Questions · 8 so far
We read Plummer Additional's financial reports and meeting minutes, and compared its numbers with 29 similar Ontario towns. These are the things that stood out.
There may well be a good reason. It is still worth asking what it is.
None foundbudget documents posted for 2025 or 2026
Council looked at a draft 2026 budget on February 18, 2026, and a 2026 budget and tax rates by-law is on the April 15, 2026 agenda. We did not find a budget document anywhere on the website. The only tax rates by-law posted is for 2025, and it has no readable text.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
15 of 16sets of 2025 and 2026 minutes we opened had no readable text, by our count
Of the 16 sets of minutes from 2025 and 2026 that we opened, 15 had no readable text. Only the March 18, 2026 minutes did. The agendas are readable, but they are bare lists of titles.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
2024the newest year of audited statements we found posted, on October 7, 2026
The newest audited statements posted are for 2024, with the auditor's report dated October 16, 2025. A draft of the 2025 statements was on council's August 19, 2026 agenda, and we did not find them posted on October 7, 2026. The posted 2024 PDF also has two pages with no readable text, and it contains another organization's audit engagement letter.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 4 sources
$940,120estimated total future cost to close the Township's share of the landfill, before adjusting for time
The Township's share of a landfill carries a future closing and monitoring cost. The statements show a liability of $327,790 at the end of 2024, but the expected cost, before adjusting for time, is $940,120 over 22 years, followed by 25 more years of monitoring.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
Background that helps make sense of the rest.
$9,044.40the yearly mayor's pay in 2026, per the election guide (a councillor: $6,460.32)
Ontario law has municipalities report each year what each council member was paid and reimbursed. We did not find that statement on the website. The 2026 election guide does give the yearly pay for each office.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
$1,649,460reserves and reserve funds at the end of 2024, up $128,816 in the year
The 2024 budget, as the auditors reconcile it, counted on moving $125,584 out of reserves. Instead, reserves and reserve funds rose by $128,816 to $1,649,460. The annual surplus came in near the budgeted one, $238,030 against $240,542.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
$303,418owed on two loans at the end of 2024
At the end of 2024 the Township owed $303,418 on two bank loans, with payments of $94,515 due in 2025 and $99,956 in 2026. On April 15, 2026, council's agenda listed a loan approval for a truck purchase. The minutes of that meeting are a scan, so we could not read the amount or the decision.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
$357per home on snow ploughing, 2025
Plummer Additional spent about $357 per home on snow ploughing in 2025. The typical similar town spent $117. Only 3 of 29 similar towns spent more.
Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 1 source
None foundbudget documents posted for 2025 or 2026
Council looked at a draft 2026 budget on February 18, 2026, and a 2026 budget and tax rates by-law is on the April 15, 2026 agenda. We did not find a budget document anywhere on the website. The only tax rates by-law posted is for 2025, and it has no readable text.
A budget says what the Township plans to spend and why. Without it, residents have only the audited statements, which come out many months after the year ends.
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 Plummer Additional? Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
Item 8a of the February 18, 2026 agenda is "Draft Budget for 2026", and item 9c is "2026 Tax Rates and Budget By-law". The agenda is a list of titles; the report itself is not attached.
Council agenda, February 18, 2026 · page 1, items 8a and 9c
Item 9a of the April 15, 2026 agenda is "Amend By-law 2026-09 Adoption of Tax Rates and Budget". That shows a 2026 budget by-law was passed.
Council agenda, April 15, 2026 · page 1, item 9a
The property taxes page links one document, "2025 Tax Rates" (the 2025 adoption of tax rates and budget by-law). We did not find 2026 tax rates or any budget there. The linked PDF has no readable text, so we could not read it.
Property Taxes page · page text, "2025 Tax Rates" link
15 of 16sets of 2025 and 2026 minutes we opened had no readable text, by our count
Of the 16 sets of minutes from 2025 and 2026 that we opened, 15 had no readable text. Only the March 18, 2026 minutes did. The agendas are readable, but they are bare lists of titles.
Minutes are the public record of what council decided and how each member voted. A picture of a page cannot be searched, and a screen reader cannot read it to someone who is blind.
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 Plummer Additional? Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The April 15, 2026 minutes PDF has no text layer. Every page is a picture, so we could not read it.
Council minutes, April 15, 2026 · whole file (image only)
The March 18, 2026 minutes are readable text. They record, for example, a recorded vote and the closed-session items, so readable minutes are possible.
Council minutes, March 18, 2026 · pages 1 to 5
2024the newest year of audited statements we found posted, on October 7, 2026
The newest audited statements posted are for 2024, with the auditor's report dated October 16, 2025. A draft of the 2025 statements was on council's August 19, 2026 agenda, and we did not find them posted on October 7, 2026. The posted 2024 PDF also has two pages with no readable text, and it contains another organization's audit engagement letter.
Residents rely on the audited statements to see the Township's whole finances. A missing page, and a letter that does not belong in them, make the file harder to trust and to use.
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 Plummer Additional? Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
Item 6b under New Business on the August 19, 2026 agenda is "Consolidated Draft 2025 Financial Statements".
Council agenda, August 19, 2026 · page 1, item 6b
The auditor's report on the 2024 statements is dated October 16, 2025.
2024 consolidated financial statements · page 5, Independent Auditor's Report
Page 4 of this PDF opens with a letter from the auditing firm to another organization, dated June 1, 2021, about an audit of a statement of final cost for a housing project. The same letter appears again on page 24, in front of the trust fund report. It has nothing to do with the Township.
2024 consolidated financial statements · pages 4 and 24
Pages 3 and 6 have no readable text. The contents list says the Statement of Financial Position is on the document's page 5, which is PDF page 6, so we could not read it.
2024 consolidated financial statements · contents page 2; PDF pages 3 and 6 (images)
$940,120estimated total future cost to close the Township's share of the landfill, before adjusting for time
The Township's share of a landfill carries a future closing and monitoring cost. The statements show a liability of $327,790 at the end of 2024, but the expected cost, before adjusting for time, is $940,120 over 22 years, followed by 25 more years of monitoring.
A closing cost of this size is paid by taxpayers at some point. The statements record it, but we did not see a plan that says how the money will be set aside.
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 Plummer Additional? Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The note says the liability for the Township's portion of a solid waste landfill was $327,790 at the end of 2024 (2023: $317,472). "The estimated total undiscounted future expenditures are $940,120, which are to be incurred over 22 years with 25 additional years for post closure monitoring." It says no recoveries have been measured or estimated.
2024 consolidated financial statements · page 14, Note 4 Asset retirement obligation
Reserves and reserve funds were $1,649,460 at the end of 2024. The note does not say what any of the reserves are set aside for.
2024 consolidated financial statements · page 14, Note 5 Accumulated surplus
$9,044.40the yearly mayor's pay in 2026, per the election guide (a councillor: $6,460.32)
Ontario law has municipalities report each year what each council member was paid and reimbursed. We did not find that statement on the website. The 2026 election guide does give the yearly pay for each office.
The yearly statement is how residents see pay together with expenses and per diems (daily payments for meetings and conferences). The guide says members get those on top of their yearly pay.
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 Plummer Additional? Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
"The 2026 stipends (established in 2023) are: Mayor $9,044.40, Councillor $6,460.32." Members also get a quarterly internet allowance of $75, an annual mileage allowance, and per diem payments for conferences and boards.
Candidate Information Guide, 2026 Municipal Election · page 7, "What is the remuneration for members of Council?"
The Mayor and Council page lists members and contact details. We did not find pay or expense figures, or a link to a pay statement.
Mayor and Council page · whole page
$1,649,460reserves and reserve funds at the end of 2024, up $128,816 in the year
The 2024 budget, as the auditors reconcile it, counted on moving $125,584 out of reserves. Instead, reserves and reserve funds rose by $128,816 to $1,649,460. The annual surplus came in near the budgeted one, $238,030 against $240,542.
Reserves are savings set aside for future needs. If a budget expects to spend savings and the savings grow, residents can ask whether the budget was cautious on purpose or the plans changed.
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 Plummer Additional? Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The note that explains the budget lists "Net inter-fund transfers from reserves 125,584" among the items added to the budget deficit of $(7,816), and ends with "Budget surplus per statement of operations $ 240,542".
2024 consolidated financial statements · page 18, Note 12 Budget
Of the 2024 annual surplus of $238,030, "Reserves and reserve funds" took $128,816 (in 2023 it was $(70,480)). Reserves and reserve funds stood at $1,649,460 at the end of 2024, against $1,520,644 a year earlier.
2024 consolidated financial statements · page 14, Note 5 Accumulated surplus
$303,418owed on two loans at the end of 2024
At the end of 2024 the Township owed $303,418 on two bank loans, with payments of $94,515 due in 2025 and $99,956 in 2026. On April 15, 2026, council's agenda listed a loan approval for a truck purchase. The minutes of that meeting are a scan, so we could not read the amount or the decision.
Loan payments come out of the same tax dollars as roads and services. Residents can ask how new borrowing fits with what is already owed.
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 Plummer Additional? Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
Loans at December 31, 2024: a grader loan of $154,242 at 5.6%, maturing November 2027, and an RBC loan of $149,176 at 5.62%, maturing February 2028, together $303,418. Principal due: 2025 $94,515, 2026 99,956, 2027 100,922, 2028 8,025.
2024 consolidated financial statements · page 13, Note 3 Loans
Item 5b of the April 15, 2026 agenda is "Loan Approval for Peterbilt Truck Purchase". No amount is on the agenda.
Council agenda, April 15, 2026 · page 1, item 5b
$357per home on snow ploughing, 2025
Plummer Additional spent about $357 per home on snow ploughing in 2025. The typical similar town spent $117. Only 3 of 29 similar towns spent more.
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.
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 Plummer Additional? Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
Snow ploughing per home: Plummer Additional $357; typical similar town $117; ranked 4th highest of 30.
Ontario Financial Information Return (FIR), 2025, 29 similar municipalities · Schedule 40 and Schedule 2 · archived copy