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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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 Perth South'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 / Perth SouthUpdated Oct 7, 2026

Your town, in plain words

How Perth South uses the money we share.

A clear, checkable guide to Perth South's budget, taxes and council decisions. A rural township in Perth County, Ontario, with a mayor, a deputy mayor and five councillors. Every figure links back to the public record.

Property tax raised in 2025$9.8Mall property in Perth South49% Town34% County17% SchoolsSee where your tax bill goes →
Town spending, 2025$6.1MAbout $3,808 per household, up 15.1% from 2024.See the money →
Property tax change+9.0%Perth South's own property tax came to $4.8M in 2025, against $4.4M in 2024.What changed →

Where it goes

Most of every dollar supports the everyday town.

Explore every service →
Roads and snow$2.3M · 38%
Police, fire and safety$1.7M · 27%
Running the town office$1.2M · 20%
Water, sewers and garbage$402K · 7%
Show all 7 servicesShow fewer
Parks, arena and library$392K · 6%
Planning and business$106K · 2%
Health$19,340 · 0%

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

A fair comparisonHow does Perth South compare?Among 32 similar Ontario towns, Perth South's day-to-day spending per household is near the middle.Perth South is here · 19 of 32, lowest to highestCompare Perth South →

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 9 questions
Worth askingRising costs

Why does the roads and transportation budget keep growing by about 15 percent a year?

$327,905increase in the 2026 transportation budget over 2025, as printed in the budget book

Transportation Services is the biggest part of what the Township raises from taxes for operations. Its budgeted cost rose from $1,981,534 (2024) to $2,280,436 (2025) and to $2,608,341 (2026). The 2026 book also moves a lot of wages into one line, so some of the rise may be bookkeeping rather than new spending.

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

Worth askingRising costs

Why is Corporate Services costing taxpayers so much more than it did two budgets ago?

$174,741increase in Corporate Services between the 2025 and 2026 budgets, as printed

Corporate Services (the office, finance and clerk side of the Township) was budgeted at $59,294 in 2024, $335,675 in 2025 and $510,416 in 2026. The 2025 budget paid part of its costs with a $163,600 transfer from reserves (savings set aside earlier). The 2026 budget has no such transfer, so the same work now falls on the tax levy.

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

Worth askingOpenness

Can a resident compare the 2025 actuals with the 2025 budget in the Township's budget book?

$1,134,225of depreciation inside the 2025 actuals for Hardtop Maintenance, a line with no depreciation in its budget

The 2026 budget book shows 2025 actuals beside the 2025 budget, but the two columns do not seem to be on the same footing. The actuals include depreciation (the yearly wearing-out of roads and equipment) and transfers from reserves, while the budget lines carry none. Some departments therefore show gaps that are about accounting, not about spending too much.

Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources

Worth askingMoney health

Why did unpaid tax bills and unpaid supplier bills both jump during 2025?

$2,151,571owed to suppliers and others at December 31, 2025, up from $1,022,038

Two year-end balances moved a lot. Taxes receivable (tax bills not yet paid to the Township) rose from $187,289 to $458,250. Accounts payable and accrued liabilities (bills the Township owed) rose from $1,022,038 to $2,151,571.

Found by reading the town's own documents · 1 source

Show 5 more questionsShow fewer
Good to knowSpending level

Did transportation cost more in 2025 than council budgeted?

$156,998worked out by us: transportation actual less budget, 2025

In the audited statements, transportation services cost $3,948,137 against a budget of $3,791,139, which is $156,998 more (worked out by us). Both figures include amortization (the yearly wearing-out of roads and equipment), so this gap is not an amortization effect.

Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources

Good to knowMoney health

What is the Township saving its $11.5 million in cash for?

$10,575,474in reserves and reserve funds at December 31, 2025, up from $9,371,254

At December 31, 2025 the Township held $11,469,736 in cash and $10,575,474 in reserves and reserve funds (savings set aside for later). Its only debt, $249,028, is tile drain loans that individual property owners repay. The money in the general revenue surplus fell while reserves grew.

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

Good to knowOpenness

Where are the council pay statements for 2024 and 2025?

2023is the newest year on the Township's council pay page

The Municipal Act requires the Treasurer to file a statement each year of what was paid to council members. The Township's page for these statements lists 2023 as the newest. We did not find a statement for 2024 or 2025.

Found by reading the town's own documents · 1 source

Good to knowRecord-keeping

Are there small errors in the Township's published financial reports?

$6worked out by us: note 10 total is $41,309,987, the statements say $41,309,981

We found three small slips. Note 1(g) of the 2025 statements names a different town. Note 10 prints a total that is $6 more than the statements. And the link labelled as the 2024 annual consolidated financial report opens the statements of a community centre board.

Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources

Where your tax bill goes

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

Tax bill split: Perth South 49%, County or region 34%, Schools 17%
$9.8Mraised in 2025
  • Perth South49%
  • County or region34%
  • Schools17%

  • 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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