax than in 2024. That is a 11% jump, while prices went up about 2.1%. Only 2 of 28 similar towns raised theirs by more.
Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 3 sources
$726,015planned to come out of reserves in 2025; $157,012 went in instead
Reserves are money the Township sets aside for later, such as new roads. The audited statements include a schedule that compares the budget with what happened. For 2025 the budget planned a deficit of $310,000, to be covered by taking $726,015 out of reserves. The result was a surplus of $215,070, and $157,012 went into reserves instead. The 2024 budget did the same thing: it planned a deficit of $813,419, covered by $518,002 from reserves, and the year ended with a surplus of $123,747 and $221,730 put into reserves. The reserves ended 2025 at $6,101,271, up from $5,893,356.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
$877,357estimated landfill closure and care cost at the end of 2025, up from $625,307
Closing and looking after old landfill sites is a cost the law requires. The Township's estimate of that cost, called the asset retirement obligation, rose from $625,307 to $877,357, an increase of $252,050 (worked out by us). The main line, "Landfill closure and post closure costs", went from $645,286 to $844,602 (up $199,316, worked out by us), and a further $32,755 was added as the cost was moved forward in time. The cash flow statement shows $219,295 of the change as a non-cash addition to the Township's assets. The Township has set aside investments of $349,800 for this, so about $527,557 is not covered (worked out by us). The statements show it as "unfunded".
Found by reading the town's own documents · 4 sources
2024the last year with a posted budget by-law that we found
The Township posts its audited statements, but most of what lets residents follow council's decisions is missing or cannot be read. The by-laws page lists a by-law and budget for 2024, then only a "2025 Budget Presentation" and a "2026 Budget Presentation". The 2024 budget and the 2025 presentation have no readable text (they are scans). The 2026 presentation is a slide deck whose first slide is marked "Draft #2 Presented January 7 2026". We did not find a by-law adopting the 2025 or 2026 budget. The council page has a heading for agendas and minutes but shows only year buttons for archived minutes (2016 to 2020). We found no minutes files behind them, and none for any later meeting. The council pay statements for 2020 to 2023 are scans, and the 2024 statement is a report whose table we could not read. We did not find a 2025 statement. We therefore have not published any council pay.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
$2,653,059 or $3,073,059the 2025 road budget, depending on which page of the audit you read
The 2025 statements show the 2025 budget twice. In the main statement of operations the budget for roads ("Transportation services") is $2,653,059 and total expenses are $5,813,173. In the schedule near the back the road budget is $3,073,059 and total expenses are $6,076,478. Recreation is $247,209 in one and $368,466 in the other. The planned result also differs: a surplus of $162,415 in one, a deficit of $310,000 in the other. The road and recreation actuals match in both, but the actual totals differ too. We worked out the road gap as $420,000 (worked out by us). The note on budget figures says the budget was reclassified to meet public-sector reporting rules and that reserve activity is not budgeted except where it touches operations or capital.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 4 sources
$950difference in both 2024 revenue and 2024 expenses between the 2024 and 2025 statements (worked out by us)
The 2024 audited statements print 2024 revenue of $5,883,628 and expenses of $5,654,780. The 2025 statements print different 2024 figures in their main statement of operations: revenue of $5,884,578 and expenses of $5,655,730. Each is $950 higher (worked out by us), so the 2024 surplus of $228,848 is the same in both. Inside the 2025 statements the notes still show the older 2024 revenue total of $5,883,628. Money has also moved between lines: transfers from Ontario are $1,034,358 in the 2024 statements and $1,022,420 in the 2025 ones, and transfers from Canada are $118,413 and $130,351, a move of $11,938 (worked out by us). The 2025 statements do not say the 2024 figures were restated.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
$969,138more in reserves than cash and investments at the end of 2025 (worked out by us)
At the end of 2025 the Township held cash of $4,140,067 and investments of $992,066, together $5,132,133 (worked out by us). Its reserves were $6,101,271, which is $969,138 more (worked out by us). A year earlier cash and investments were $4,492,103 and reserves were $5,893,356, a gap of $1,401,253 (both worked out by us). The Township also had $624,764 in taxes still to be collected and $515,704 owed to it in other accounts. The notes say reserves are "internally restricted".
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
$960,677reserve named for the Ottawa Valley Waste Management Board, end of 2025
The Township owns a share (8.38%) of a joint waste board. Its audited statements already count its share of the board's assets: $137,658 of net financial assets and $1,471,458 of accumulated surplus. Separately, the Township's own reserve list has a line named after the board of $960,677, up from $909,774. The board ran a deficiency of revenue over expenses of $(764,439) in 2025, of which the Township's share is $(82,238). The statements do not say what the reserve is for.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
$112,614paid into the OMERS pension plan in 2025, against $76,787 in 2024
The Township pays into the OMERS pension plan for its staff. The audited notes say it contributed $112,614 in 2025 and $76,787 in 2024, an increase of $35,827 or about 47% (worked out by us). The notes do not say why. This is a total for all staff in the plan.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 1 source
A property tax bill in North Algona-Wilberforce pays for three governments. Only part of it goes to the town, and that part is what North Algona-Wilberforce council controls.
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