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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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 Smiths Falls'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.

Council

Who decides, and how you can hold them to account

Smiths Falls is run by an elected council of 7 people. They set the budget, approve big purchases and hire the senior staff who run the town day to day.

Current council

Names and official email addresses from the town's council page. None of the members lists a public social media account there.

How open is Smiths Falls?

What a resident can find online without asking, as of October 5, 2026.

  • Yes
    Budgets posted online

    Operating and capital budget summaries are posted for 2023 to 2026, and full budget reports for 2021 and 2022. Several 2026 and 2025 summaries have a text layer whose columns come apart from their row labels, so we read only rows where each label sits on the same line as its numbers. Source

  • Partly
    Audited financial statements

    Statements are posted for 2020 to 2024. The 2024 statements carry a clean opinion ("present fairly") from KPMG LLP dated November 3, 2025. We did not find 2025 statements on the page we read on October 5, 2026. Source

  • Unknown
    Council pay and expenses (s. 284)

    We did not find a yearly statement of council remuneration and expenses on the Budget & Finances page, the Mayor & Council pages or the site map. Source

  • Unknown
    Meeting agendas and minutes

    The Town links a meetings calendar at calendars.smithsfalls.ca. It refused a scripted request (HTTP 403), so we did not read any agendas or minutes. Source

  • Yes
    Integrity Commissioner reports

    Three investigation reports and the 2025 annual report are posted on the Mayor & Council page. Source

Where the town speaks for itself

Smiths Falls' official channels, as linked from its own website. Council members may also post on their own pages; we link only to official municipal channels.

Ask for the records

Anyone can ask the town for its records under Ontario's Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA). You do not have to say why. Here is how it works, and the wording for the records that would answer the questions on this site.

  1. Send the request in writing to the town clerk (the freedom of information coordinator), on the town’s form or in a letter, with the $5 application fee.
  2. Describe the records, not the answer you want. Dates, departments and the kind of record (a list, invoices, emails) make a request quicker and cheaper.
  3. The town has 45 business days to answer (the law changed in 2026; older guides say 30 days). It can charge for search time and copies, but must send an estimate first if the fees will be over $25.
  4. Some parts can be held back, such as legal advice or personal information about other people. The town must say which part of the law it relied on.
  5. If you are refused, or the fees seem too high, you can appeal to the Information and Privacy Commissioner within 30 business days of the town’s decision.

The town's request form (on its Forms page) · The law · Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario

  • Funding plan for the elevated water tank and the 2025 capital commitments

    Note 14 of the 2024 statements lists $9,496,000 and $11,595,003 of commitments without saying how they will be paid for. Related question: How will the Town pay for the elevated water tank and the $11.6 million of new project commitments signed after the 2024 year end?.

    Show the request wordingHide the wording
    Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request the staff reports and funding schedules showing how the Elevated Water Storage Tank and the capital commitments entered into after December 31, 2024 are to be funded, by source (grants, development charges, reserves and new debt).

  • Development charges reserve fund ledger and adjustment for 2024

    Note 6 shows a $1,465,657 adjustment to development charges with no explanation. Related question: What was the $1,465,657 "adjustment" that took development charges from $2.3 million to $0.5 million in 2024?.

    Show the request wordingHide the wording
    Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request the 2024 development charges continuity schedule, the journal entry or entries behind the adjustment of $1,465,657 shown in Note 6 of the 2024 audited statements, and the staff report or council resolution that approved it.

  • 2024 budget-to-actual report by department

    The statements show a gap of about $5.6 million between budgeted and actual expenses. Related question: Why did 2024 spending come in well above the budget, and which lines drove it?.

    Show the request wordingHide the wording
    Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request the 2024 year-end budget-to-actual variance report by department, on the same basis as the adopted 2024 operating budget, presented to Council.

The wording is a starting point, not legal advice. Narrow the dates if the town says a request is too broad or too costly.

How to raise a concern

From the gentlest step to the most serious. Start at the top.

  1. Integrity Commissioner

    The Town posts three Integrity Commissioner investigation reports (January 22, 2025, September 11, 2025 and February 11, 2026) and the commissioner's 2025 annual report on its Mayor and Council page.