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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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 Quinte West'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 · 8 so far

Things worth asking about

We read Quinte West's financial reports and meeting minutes, and compared its numbers with 3 similar Ontario places. 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.

Worth askingMoney health

How will Quinte West repay about $160 million of debt, including loans meant to be paid by new development, if building slows?

$159.6 milliondebt taken out or committed at December 31, 2025, against $8.7 million in the development charge account

Cities borrow to build things that last for decades, like water mains, sewers and bridges, and pay the loans back over many years. When a project is needed because of new homes and businesses, the law lets a city charge builders “development charges” and use that money to pay the loan. At the end of 2025 Quinte West had $105.5 million of debt taken out. Adding loans council has already approved but not yet taken, and borrowing it has committed to, the City’s own staff report puts the total at $159.6 million. The City’s second report says the development charge account holds $8.7 million, but $26.6 million of loans are paid from it (up from $18.4 million a year earlier) and another $9.1 million is still to be finalized, so the account is $27.0 million short once that debt is counted. Staff explain that the loans are paid from monthly withdrawals from the account for the life of each loan, and that the City is below the provincial borrowing limit.

Found by reading the city's own documents · 6 sources

Worth askingConflicts of interest

Why do council minutes no longer say what a declared conflict of interest is about?

0 of 14declarations about open-meeting items since May 2024 that say in the minutes what the interest is, by our count

When a council member has a money interest in a decision, the law says they must say so, say in general terms what the interest is, leave the room and not vote. For meetings open to the public, the clerk must write both the declaration and the general nature of it in the minutes. From December 2022 to March 2024 Quinte West’s minutes did that in the four cases we found (for example, that a member works for a group asking for money, or that an applicant is a business client). From May 15, 2024 to July 15, 2026 the minutes record, by our count, 21 declarations at 17 meetings: 11 by Councillor Shelley Stedall, 4 by Councillor David McCue, 4 by Councillor Egerton Boyce, and one each by Councillor Michael Kotsovos and Mayor Jim Harrison. Seven were about closed-session items, where the law keeps the nature out of the minutes. The other 14 were about open-meeting items, and none of those minutes says what the interest is. The City’s web page says the registry of declarations is kept at City Hall; we did not find it online.

Found by reading the city's own documents · 11 sources

Worth askingMoney health

What lawsuits is Quinte West defending, and why did the money set aside for them more than double in 2025?

$1,341,822recorded at the end of 2025 for lawsuits, up from $600,192 a year earlier

The audited statements say Quinte West has been named in lawsuits whose outcomes cannot yet be known. At year-end, management estimates what it may lose and records that amount. The amount recorded was $1,341,822 for 2025 and $600,192 for 2024. Any loss beyond what insurance pays is charged to operations in the year the claim is settled. The statements do not say how many claims there are, what they are about, or how much insurance will cover. A separate note says management believes other claims “will not have a material adverse effect” on the City’s finances.

Found by reading the city's own documents · 5 sources

Good to know

Good to know

Background that helps make sense of the rest.

Good to knowHow decisions are made

What is council deciding in the closed sessions it holds at almost every meeting?

67 of 77regular council meetings, November 2022 to July 2026, with a closed session, by our count

Ontario lets councils meet in private for a short list of reasons, such as buying or selling land, staff matters, lawsuits or plans for negotiating. From November 14, 2022 to July 15, 2026, 67 of the 77 regular council meetings we could read had a closed session. Quinte West’s agendas and minutes are fairly detailed about it: each lists every closed item with its staff report number, the department and the legal reason. Across the 83 meetings we read, the reasons cited most (by our count) were land (at 55 meetings), personal matters about a person (36), plans for negotiations (25), labour relations (19) and protecting City property (17). What residents cannot see is what was decided: the open minutes do not record any outcome, and the closed minutes, approved at the next open meeting, are not published.

Found by reading the city's own documents · 5 sources

Good to knowHow decisions are made

Was the Integrity Commissioner’s recommended penalty for the Mayor carried out, and what did the investigation cost?

15 daysof the Mayor’s pay the Integrity Commissioner recommended suspending, with a public apology

A council’s Integrity Commissioner is an outside lawyer who investigates complaints that a member broke the Code of Conduct. In a report dated December 6, 2023, the City’s Integrity Commissioner found that Mayor Jim Harrison broke two rules of the Code of Conduct on February 8, 2023: the rule to treat people respectfully without abuse (6.1), and the rule against insulting or abusive words (6.2), in how he spoke to a member of the public outside City Hall. The report says the Mayor did not deny it, phoned afterwards to apologize, and accepted that his conduct broke the rules. The Commissioner recommended a public apology and a 15-day suspension of the Mayor’s pay. At the council meeting on January 10, 2024 the Mayor said he would accept both. Council did not vote on the penalty, on the Commissioner’s advice. A councillor asked staff for the final cost of the investigation. We did not find the cost, the apology or the pay suspension in the minutes after that.

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

Good to knowSpending level

What is Quinte West getting for the money it spends to recruit doctors, now that taxes pay for it?

$746,6002026 budget for health care and doctor recruitment, up from $524,000 in the 2025 budget

Health care is a provincial job, but many places pay to attract family doctors. Quinte West says its doctor-recruitment savings account (the Medical Grant reserve) ran out in 2025, so the cost moved onto property taxes: $222,000 more in the 2026 budget, bringing health care spending to $746,600, almost 1% of the tax levy. In 2025 the doctor recruitment line ran $418,000 over budget because new doctors’ payments came earlier than planned; only $330,000 was left in the reserve to cover it. The City hired a physician recruitment and engagement specialist and sets targets: 6,685 residents without a family doctor in 2025, 5,185 in 2026 and 4,185 in 2027, and 21 active family doctors rising to 25 and then 29.

Found by reading the city's own documents · 5 sources

Good to knowRising costs

Why did building permit revenue fall $520,000 short in 2025, and will the new fees be enough?

$520,000building permit revenue under budget in 2025

The building department is meant to pay for itself from permit fees, with a savings account (the building stabilization reserve) to smooth bad years. In 2025 the City’s fourth-quarter report says permit revenue came in $520,000 under budget. The department’s spending was at or below budget, the last $106,000 in its reserve was used, and the report lists the $500,000 shortfall as hitting the City’s yearly result because no reserve balance was left. The City says it did a fee review in 2025, and the 2026 budget adds $150,000 to line the department up with a new Building Fees Study.

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

Each question in full

Worth askingFound by reading the city's documents

How will Quinte West repay about $160 million of debt, including loans meant to be paid by new development, if building slows?

$159.6 milliondebt taken out or committed at December 31, 2025, against $8.7 million in the development charge account

Cities borrow to build things that last for decades, like water mains, sewers and bridges, and pay the loans back over many years. When a project is needed because of new homes and businesses, the law lets a city charge builders “development charges” and use that money to pay the loan. At the end of 2025 Quinte West had $105.5 million of debt taken out. Adding loans council has already approved but not yet taken, and borrowing it has committed to, the City’s own staff report puts the total at $159.6 million. The City’s second report says the development charge account holds $8.7 million, but $26.6 million of loans are paid from it (up from $18.4 million a year earlier) and another $9.1 million is still to be finalized, so the account is $27.0 million short once that debt is counted. Staff explain that the loans are paid from monthly withdrawals from the account for the life of each loan, and that the City is below the provincial borrowing limit.

Why it matters

Loan payments are fixed. Development charge income is not: it rises and falls with how much is built. If building is slower than planned, the gap is paid from taxes, water and sewer rates or savings. Residents can only judge that risk if the growth assumptions are shown next to the debt.

It could be because…

  • This is how growth is meant to be paid for: the loans are for pipes and plants that serve new homes, and the new homes’ charges repay them over 20 years or more.
  • The City is within its provincial limit. Its report shows $268 million of borrowing room, with $108 million still free after all commitments.
  • The shortfall is a timing gap. Charges come in as lots are built; the pipes had to be built first.
  • Some projects came in under budget, and staff say the committed debt may be a little lower.

Questions you could ask

  1. How many new homes and businesses a year does the plan assume will pay development charges, and what happens to the loan payments if that number is lower?
  2. The 2026 budget book says $43.1 million of debt at the end of 2025 and the July 2026 debt report says $105.5 million. What does each figure include?
  3. How much of the $66.9 million of growth debt planned over the next nine years has council already approved?
  4. If development charges fall short in a year, who covers the loan payments: taxes, water and sewer rates, or reserves?

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 Quinte West? Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.

The evidence

  1. Current debt commitment as of December 31, 2025: debt withdrawn $105,500,000, plus unfinanced debt $15,300,000, plus future non-development-charge debt $12,600,000, plus future development charge debt $26,200,000, for “$159,600,000”. Staff say the provincial repayment limit allows about $268 million in total, leaving $108 million of uncommitted capacity.

    Staff report 26-004FIN, Year End Debt Balances (council agenda, July 15, 2026) · PDF pages 154 to 156

  2. Staff expect $34.2 million of debt for development-charge water and wastewater projects and $18.8 million of other debt over the next three years, and “an additional $66.9 million of DC debt and $20.4 million of non-DC debt over the next 9 years”.

    Staff report 26-004FIN, Year End Debt Balances (council agenda, July 15, 2026) · PDF page 155

  3. The development charge fund balance is $8.7 million, “however there is currently $26.6M (2024 $18.4M) in outstanding development charge debt. In addition there is currently $9.1M of outstanding DC debt to be finalized.” About $26 million of new development charge debt is planned over the next few years, “most of which is for the large 2nd Dug Hill FBI Sewer project”. The statement shows the fund “net of DC debt” at ($27,024,747).

    Staff report 26-005FIN, 2025 Year End Development Charges Treasurer’s Statement (council agenda, July 15, 2026) · PDF pages 158, 159 and 161

  4. In 2025 the City funded $1.01 million of industrial development charge exemptions and $441,000 of exemptions for non-profit housing and rental discounts required by provincial law. Staff add that exemptions “must be funded by the City through property taxes or reserves” and can vary a lot from year to year.

    Staff report 26-005FIN, 2025 Year End Development Charges Treasurer’s Statement (council agenda, July 15, 2026) · PDF page 159

  5. The audited statements show municipal debt of $105,513,626 at December 31, 2025, down from $112,670,983 a year earlier.

    Consolidated Financial Statements, December 31, 2025 (audited) · PDF page 6, statement of financial position

  6. The 2026 budget book says that, according to a consultant’s study (BMA), Quinte West is “below the Ontario average for reserves per capita” and “above the Ontario average of total debt per capita”. It expects about $20 million of new debt in 2026 (Trent Port Marina breakwall, Wooler Road bridge, Bain Park to Centennial Park trail) and says the City “will have $43.1 million in outstanding debt” at the end of 2025. It does not say how that figure relates to the $105.5 million above.

    2026 Budget Book (City of Quinte West) · PDF page 38

↑ All questions

Worth askingFound by reading the city's documents

Why do council minutes no longer say what a declared conflict of interest is about?

0 of 14declarations about open-meeting items since May 2024 that say in the minutes what the interest is, by our count

When a council member has a money interest in a decision, the law says they must say so, say in general terms what the interest is, leave the room and not vote. For meetings open to the public, the clerk must write both the declaration and the general nature of it in the minutes. From December 2022 to March 2024 Quinte West’s minutes did that in the four cases we found (for example, that a member works for a group asking for money, or that an applicant is a business client). From May 15, 2024 to July 15, 2026 the minutes record, by our count, 21 declarations at 17 meetings: 11 by Councillor Shelley Stedall, 4 by Councillor David McCue, 4 by Councillor Egerton Boyce, and one each by Councillor Michael Kotsovos and Mayor Jim Harrison. Seven were about closed-session items, where the law keeps the nature out of the minutes. The other 14 were about open-meeting items, and none of those minutes says what the interest is. The City’s web page says the registry of declarations is kept at City Hall; we did not find it online.

Why it matters

Without the reason, a resident cannot tell whether a member stepped out because of a job, a family business, a club or something else, or see whether the same kind of link keeps coming up. The registry is the other way to find out, but it can only be seen in person, during office hours.

It could be because…

  • The reason may be given aloud and in the written statement each member files with the clerk, and just left out of the minutes to keep them short.
  • The minutes may follow a template that dropped the reason when the clerk’s office changed its format.
  • In a small city, members often work for, own or volunteer with local groups that ask council for decisions or grants. Stepping out is the right thing to do.
  • For closed-session items the law does not allow the reason in the minutes.

Questions you could ask

  1. Why were reasons recorded in the minutes until March 2024 but not since?
  2. Does the registry hold a written statement from the member for each of these declarations, and can residents see them without going to City Hall?
  3. Will the clerk put the registry online and add the general nature to the minutes for declarations in open meetings, as section 6 (1) asks?

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 Quinte West? Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.

The records that would answer this can be requested: The registry of declarations of interest, with wording you can copy.

The evidence

  1. Municipal Conflict of Interest Act, section 6 (1): “Every declaration of interest and the general nature thereof made under section 5 shall, where the meeting is open to the public, be recorded in the minutes of the meeting by the clerk”. Section 6 (2): for a meeting that is not open, the declaration “but not the general nature of that interest” is recorded in the next open minutes. Section 6.1 requires a registry of the written statements and declarations, open to public inspection.

    Municipal Conflict of Interest Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.50, ss. 5.1, 6 and 6.1 · sections 6 and 6.1 · archived copy

  2. December 19, 2022: Councillor Boyce declared an interest in a delegation by an agency, “being that he is an employee for this organization.”

    Council minutes, December 19, 2022 · PDF page 4

  3. November 1, 2023: Councillor McCue declared an interest in a museum funding report “given his professional business involvement with the Museum”.

    Council minutes, November 1, 2023 · PDF page 2

  4. February 7, 2024: Councillor Kuntze declared an interest in a rezoning by-law “being that the applicant for the rezoning request is a business client.”

    Council minutes, February 7, 2024 · PDF page 3

  5. March 6, 2024: Councillor Boyce declared an interest in an agency’s delegation, “being that he is an employee of” the agency.

    Council minutes, March 6, 2024 · PDF page 4

  6. May 15, 2024: “Councillor Boyce declared a Pecuniary Interest in reference to item 10.2 (b) Minutes of the Planning Advisory Committee Meeting held on April 18, 2024 and item 15.2 By-law 24-069.” No reason is given.

    Council minutes, May 15, 2024 · PDF page 3

  7. October 15, 2025: Councillor Stedall declared a conflict on the Planning Advisory Committee minutes, the Trenton Curling Club item and a by-law; Councillor McCue declared a conflict on the same minutes and by-law. Neither entry gives a reason.

    Council minutes, October 15, 2025 · PDF page 3

  8. December 3, 2025: “Deputy Mayor Stedall declared a conflict of interest” on the Trenton Curling Club annual grant increase request. No reason is given.

    Council minutes, December 3, 2025 · PDF page 3

  9. February 4, 2026: “Mayor Harrison declared a conflict of pecuniary interest” on “Temporary Snow Fencing Agreements”. No reason is given.

    Council minutes, February 4, 2026 · PDF page 4

  10. March 18, 2026: Councillor Boyce declared a conflict on the staff report on the OPP building lease agreement, an open-meeting item. July 15, 2026: Councillor Stedall declared a conflict on a staff report on a housing grant (a tax increment equivalent grant). Neither gives a reason.

    Council minutes, March 18, 2026 · March 18, 2026, PDF page 4; July 15, 2026 is document 165552, PDF page 3

  11. The City says: “The Registry of declaration of interest statements and minutes of meeting are available for public inspection at the Legislative Services Office during regular office hours 8:30am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday, at 7 Creswell Drive, Trenton.”

    City of Quinte West, Council + committee meetings page (last updated 4 years ago) · section “Declaration of Interest Registry”

↑ All questions

Worth askingFound automatically from financial reports

Why did the cost of running the city office grow 70% in 6 years?

+70%running the city office, 2019 to 2025

Quinte West spent $10.4M on running the city office in 2019 and $17.7M in 2025. Prices only went up about 21% in that time.

Why did the cost of running the city office grow 70% in 6 years?
+70%
Show as a table
YearRunning the city officePrices (inflation)
2019+0%+0%
2020+15%+1%
2021+14%+4%
2022+19%+11%
2023+30%+16%
2024+42%+18%
2025+70%+21%

Change since the first year shown. The grey line is how much prices rose overall, for comparison.

Why it matters

Money spent running the office is money not spent on roads, water or safety. When office costs grow much faster than the services people see, it is fair to ask what the extra money is buying.

It could be because…

  • The city 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

  1. Of the extra $7.3 million a year since 2019, how much is pay for existing staff, new positions, grants and transfers, contracted services, and shared costs charged to other departments?
  2. The audited statements show grants and transfers on this line rising from $1,017,170 to $2,133,013 in 2025. What were they, and which will not repeat?
  3. Contracted services rose by about $957,000 in 2025 ($3,033,644 to $3,990,317). What were they for, and do they include legal costs?
  4. How many positions were added in the CAO, finance, human resources and corporate services departments since 2019, and what did the 2024 job evaluation add each year from now on?

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 Quinte West? Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.

The records that would answer this can be requested: What is in the cost of running the City’s offices, with wording you can copy.

The evidence

  1. Running the city office: 2019 $10.4M, 2020 $12M, 2021 $11.8M, 2022 $12.4M, 2023 $13.6M, 2024 $14.8M, 2025 $17.7M.

    Ontario Financial Information Return (FIR), 2019 to 2025 · Schedule 40 · archived copy

  2. Biggest driver: Office and administration, from $9.2M to $15.4M.

    Ontario Financial Information Return (FIR), 2019 to 2025 · Schedule 40 · archived copy

  3. The audited statements show “general government” spending of $17,428,353 in 2025 and $14,982,307 in 2024 (up 16%), against a 2025 budget of $19,082,764. By type, 2025 against 2024: pay and benefits $9,928,747 ($9,342,119); contracted services $3,990,317 ($3,033,644); grants and transfers to others $2,133,013 ($1,017,170); materials and supplies $319,303 ($544,761).

    Consolidated Financial Statements, December 31, 2025 (audited) · statement of operations, PDF page 7; note 20 segmented information, PDF pages 33 and 34

  4. In the Province’s return, the biggest part of this function is “program support” (Schedule 40, line 0260): $9,213,005 in 2019 and $15,362,447 in 2025. Inside it, pay and benefits went from $4,662,261 to $7,747,245, contracted services from $2,363,105 to $4,038,281, and transfers from $1,289,222 to $2,401,435. The governance line (council) went from $677,385 to $587,969.

    Financial Information Return, 2019 to 2025 (as built into this site) · Schedule 40, lines 0240, 0250 and 0260 · archived copy

  5. The city’s explanation of the 2025 pay increase: salaries and benefits were up 7.8%, made up of contract increases (3.1%), benefits and pensions (1.7%), additional positions (0.7%), job evaluation costs (1.2%) and the phase-in of positions approved in 2024 (1.2%). A one-time levy of $250,000 plus benefits paid for retroactive pay from the job evaluation, funded from expiring WSIB reserves.

    2025 Budget Book (City of Quinte West) · PDF pages 26 and 36

  6. For 2026 the city says salaries and benefits rise 5.6%, reflecting “contractual obligations and increases to benefits and pensions”.

    2026 Budget Book (City of Quinte West) · PDF page 26

  7. The four office departments (Council and CAO, Finance, Human Resources, Corporate Services) had 49.0 full-time equivalent staff in 2024, 50.0 in 2025 and 52.0 in 2026. The whole City had 239.2, 243.4 and 244.8. The 2026 book says “No new staff positions will be funded in 2026”, although its table adds one position each in the CAO’s office and in Finance.

    2026 Budget Book (City of Quinte West) · PDF page 27, staffing table

  8. Other costs the city lists for 2025: a 15% rise in electricity, 25% in postage, 8% in insurance premiums and claims and 8.5% in software.

    2025 Budget Book (City of Quinte West) · PDF page 26

  9. For 2026 the city lists $200,000 more for software and $65,000 more for insurance premiums and claims. It also says the City updated “internal shared cost drivers” so that more office cost is charged to the water and wastewater budget.

    2026 Budget Book (City of Quinte West) · PDF pages 24 and 26

  10. Grants and doctor recruitment sit in the Council and CAO budget, which is part of this function: the doctor recruitment reserve ran out in 2025, which put $222,000 more on taxes in 2026, and the line ran $418,000 over budget in 2025.

    2026 Budget Book (City of Quinte West) · PDF pages 53 and 54

  11. The fourth-quarter 2025 report finds the office areas near budget: the CAO area $116,000 over, Human Resources at 103% of budget, Technology and Legislative Services under.

    Staff report QW-2026-00032, 2025 4th Quarter City Operating update (council agenda, March 4, 2026) · PDF pages 57, 58 and 61

  12. The recorded amount for lawsuits rose by $741,630 in 2025 (from $600,192 to $1,341,822). We could not tell which function it was charged to.

    Consolidated Financial Statements, December 31, 2025 (audited) · note 16 (iii), PDF page 26

↑ All questions

Good to knowFound by reading the city's documents

What is council deciding in the closed sessions it holds at almost every meeting?

67 of 77regular council meetings, November 2022 to July 2026, with a closed session, by our count

Ontario lets councils meet in private for a short list of reasons, such as buying or selling land, staff matters, lawsuits or plans for negotiating. From November 14, 2022 to July 15, 2026, 67 of the 77 regular council meetings we could read had a closed session. Quinte West’s agendas and minutes are fairly detailed about it: each lists every closed item with its staff report number, the department and the legal reason. Across the 83 meetings we read, the reasons cited most (by our count) were land (at 55 meetings), personal matters about a person (36), plans for negotiations (25), labour relations (19) and protecting City property (17). What residents cannot see is what was decided: the open minutes do not record any outcome, and the closed minutes, approved at the next open meeting, are not published.

Why it matters

A closed meeting is allowed, but the public should still learn the result when it is safe to say. When a closed session happens at almost every meeting, the details of a large part of the City’s business, including land deals, are only visible after the fact, if at all.

It could be because…

  • A mid-sized city buys, sells and leases land often, and has many staff and legal matters. Many of these items truly must stay private.
  • Land and contract decisions usually become public later, as a by-law or a staff report, once a deal is done.
  • Approving the closed minutes in open session is good practice.

Questions you could ask

  1. Will council report back in public, in general terms, after a closed session, for example when a land sale closes?
  2. For the last year’s closed sessions, which decisions have since been made public, and where?
  3. Has anyone asked the City’s closed meeting investigator (LAS) to look at a meeting, and was a report published?

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 Quinte West? Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.

The evidence

  1. July 15, 2026: council moved into closed session at 4:00 p.m. for seven items, each listed with its report number and the Municipal Act reason: reviews of two sets of earlier closed minutes, two labour relations reports, one report on negotiations and two on land. It returned to open session at 4:35 p.m.

    Council minutes, July 15, 2026 · PDF pages 2 and 3, motions 26-249 and 26-250

  2. At the same meeting council approved “the Minutes of the Closed Session Council Meeting held on June 17, 2026” and of the closed session of the June 22 special meeting, in open session.

    Council minutes, July 15, 2026 · PDF page 4, motions 26-252 and 26-253

  3. The agenda for March 4, 2026 lists the same kind of closed items, each with its report number and legal reason, before the open session begins.

    Council agenda, March 4, 2026 · PDF page 1

  4. Municipal Act, 2001, section 239: the reasons a meeting may be closed.

    Municipal Act, 2001, s. 239 · section 239 (2) · archived copy

  5. The Ontario Ombudsman: “Although there is no requirement under the Municipal Act, 2001 for municipal councils to report back in public after the conclusion of a closed meeting, the Ombudsman recommends this practice to increase transparency of the closed meeting process.”

    Ontario Ombudsman, Municipal Meeting Digest: report back · archived copy

↑ All questions

Good to knowFound by reading the city's documents

Was the Integrity Commissioner’s recommended penalty for the Mayor carried out, and what did the investigation cost?

15 daysof the Mayor’s pay the Integrity Commissioner recommended suspending, with a public apology

A council’s Integrity Commissioner is an outside lawyer who investigates complaints that a member broke the Code of Conduct. In a report dated December 6, 2023, the City’s Integrity Commissioner found that Mayor Jim Harrison broke two rules of the Code of Conduct on February 8, 2023: the rule to treat people respectfully without abuse (6.1), and the rule against insulting or abusive words (6.2), in how he spoke to a member of the public outside City Hall. The report says the Mayor did not deny it, phoned afterwards to apologize, and accepted that his conduct broke the rules. The Commissioner recommended a public apology and a 15-day suspension of the Mayor’s pay. At the council meeting on January 10, 2024 the Mayor said he would accept both. Council did not vote on the penalty, on the Commissioner’s advice. A councillor asked staff for the final cost of the investigation. We did not find the cost, the apology or the pay suspension in the minutes after that.

Why it matters

A penalty announced in public should be visible when it is done, and the cost of an investigation is public money. Residents have only the council minutes to go by.

It could be because…

  • The apology may have been made in a letter or by statement outside a council meeting, and the pay suspension done through payroll, so neither would show in the minutes.
  • The cost may be in the legal fees line of a later report we did not read.
  • The matter may be seen as closed once the Mayor accepted the findings.

Questions you could ask

  1. Was the public apology made, and when and where?
  2. What did the Integrity Commissioner’s investigation cost, and will the City publish the invoices?
  3. Was the 15-day pay suspension applied, and when?

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 Quinte West? Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.

The records that would answer this can be requested: The Integrity Commissioner’s 2023 investigation, with wording you can copy.

The evidence

  1. The Integrity Commissioner’s final report, dated December 6, 2023, finds that the Mayor’s conduct on February 8, 2023 breached sections 6.1 and 6.2 of the Code of Conduct, notes that the Mayor “accepted that his conduct was non-compliant with these sections”, and recommends “a public apology” and “a 15-day suspension of the Mayor’s remuneration”. The complaint was received April 11, 2023; the Mayor’s response was received September 1, 2023.

    Integrity Commissioner’s Code of Conduct Complaint – Final Report, in the council agenda of January 10, 2024 · PDF pages 17 to 21

  2. January 10, 2024: “Mayor Harrison advised that he would accept the recommendations of the Integrity Commissioner, specifically to offer a public apology and submit to a 15-day suspension of pay. Council elected not to vote on the matter at the advice of the Integrity Commissioner, with the intention that the recommended penalties be levied against Mayor Harrison.” Later in the meeting, “Councillor Alyea requested that Staff provide Council with the final cost of the Integrity Commissioner’s investigation.”

    Council minutes, January 10, 2024 · PDF pages 3 and 7

  3. January 24, 2024: a councillor “spoke to the comments made in the press about the recent Integrity Commissioner’s Report, and requested the Mayor make an apology”. We found no record of the cost or of an apology in the minutes we read after that date.

    Council minutes, January 24, 2024 · PDF page 7

  4. Council’s pay statements show the Mayor’s salary as $72,334.82 in 2023, $71,448.32 in 2024 and $79,454.29 in 2025. In 2022 and 2023 it was 2.5 times a councillor’s. In 2024, 2.5 times the councillor salary of $29,805.64 would be $74,514.10, so the printed pay was $3,065.78 lower; 15 days of that is about $3,062. In 2025 the printed pay was $3,438 higher than 2.5 times. The statements do not say why, and this may be pay timing. It is our arithmetic, not the City’s statement.

    Elected members payments reports for 2023, 2024 and 2025 · 2024 report, row “Harrison, James C.”; 2023 report in the March 6, 2024 agenda, PDF page 162; 2025 report

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Good to knowFound by reading the city's documents

What is Quinte West getting for the money it spends to recruit doctors, now that taxes pay for it?

$746,6002026 budget for health care and doctor recruitment, up from $524,000 in the 2025 budget

Health care is a provincial job, but many places pay to attract family doctors. Quinte West says its doctor-recruitment savings account (the Medical Grant reserve) ran out in 2025, so the cost moved onto property taxes: $222,000 more in the 2026 budget, bringing health care spending to $746,600, almost 1% of the tax levy. In 2025 the doctor recruitment line ran $418,000 over budget because new doctors’ payments came earlier than planned; only $330,000 was left in the reserve to cover it. The City hired a physician recruitment and engagement specialist and sets targets: 6,685 residents without a family doctor in 2025, 5,185 in 2026 and 4,185 in 2027, and 21 active family doctors rising to 25 and then 29.

Why it matters

This is a new, recurring tax cost that grew quickly. The City is clear about it and has set targets, so the question is mainly whether the money is working and how long it will be needed.

It could be because…

  • The $418,000 overrun was about when payments to new doctors fell, which can reflect success in recruiting.
  • Grants to hospitals are budgeted separately, under council grants, so this line is about doctors only.
  • The targets are public, so progress can be checked.

Questions you could ask

  1. How many doctors have been recruited each year since 2022, and how much has the City paid in incentives for each year of the program?
  2. What do doctors who accept an incentive have to do, and must they pay it back if they leave early?
  3. If the targets are met, will the cost fall, or is it permanent?

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 Quinte West? Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.

The evidence

  1. “The Medical Grant reserve was previously used to aid in funding doctor retention, but will be completely diminished in 2025. This has resulted in an $222,000 increase on the tax base. The total cost of healthcare spending for Quinte West is now $746,600, almost 1% of the City’s total levy.”

    2026 Budget Book (City of Quinte West) · PDF page 53

  2. Council and CAO operating table: healthcare was $520,800 (2024 actual), $524,000 (2025 budget) and $746,600 (2026 budget), up 42.48%. The 2026 budget also adds an emergency room physician incentive ($36,500 over two years) and a contract in-house recruitment specialist.

    2026 Budget Book (City of Quinte West) · PDF page 54

  3. Fourth-quarter 2025 report: “Doctor recruitment is over budget based on payment timing of new doctors by $418K, there is only a reserve balance available of $330K to cover the deficit, which would leave $0 in the reserve.”

    Staff report QW-2026-00032, 2025 4th Quarter City Operating update (council agenda, March 4, 2026) · PDF pages 56 and 61

  4. Targets: residents without a primary care physician 6,685 (2025), 5,185 (2026), 4,185 (2027); active primary care physicians in the City 21 (2025), 25 (2026), 29 (2027).

    2026 Budget Book (City of Quinte West) · PDF page 52, performance measures

  5. The audited statements list commitments of $1,000,000 over five years from 2022 to the Trenton Memorial Hospital Foundation ($200,000 left) and $90,000 a year for three years from 2024 to the University Hospitals Kingston Foundation.

    Consolidated Financial Statements, December 31, 2025 (audited) · note 16 (iv), PDF page 26

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Good to knowFound by reading the city's documents

Why did building permit revenue fall $520,000 short in 2025, and will the new fees be enough?

$520,000building permit revenue under budget in 2025

The building department is meant to pay for itself from permit fees, with a savings account (the building stabilization reserve) to smooth bad years. In 2025 the City’s fourth-quarter report says permit revenue came in $520,000 under budget. The department’s spending was at or below budget, the last $106,000 in its reserve was used, and the report lists the $500,000 shortfall as hitting the City’s yearly result because no reserve balance was left. The City says it did a fee review in 2025, and the 2026 budget adds $150,000 to line the department up with a new Building Fees Study.

Why it matters

If permit fees do not cover the department, taxpayers cover the rest. The City has explained what happened and what it is doing; the open question is whether the new fees will close the gap.

It could be because…

  • Fewer or smaller permits than expected, which is common when interest rates are high.
  • The 2025 fee review may already have fixed the gap.

Questions you could ask

  1. How was the 2025 shortfall finally covered after the audit, and from which reserve?
  2. What will the new fees raise in 2026 if permit numbers stay the same as 2025?

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 Quinte West? Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.

The evidence

  1. “Building permit revenue is $520K under budget at year end. All operating expenditures including salaries, materials and contract services are at or below budget. The department is meant to be at breakeven at the end of the year, the remaining $106K in the building stabilization reserve has been transferred leaving a zero reserve balance. A building permit fee review was undertaken in 2025 to ensure that future fees cover departmental operational costs.”

    Staff report QW-2026-00032, 2025 4th Quarter City Operating update (council agenda, March 4, 2026) · PDF page 60

  2. Summary table of the main differences: building department, lower revenue than budget, ($500,000), “No reserve balance available”.

    Staff report QW-2026-00032, 2025 4th Quarter City Operating update (council agenda, March 4, 2026) · PDF page 56

  3. The 2026 budget lists a “$150,000 increase to the Building department’s budget to align with the 2026 Building Fees Study.”

    2026 Budget Book (City of Quinte West) · PDF page 26

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