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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 Otonabee-South Monaghan'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 · 9 so far
Things worth asking about
We read Otonabee-South Monaghan's financial reports and meeting minutes, and compared its numbers with 38 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.
$7,239,352property tax levy in the 2024 budget, up from $6,859,324 in the 2023 budget
The levy is the total the Township asks property owners to pay in a year. The 2023 budget analysis shows a levy of $6,859,324 and says it was 5.04% more than the year before. The 2024 budget analysis shows $7,239,352 and a 5.47% increase. The Township splits each rise into two parts: new homes and businesses added to the tax roll (growth), and a higher tax rate. For 2024 the split is $171,080.59 from growth and $208,947.15 from the rate. We did not find the 2025 or 2026 levy in a document we could read reliably (see the finding on the 2026 budget).
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
$2.4 millionyearly gap between what the Township needs for capital and what it sets aside
An asset management plan lists what a town owns (roads, bridges, buildings, vehicles, water pipes) and what it will cost to keep them working. The Township’s July 2025 plan says its assets would cost $122.2 million to replace. It says the average yearly need is $4.2 million, it sets aside about $1.7 million, and so the yearly gap is $2.4 million. Roads are the biggest piece: a $1,335,488 gap each year. The plan also counts a $3.4 million backlog of assets kept in service past their expected life. The Township has adopted a plan to close the gap over 15 years for tax-supported assets and 10 years for water, with tax rises averaging 1.9% a year and water rates 0.8% a year.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 4 sources
The auditor’s report on the Township’s 2022 financial statements gives a clean opinion (the statements “present fairly”) and is dated January 24, 2024, more than a year after the year ended on December 31, 2022. The Township’s finance page also lists statements for 2023 and 2024. When we opened those two files they had no text we could read, only pictures of pages, so we did not use anything from them. That means the newest audited figures we could check in this pack are for 2022.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
A contingent liability is money the Township might have to pay, depending on an outcome nobody knows yet. The 2022 statements say the Township has been named in lawsuits whose outcome cannot be known, and no amount is booked. They also say a closed landfill site shared with another municipality, and possibly a private landowner, has not met all provincial closure requirements, and the cost cannot be estimated because the Province has not approved a closure plan. The Township holds a separate reserve of $230,933 for this site. It also reports a booked liability of $190,000 for one closed Township landfill (down from $259,000).
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
The 2022 statements say that, in prior years, the waste management reserve fund lent money to cover a deficit in sewer operations. The amount still owed to the fund was $28,332 at the end of 2022 (down from $81,596). The 2026 tax rates by-law sets a sewer charge of $1,258.00 a year for each household in the Burnham Meadows subdivision, and a municipal water fee of $2,429.00 a year per household. The 2024 by-law set the water fee at $2,311.00. By our own work-out, that is a 5.1% rise in two years.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
On October 27, 2025 the Township gave notice of special meetings on November 17, November 24 and December 1, 2025 for “Council deliberations of the 2026 Capital and Operating Budgets”, and said Council would consider adopting the 2026 Operating Budget on December 8, 2025. The Township’s tax rates page posts 2026 tax rates (By-law 2026-15), which are set from the approved budget. But the budget page we read lists the 2025 budget as the newest. We did not find a 2026 budget on the Township’s own website. We could not look at its council meeting portal, which blocks automated readers, so the budget may be there.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
In 2025, Otonabee-South Monaghan collected $677K more in its own property tax than in 2024. That is a 9% jump, while prices went up about 2.1%. Only 4 of 38 similar towns raised theirs by more.
Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 3 sources
The audited 2022 statements compare each year to the budget. The budget planned total revenues of $11,304,436 and total expenses of $8,754,964. Actual revenues were $10,405,363 and actual expenses were $8,506,342. By our own work-out, revenue came in $899,073 under budget and spending $248,622 under budget, so the surplus was $650,451 below the plan. We took only these labelled totals, because the lines under them did not read reliably in the file.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 1 source
At the end of 2022 the Township held reserves (money set aside by Council) of $7,691,827, up from $6,560,525, and owed $2,435,254 in long-term debt, the money it borrowed to build things. Interest paid on that debt was $94,688. It had a bank line of credit of up to $750,000 with nothing borrowed. It had also awarded a $2,818,300 (plus HST) contract for Phase 2 of the Otonabee Memorial Community Centre, to be paid from provincial grants and reserves. This is context, not a concern: the printed 2022 figures show savings well above the debt. We could not read the later statements.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
$7,239,352property tax levy in the 2024 budget, up from $6,859,324 in the 2023 budget
The levy is the total the Township asks property owners to pay in a year. The 2023 budget analysis shows a levy of $6,859,324 and says it was 5.04% more than the year before. The 2024 budget analysis shows $7,239,352 and a 5.47% increase. The Township splits each rise into two parts: new homes and businesses added to the tax roll (growth), and a higher tax rate. For 2024 the split is $171,080.59 from growth and $208,947.15 from the rate. We did not find the 2025 or 2026 levy in a document we could read reliably (see the finding on the 2026 budget).
Why it matters
Two levy rises of more than 5% in a row add up for property owners. The Township has already shown how much of each rise came from growth, so the open question is what the extra money paid for.
It could be because…
Part of each rise is growth, which does not raise a bill for an existing home: the Township prints $146,673.13 (2023) and $171,080.59 (2024) as growth.
Costs the Township cannot control (insurance, fuel, wages, contracts) rose quickly in those years.
Council may have raised the rate on purpose to pay for fire service and capital needs that its 2025 Asset Management Plan says are underfunded.
Questions you could ask
What did the extra $333,087.54 (2023) and $380,027.75 (2024) pay for, in dollars, by service?
What is the levy in the adopted 2025 and 2026 budgets, and how much of each rise is growth?
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 Otonabee-South Monaghan?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
2023 budget analysis: “Summary Split” shows taxation of $6,859,324 and total non-tax of $7,754,523, together $14,613,847. Levy increase table: “2.25% Increase due to Growth” $146,673.13; “2.79% Tax rate increase over 2022” $186,414.41; “5.04% Total Levy increase” $333,087.54.
2024 budget analysis: “Summary Split” shows taxation of $7,239,352 and total non-tax of $6,199,302, together $13,438,654. Levy increase table: “2.49% Increase due to Growth” $171,080.59; “2.97% Tax rate increase over 2023” $208,947.15; “5.47% Total Levy increase” $380,027.75.
$2.4 millionyearly gap between what the Township needs for capital and what it sets aside
An asset management plan lists what a town owns (roads, bridges, buildings, vehicles, water pipes) and what it will cost to keep them working. The Township’s July 2025 plan says its assets would cost $122.2 million to replace. It says the average yearly need is $4.2 million, it sets aside about $1.7 million, and so the yearly gap is $2.4 million. Roads are the biggest piece: a $1,335,488 gap each year. The plan also counts a $3.4 million backlog of assets kept in service past their expected life. The Township has adopted a plan to close the gap over 15 years for tax-supported assets and 10 years for water, with tax rises averaging 1.9% a year and water rates 0.8% a year.
Why it matters
A gap like this does not show up as a deficit today. It shows up later as a road that fails or a large tax rise. The Township has published its answer (a phased plan), so the open question is whether the budgets actually follow it.
It could be because…
The plan itself says the backlog is unlikely to mean everything is in disrepair; many assets may have years of life left.
The 1.9% average yearly tax change is spread over 15 years, so the 2025 and 2026 budgets may be doing their part already.
Questions you could ask
How much of the 2026 budget is set aside for capital, compared with the $4.2 million a year the plan says is needed?
Is the 1.9% average yearly tax change in the plan the amount Council has been using in its budgets?
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 Otonabee-South Monaghan?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Findings: “The overall replacement cost of the asset categories included in this AMP totals $122.2 million.” The “average annual capital requirement totals $4.2 million”; the Township is “committing approximately $1.7 million towards capital projects or reserves per year”; “annual funding gap of $2.4 million.”
The auditor’s report on the Township’s 2022 financial statements gives a clean opinion (the statements “present fairly”) and is dated January 24, 2024, more than a year after the year ended on December 31, 2022. The Township’s finance page also lists statements for 2023 and 2024. When we opened those two files they had no text we could read, only pictures of pages, so we did not use anything from them. That means the newest audited figures we could check in this pack are for 2022.
Why it matters
Residents, reporters and screen readers cannot search a picture of a page, and nobody can check a number we cannot read. Late statements could also mean council sets budgets using older results.
It could be because…
The date could be a misprint, or a late sign-off caused by an auditor or staff change.
The picture files may be signed copies, with readable copies available on request.
The Township may be catching up and have posted its latest statements quickly as scans.
Questions you could ask
When did Council receive the audited 2022, 2023 and 2024 statements, and when will the 2025 statements be ready?
Can the Township post text-readable copies of the 2023 and 2024 statements?
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 Otonabee-South Monaghan?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
Independent Auditor’s Report, Baker Tilly KDN LLP, Peterborough, Ontario, dated January 24, 2024. Opinion: the statements “present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of the Township as at December 31, 2022.”
The page lists “2024 Financial Report and Statements”, “2023 Financial Report and Statements” and earlier years, each as a PDF. We found no readable text in the 2024 and 2023 files (page pictures), so no figure from them is in this pack.
A contingent liability is money the Township might have to pay, depending on an outcome nobody knows yet. The 2022 statements say the Township has been named in lawsuits whose outcome cannot be known, and no amount is booked. They also say a closed landfill site shared with another municipality, and possibly a private landowner, has not met all provincial closure requirements, and the cost cannot be estimated because the Province has not approved a closure plan. The Township holds a separate reserve of $230,933 for this site. It also reports a booked liability of $190,000 for one closed Township landfill (down from $259,000).
Why it matters
If either matter ends badly, the cost would land on taxpayers. The statements give no number, so residents cannot tell whether $230,933 is enough.
It could be because…
The lawsuits could be routine ones, such as insurance claims, that insurance covers.
The auditor requires this note whenever an outcome cannot be estimated, even when the risk is small.
The Province may have since approved a closure plan; the 2023 and 2024 statements are scans we could not read.
Questions you could ask
Has the Province approved a closure plan for the shared landfill site, and what is the latest cost estimate?
Is the reserve of $230,933 still the amount held, and who shares the cost?
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 Otonabee-South Monaghan?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Note 17, Contingent liabilities: “The Township, in the course of its operations, has been named in litigation matters, the outcome of which is indeterminable at this time.” The closed landfill site “has not met all Provincial closure requirements”; a separate waste management reserve totals $230,933 (2021 - $212,933).
Note 8: the estimated liability for the one closed Township site is $190,000 (2021 - $259,000). The unclosed site’s liability “is indeterminable”, with a reserve of $230,933 (2021 - $212,933).
The 2022 statements say that, in prior years, the waste management reserve fund lent money to cover a deficit in sewer operations. The amount still owed to the fund was $28,332 at the end of 2022 (down from $81,596). The 2026 tax rates by-law sets a sewer charge of $1,258.00 a year for each household in the Burnham Meadows subdivision, and a municipal water fee of $2,429.00 a year per household. The 2024 by-law set the water fee at $2,311.00. By our own work-out, that is a 5.1% rise in two years.
Why it matters
Water and sewer users are meant to pay for those systems through their own fees, not through the general tax levy or other reserves. A loan that covered a deficit suggests the fees once did not cover the costs.
It could be because…
A new subdivision’s sewer system has few customers at first, so early deficits are common and normal.
The loan was being repaid: the balance fell by $53,264 in 2022 (worked out by us).
The 2026 fee may include saving for later repairs, which the law asks of water systems.
Questions you could ask
Is Burnham Meadows sewer now running without a deficit, and has the $28,332 been repaid in full?
How much of the $1,258.00 and $2,429.00 fees goes to saving for repairs?
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 Otonabee-South Monaghan?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Note 14(b): “In prior years, the Waste Management Reserve Fund was reduced for a loan provided to Sewer operations. This amount was loaned to cover the deficit in Sewer operations. The amount owing to the Reserve Fund at December 31, 2022 is $28,332 (2021 - $81,596).”
2026 tax rates, Other Rates: water system annual fee $2,429.00 per household; swimming pool surcharge $124.00; sewer charges in the Burnham Meadows subdivision $1,258.00 per household (annual rate).
On October 27, 2025 the Township gave notice of special meetings on November 17, November 24 and December 1, 2025 for “Council deliberations of the 2026 Capital and Operating Budgets”, and said Council would consider adopting the 2026 Operating Budget on December 8, 2025. The Township’s tax rates page posts 2026 tax rates (By-law 2026-15), which are set from the approved budget. But the budget page we read lists the 2025 budget as the newest. We did not find a 2026 budget on the Township’s own website. We could not look at its council meeting portal, which blocks automated readers, so the budget may be there.
Why it matters
The budget is the one document that shows where tax money goes. If it is not posted in a plain place, residents have to hunt for it, with an election on October 26, 2026.
It could be because…
The budget may be posted in the council agenda portal (CivicWeb) and not yet copied to the budget page.
The Township may post a budget summary later.
Questions you could ask
Where is the adopted 2026 budget (operating and capital) posted?
When will the 2027 budget meetings be held?
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 Otonabee-South Monaghan?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
Notice of Special Meetings re: 2026 Budget Deliberations: Monday, November 17, 2025; Monday, November 24, 2025; Monday, December 1, 2025 (if required), “to allow for Council deliberations of the 2026 Capital and Operating Budgets.” Council “will consider adopting the 2026 Operating Budget at its Regular Council Meeting to be held on the 8th day of December, 2025.” Dated October 27, 2025.
In 2025, Otonabee-South Monaghan collected $677K more in its own property tax than in 2024. That is a 9% jump, while prices went up about 2.1%. Only 4 of 38 similar towns raised theirs by more.
Why did Otonabee-South Monaghan's property tax go up 9% in 2025?
$0$2.0M$4.0M$6.0M$8.0M$10M
$8.6M
2019202020212022202320242025
Show as a table
Year
Town property tax
2019
$6.0M
2020
$6.5M
2021
$6.8M
2022
$7.2M
2023
$7.6M
2024
$7.9M
2025
$8.6M
Why it matters
A big one-year jump usually means something changed: a new cost, a service that grew, savings being rebuilt, or a problem from earlier years being paid for now. Residents should be able to see exactly which. Spread across every home, it is about $193 more each year.
It could be because…
Costs the town cannot control went up, such as policing, insurance or county charges.
The town kept taxes too low in earlier years and is catching up.
The town is rebuilding savings or paying for a big project like a bridge or equipment.
Questions you could ask
What were the three biggest reasons for the 2025 increase, in dollars?
Is a similar increase planned for next year?
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 Otonabee-South Monaghan?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Town property tax: $7,929,429 in 2024, $8,605,960 in 2025.
The audited 2022 statements compare each year to the budget. The budget planned total revenues of $11,304,436 and total expenses of $8,754,964. Actual revenues were $10,405,363 and actual expenses were $8,506,342. By our own work-out, revenue came in $899,073 under budget and spending $248,622 under budget, so the surplus was $650,451 below the plan. We took only these labelled totals, because the lines under them did not read reliably in the file.
Why it matters
A budget is the promise made to taxpayers. A gap this size is not alarming, but it shows how far the plan and the result can be apart.
It could be because…
Budgets for towns include grants for building projects. If the project is built later, the grant arrives later, so revenue lands under budget while spending on that project also lands under budget.
The statements note that the budget was reclassified to match accounting rules and that budget figures are not audited.
A surplus can also be good news if spending came in lower than planned.
Questions you could ask
Which grants or projects planned for 2022 were not received or built in 2022?
Did later budgets adjust for the pattern of planned revenue arriving late?
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 Otonabee-South Monaghan?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Statement of operations: “TOTAL REVENUES” budget 2022 11,304,436, actual 2022 10,405,363, actual 2021 10,679,732. “TOTAL EXPENSES” 8,754,964, 8,506,342, 8,103,231. “ANNUAL SURPLUS” 2,549,472, 1,899,021, 2,576,501.
At the end of 2022 the Township held reserves (money set aside by Council) of $7,691,827, up from $6,560,525, and owed $2,435,254 in long-term debt, the money it borrowed to build things. Interest paid on that debt was $94,688. It had a bank line of credit of up to $750,000 with nothing borrowed. It had also awarded a $2,818,300 (plus HST) contract for Phase 2 of the Otonabee Memorial Community Centre, to be paid from provincial grants and reserves. This is context, not a concern: the printed 2022 figures show savings well above the debt. We could not read the later statements.
Why it matters
Reserves are a town’s savings. Knowing how much is saved, how much is owed and what is already promised helps residents judge later budgets and tax rises.
It could be because…
Reserves are often saved for particular jobs (fire trucks, roads), so the full amount is not free to spend.
The community centre contract, plus the reserves held for it, may mean most of the money is already spoken for.
Part of the debt ($972,380) is recoverable from another organization, Otonabee Non-Profit Housing Corporation (Note 7).
Questions you could ask
What are the reserve and debt balances in the 2023 and 2024 statements, and what did the community centre project finally cost?
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 Otonabee-South Monaghan?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
Note 7, Long-term debt: total 2,435,254 (2021 2,638,553); interest paid during the year on long-term debt $94,688 (2021 - $102,310). Part (d): a portion is recoverable from Otonabee Non-Profit Housing Corporation.
Note 10: revolving credit facility limited to $750,000 via a line of credit; “no balance outstanding” at December 31, 2022. Note 19: tender awarded for the Otonabee Memorial Community Centre Phase 2 Renovation Construction Project for $2,818,300 plus HST, to be “funded from Provincial grants and reserves.”
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