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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 South Bruce'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 South Bruce's financial reports and meeting minutes, and compared its numbers with 73 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.
$8,000,000exit funding set aside in reserves in 2024, per the 2025 budget slides
The 2025 budget slides show $8,000,000 of funding from the Nuclear Waste Management Organization's siting process going into reserves in 2024. Council chose to invest it and use the interest. The 2026 slides call the fund the South Bruce Legacy Fund, say the original $8M principal "remains intact", and plan to use $240,000 of its income, and to draw $46,400 from the fund "to ease overall expense increases". We could not tell from the slides what the written rules for the fund say.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 5 sources
$7,246,000environment (water and sewer) capital budget for 2026
The 2026 capital slides list $7,246,000 for the environment (water and sewer) group, of which $3,326,000 is the Teeswater Formosa sewer system and $3,505,000 the Teeswater water system. The 2025 slides planned $746,736 of Community Well Being funds from the Nuclear Waste Management Organization for the sewer treatment plant expansion. The 2023 audited statements already showed contractual capital commitments of $16,108,786, up from $5,411,873 the year before. We could not read how the 2026 projects are financed, because the funding table in the slides does not read cleanly.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
$254,879added to the 2025 levy by the end of the nuclear siting funding, per the Municipality
The 2025 budget slides list "$254,879 - additional costs to tax levy due to elimination of NWMO funding" as one driver of that year's levy, which rose by $328,548 or 4.8%. The 2026 municipal levy is $7,431,515, up $318,858 or 4.48%. The Municipality has explained part of this itself, so we treat it as context and ask only for the split.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 4 sources
$868,000Ontario Municipal Partnership Funding in the 2026 budget
The 2025 budget slides say the Municipality faces "reduced support under the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund". The same deck lists "-$86,700 - additional revenue under the Ontario Municipal Partnership Funding" as a reason the levy rose less, and the 2026 slides list "-$80,800 in additional revenue" from the same program. The 2026 slides put this program at $868,000 of the year's operating grants.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 4 sources
$670 or $675two water base fees printed in the same 2026 slide deck
The 2026 budget slides give two different water base fees. Early in the deck, "Water Base Fees are $670 per year; up $25 or 3.88%". Near the end, "Mildmay & Teeswater Water Distribution base fees - $675.00, increased by 3.88% or $25 per year". A $25 rise of 3.88% fits a starting fee of $645 and a new fee of $670 (worked out by us).
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
December 10, 2024date of the auditor's report on the 2023 statements
The 2023 statements carry an auditor's report dated December 10, 2024, and a management statement of the same date. When we read the Municipality's financial statements page on October 7, 2026, the newest statements posted were for 2024 and we found none for 2025. The 2024 file we downloaded is a scan with no readable text, so we could not read it.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
$8,000,000exit funding set aside in reserves in 2024, per the 2025 budget slides
The 2025 budget slides show $8,000,000 of funding from the Nuclear Waste Management Organization's siting process going into reserves in 2024. Council chose to invest it and use the interest. The 2026 slides call the fund the South Bruce Legacy Fund, say the original $8M principal "remains intact", and plan to use $240,000 of its income, and to draw $46,400 from the fund "to ease overall expense increases". We could not tell from the slides what the written rules for the fund say.
Why it matters
A fund this size is large next to a municipal tax levy of about $7.4 million. Residents should be able to see the rule that decides how much can be spent each year, and whether drawing on the fund to ease costs counts as income or as principal.
It could be because…
The Municipality describes the income as earned investment interest, and says the principal is intact, so the $46,400 draw may come from earlier years' income.
The legacy fund investment policy the 2026 slides mention may already set a yearly limit, and we did not find that policy.
Council said in 2025 it would revisit its choice in future years, so the plan may be changing on purpose.
Questions you could ask
Can the Municipality post the legacy fund investment policy and say how much income the fund earned in 2024 and 2025?
What rule decides how much of the fund's income Council may spend each year, and is the $46,400 draw income or principal?
Is the "exit funding" in the 2025 slides the same money as the "Legacy Fund" in the 2026 slides?
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 South Bruce?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
Nuclear Exploration Team slide: "Council has elected to invest the exit funding and use the interest earned from the exit funds to offset costs in the 2025 budget. Council will revisit this decision in future years."
Budget Summary slide: "Recognizes use of $240,000 of estimated investment income earned on the South Bruce Legacy fund. The original $8M principal remains intact for future use, in accordance with the legacy fund investment policy."
General Government reserves slide: "Transfers to reserves: $20,000 to the office equipment reserve, $8,000 to the Election reserve; and $240,000 to the South Bruce legacy fund." and "Withdrawals from reserves: $32,000 from the Election reserve to cover election costs, and $46,400 to be drawn from the Legacy Fund to ease overall expense increases".
$7,246,000environment (water and sewer) capital budget for 2026
The 2026 capital slides list $7,246,000 for the environment (water and sewer) group, of which $3,326,000 is the Teeswater Formosa sewer system and $3,505,000 the Teeswater water system. The 2025 slides planned $746,736 of Community Well Being funds from the Nuclear Waste Management Organization for the sewer treatment plant expansion. The 2023 audited statements already showed contractual capital commitments of $16,108,786, up from $5,411,873 the year before. We could not read how the 2026 projects are financed, because the funding table in the slides does not read cleanly.
Why it matters
Water and sewer work is paid mostly by the people who use the systems. Borrowing, reserves and one-time funds all have different effects on future bills.
It could be because…
Much of the work may be paid from water and sewer reserves and grants, not new debt.
The slides say the rate studies planned for 2026 are meant to set fees for full life-cycle costs.
Commitments at the end of 2023 are for contracts signed but not finished, so the number can fall once the work is paid.
Questions you could ask
How much of the $7,246,000 is paid from reserves, grants and new borrowing?
What will the water and sewer base fees need to be once the treatment plant expansion and the water tower are finished?
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 South Bruce?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Capital slide: "Environment - $7,246,000"; "Teeswater Formosa Sanitary Sewer system - $3,326,000"; "Teeswater Water system - $3,505,000 - Complete Water Tower project and second well, Rate Study financial report."
Reserve funds slide: "Community Well Being Fund - $88,639 - The 2025 Budget includes spending of $845,051 of Community Well Being Funds provided by the Nuclear Waste Management Organization. The projects to be funded from the Community Well Being Reserve are the Teeswater Shop renovations $98,315; and the Teeswater Formosa Sanitary Sewer Treatment Plant Expansion Project $746,736."
Note 17 Commitments: "Contractual capital commitments of approximately $16,108,786 (2022 - $5,411,873) are not reflected in the consolidated financial statements. This amount represents incomplete contracts as at December 31, 2023."
South Bruce spent $2.0M on police, fire and safety in 2019 and $4.2M in 2024. Prices only went up about 18% in that time.
Why did the cost of police, fire and safety grow 112% in 5 years?
Police, fire and safety
Prices (inflation)
+0%+20%+40%+60%+80%+100%+120%
+112%
201920202021202220232024
Show as a table
Year
Police, fire and safety
Prices (inflation)
2019
+0%
+0%
2020
+21%
+1%
2021
+86%
+4%
2022
+95%
+11%
2023
+113%
+16%
2024
+112%
+18%
Change since the first year shown. The grey line is how much prices rose overall, for comparison.
Why it matters
When one area grows much faster than prices, it is either doing more (which may be great) or paying more for the same thing. Residents deserve to know which.
It could be because…
The town 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
What did the extra $2.2M a year pay for?
Why did other safety go from $341K to $2.3M?
Was each increase approved by council as a separate decision, or did it happen through the yearly budget?
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 South Bruce?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Police, fire and safety: 2019 $2.0M, 2020 $2.4M, 2021 $3.7M, 2022 $3.8M, 2023 $4.2M, 2024 $4.2M.
$254,879added to the 2025 levy by the end of the nuclear siting funding, per the Municipality
The 2025 budget slides list "$254,879 - additional costs to tax levy due to elimination of NWMO funding" as one driver of that year's levy, which rose by $328,548 or 4.8%. The 2026 municipal levy is $7,431,515, up $318,858 or 4.48%. The Municipality has explained part of this itself, so we treat it as context and ask only for the split.
Why it matters
The levy is the part of the tax bill the Municipality sets for its own services. Knowing how much of two years of increases came from replacing outside funding helps residents judge whether future increases will keep coming from this source.
It could be because…
Staff wages that the nuclear project paid for were moved back into the main budget, which the 2025 slides say.
Most of the 2026 increase has other listed causes (policing, winter roads, recreation, reserves), so little may be left from this source.
Questions you could ask
How much of the 2026 levy still depends on income from the legacy fund rather than on taxes?
Will the Municipality publish a simple chart of the levy from 2023 to 2026 showing the effect of the nuclear funding ending?
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 South Bruce?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Major impacts to the 2025 levy: "$254,879 - additional costs to tax levy due to elimination of NWMO funding".
General Government slide: "Overall Net Budget for General Government & Administration: $672,786 - up 54% - The major impacts of this budget is due to the impact of removing the NWMO funding and increases to Administration operating wages and expenses and IT/computer costs."
$868,000Ontario Municipal Partnership Funding in the 2026 budget
The 2025 budget slides say the Municipality faces "reduced support under the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund". The same deck lists "-$86,700 - additional revenue under the Ontario Municipal Partnership Funding" as a reason the levy rose less, and the 2026 slides list "-$80,800 in additional revenue" from the same program. The 2026 slides put this program at $868,000 of the year's operating grants.
Why it matters
This one provincial grant is about 12 per cent of the 2026 municipal levy (worked out by us: $868,000 divided by $7,431,515). If the wording in the slides is unclear, residents may not know whether the Municipality expects more or less from the province.
It could be because…
"Reduced support" may describe earlier years, while the later figures describe this year's change.
The deck may be using a minus sign to show a lower cost to taxpayers, not a lower grant.
Questions you could ask
What was the grant in 2024, 2025 and 2026, in one line each?
Does the Municipality plan around this grant staying at about $868,000?
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 South Bruce?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Budget Summary slide: "reduced support under the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund".
$670 or $675two water base fees printed in the same 2026 slide deck
The 2026 budget slides give two different water base fees. Early in the deck, "Water Base Fees are $670 per year; up $25 or 3.88%". Near the end, "Mildmay & Teeswater Water Distribution base fees - $675.00, increased by 3.88% or $25 per year". A $25 rise of 3.88% fits a starting fee of $645 and a new fee of $670 (worked out by us).
Why it matters
A water bill is paid by every connected household every year. A five-dollar difference between two slides is small, but residents cannot tell which number the by-law uses.
It could be because…
One of the two slides is a typing error.
One figure may include a charge, such as the source water protection fee, that the other leaves out.
Questions you could ask
Which figure is in the 2026 water rate by-law?
Can the Municipality correct the slide that is wrong?
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 South Bruce?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Budget Summary slide: "Water Base Fees are $670 per year; up $25 or 3.88%" and "Sanitary Sewer Base Fees are $798 per year; up $16 or 2.05%".
December 10, 2024date of the auditor's report on the 2023 statements
The 2023 statements carry an auditor's report dated December 10, 2024, and a management statement of the same date. When we read the Municipality's financial statements page on October 7, 2026, the newest statements posted were for 2024 and we found none for 2025. The 2024 file we downloaded is a scan with no readable text, so we could not read it.
Why it matters
Audited statements are the check on the budget. If they arrive late, or in a form that cannot be searched, residents have a harder time comparing what was planned with what happened before an election on October 26, 2026.
It could be because…
Small municipalities often finish audits late in the year because the auditor's work is spread across many clients.
The 2025 statements may be in progress and not yet approved by Council.
The scan of the 2024 statements may simply be what the signed copy looks like.
Questions you could ask
When does the Municipality expect to post the audited 2025 statements?
Can the Municipality post a version of the 2024 statements that can be searched and read by screen readers?
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 South Bruce?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Independent Auditor's Report, signed "BAKER TILLY SGB LLP ... Walkerton, Ontario December 10, 2024", on the consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2023. The opinion says the statements "present fairly, in all material respects".
The Municipality's financial statements page, read on October 7, 2026, lists statements for 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 as the audited statements, and no 2025 statements.
South Bruce spent about $311 per home on snow ploughing in 2024. The typical similar town spent $105. Only 2 of 73 similar towns spent more.
Why it matters
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.
It could be because…
Geography: more roads, more snow, a bigger area or a landfill of its own.
Accounting: some towns record the same cost in a different category.
A one-time cost in this year.
Questions you could ask
What makes this cost higher here than in similar towns?
When were the main contracts in this area last put out to competitive tender?
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 South Bruce?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Snow ploughing per home: South Bruce $311; typical similar town $105; ranked 3rd highest of 74.
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