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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 Dundas'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 Dundas' financial reports and meeting minutes, and compared its numbers with 45 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.
$960,106overstatement of net financial assets at the end of 2024, corrected in the 2025 statements
Net financial assets are what a municipality owns in money and money owed to it, minus what it owes. In its 2025 statements the Municipality says it found a mistake in earlier years: loans it had made from its own funds were counted as investments, and the accounting standard it follows does not allow that. It corrected the 2024 comparison figures. Net financial assets at the end of 2024 were overstated by $960,106. The 2025 statements were also audited by a new firm, Welch LLP, because the 2024 statements were audited by another auditor.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
$938,352owed to the Municipality by Rideau St. Lawrence Holdings Inc., with no set repayment terms
The Municipality owns 33.63% of Rideau St. Lawrence Holdings Inc., a company its statements call a government business enterprise (a business owned by governments). It has also lent the company $938,352. The statements describe the loan as having "no specific terms of repayment" and as "unsecured", meaning nothing is pledged against it. The company's own board sets the interest rate (3.72%, up to a limit of 7.25%) and decides when interest is paid. Interest income on the loan was $34,907 in both 2024 and 2025.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
$557,539tax-funded capital in the 2025 budget, which the Municipality says is far less than the need
The Municipality's own 2025 budget book says that "The current need for investment in municipal assets far outweighs the funding available" and that the funding needed to meet its chosen level of service "is well below what is required". It says staff had to make hard choices that often led to fixing things after they broke, instead of before. The tax-funded part of the 2025 capital budget was $557,539, against $527,869 in 2024. The only readable page of the 2026 budget file is a capital list with a total of 6,329,973.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
1 of 27pages of the posted 2026 budget file with text a computer can read, by our count
The Municipality's budget page lists "2026 Budget (PDF)". The file we downloaded has 27 pages, and only one has text a computer can read: a "2026 CAPITAL BUDGET - FINAL" list with a total of 6,329,973. The other 26 pages (by our count) are pictures of pages, which we did not read, so nothing else in this pack comes from them. The budget page says that once a budget is final "a Budget By-Law will be passed to authorize the amounts". We did not find 2026 operating figures or the 2026 levy in readable form.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 1 source
$263,713budgeted insurance for 2025, against $219,900 in 2024
The 2025 budget book says the Municipality's insurance was budgeted at $263,713 for 2025, excluding water and sewer, compared with $219,900 in 2024. That is a rise of about 19.9% (worked out by us). The Municipality explains it: higher liability claims, changes in law, a shrinking insurance market, inflation, higher costs to replace assets, and a greater risk of cyberattacks.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 1 source
Municipal debt at the end of 2025 was $5,909,369, and $821,015 of principal is due in 2026. The 2025 budget book says Ontario's rules limit yearly debt payments to 25% of a measure of revenue; for South Dundas, based on the 2023 return to the province, the yearly repayment limit is estimated at $2,548,874. The Municipality also has an overdraft line of up to $2,000,000 that it had not used at December 31, 2025. The budget book says debt is an option council may consider for capital.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
South Dundas spent about $303 per home on garbage, dump and recycling in 2025. The typical similar town spent $168. Only 4 of 45 similar towns spent more.
Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 1 source
$960,106overstatement of net financial assets at the end of 2024, corrected in the 2025 statements
Net financial assets are what a municipality owns in money and money owed to it, minus what it owes. In its 2025 statements the Municipality says it found a mistake in earlier years: loans it had made from its own funds were counted as investments, and the accounting standard it follows does not allow that. It corrected the 2024 comparison figures. Net financial assets at the end of 2024 were overstated by $960,106. The 2025 statements were also audited by a new firm, Welch LLP, because the 2024 statements were audited by another auditor.
Why it matters
A reader who looked at last year's statements saw a stronger position than the corrected one. The gap is small next to the total, but it was in the numbers for at least two years, so it is fair to ask how it was found and whether anything else was counted the same way.
It could be because…
A correction under accounting standards is what an audit is meant to catch. The Municipality disclosed it openly in note 18.
A change of auditor often leads to a fresh look at how items are classified.
The loans are internal (between the Municipality's own funds), so no money was lost. Only the way they were shown changed.
Questions you could ask
Which loans were counted as investments, between which funds, and in which year did that start?
Did the earlier auditor, or the new one, raise this with council, and was a report on the correction given to council in public?
Were any years before 2024 counted the same way, and have those statements been corrected?
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 Dundas?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
Note 18, Prior period adjustment: "Net financial assets at the end of the prior year decreased by $960,106." It also says net financial assets at the beginning of the prior year decreased by $1,025,438, and that the Municipality "has corrected this error retrospectively" and restated the comparative figures.
The auditor's report gives a clean opinion on 2025 and adds: "The financial statements of the Organization for the year ended December 31, 2024 were audited by another auditor who expressed an unmodified opinion on those financial statements." The report is dated July 8, 2026.
$938,352owed to the Municipality by Rideau St. Lawrence Holdings Inc., with no set repayment terms
The Municipality owns 33.63% of Rideau St. Lawrence Holdings Inc., a company its statements call a government business enterprise (a business owned by governments). It has also lent the company $938,352. The statements describe the loan as having "no specific terms of repayment" and as "unsecured", meaning nothing is pledged against it. The company's own board sets the interest rate (3.72%, up to a limit of 7.25%) and decides when interest is paid. Interest income on the loan was $34,907 in both 2024 and 2025.
Why it matters
A loan with no repayment date is closer to a long-term stake in the company than to a loan. Residents may want to know when the money comes back, and who decides, since the borrower's own board sets the rate and timing of payments.
It could be because…
A shareholder loan to a company the Municipality part-owns may be a long-standing arrangement from when the company was set up. We did not look at its history.
The Municipality also receives dividends: $57,171 in 2025. The loan may be part of a steady return.
The company is audited by another firm and reports a profit, so repayment may not be in doubt.
Questions you could ask
Is there a written agreement for the loan, and does it say when it is to be repaid?
Who on council sits on the company's board, and who decides the interest rate and when interest is paid?
Has council ever voted on whether to keep the loan in place?
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 Dundas?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
Note 4, Long-term investments: "Promissory note, Rideau St. Lawrence Holdings Inc., ... no specific terms of repayment, unsecured", $938,352 in 2025 and $938,352 in 2024. Interest is "determined by the Board of Directors not to exceed 7.25% per annum" and is "payable at the discretion of the Board of Directors". The rate at December 31, 2025 was 3.72%, which "amounted to $34,907 (2024: $34,907) in interest income".
Note 5: "The Municipality of South Dundas owns 33.63% of the outstanding share capital of Rideau St. Lawrence Holdings Inc." Dividends received were $57,171 in 2025 and $57,171 in 2024. The company's 2025 financial activities show net income of $270,389, and the Municipality's share of it is $90,932.
$557,539tax-funded capital in the 2025 budget, which the Municipality says is far less than the need
The Municipality's own 2025 budget book says that "The current need for investment in municipal assets far outweighs the funding available" and that the funding needed to meet its chosen level of service "is well below what is required". It says staff had to make hard choices that often led to fixing things after they broke, instead of before. The tax-funded part of the 2025 capital budget was $557,539, against $527,869 in 2024. The only readable page of the 2026 budget file is a capital list with a total of 6,329,973.
Why it matters
Roads, plazas, halls and water plants wear out. When the money set aside is smaller than the need, the bill either lands on future taxpayers or on debt. The Municipality names the problem itself, so the question is how big the gap is and how council plans to close it.
It could be because…
Many small Ontario municipalities report the same gap between asset needs and funding.
Grants and reserves pay for much of the capital list, so the tax-funded amount alone understates what is spent.
The Municipality's asset management plan, due to be finished in July 2025, may put a number on the gap. We did not find it posted.
Questions you could ask
What is the gap, in dollars a year, between asset needs and funding, according to the Municipality's asset management plan?
Where is the finished asset management plan posted?
How does council plan to close the gap: taxes, reserves, grants or debt?
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 Dundas?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Capital Budget: "The current need for investment in municipal assets far outweighs the funding available." The 2025 capital budget "has been substantially reduced from its original submission". "The tax funded amount for 2025 is $557,539 vs $527,869 in 2024." The book adds that this budget does not include debt financing, which "is an option that Council may entertain".
Asset Management Plan: "Currently, the funding required to meet the identified "level of service" is well below what is required." The last step of the plan was due to be completed in July 2025.
"2026 CAPITAL BUDGET - FINAL": Capital Total 6,329,973. This is the only page of the file with readable text; we did not use any other figure on the page because its rows do not line up with their labels in text form.
1 of 27pages of the posted 2026 budget file with text a computer can read, by our count
The Municipality's budget page lists "2026 Budget (PDF)". The file we downloaded has 27 pages, and only one has text a computer can read: a "2026 CAPITAL BUDGET - FINAL" list with a total of 6,329,973. The other 26 pages (by our count) are pictures of pages, which we did not read, so nothing else in this pack comes from them. The budget page says that once a budget is final "a Budget By-Law will be passed to authorize the amounts". We did not find 2026 operating figures or the 2026 levy in readable form.
Why it matters
A budget that can only be looked at as pictures cannot be searched, copied into a screen reader or checked by a resident or a journalist. The 2025 budget binder shows the Municipality can post a readable budget.
It could be because…
The pages may have been scanned from signed copies to show council's approval, with a readable version held elsewhere.
The readable copy may be in a council agenda package we did not read.
Questions you could ask
Can the Municipality post the adopted 2026 operating budget, capital budget and levy as searchable text?
Will it post the 2027 budget calendar, including the dates of council's budget meetings?
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 Dundas?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
The one readable page is headed "2026 CAPITAL BUDGET - FINAL" and ends "Capital Total: 6,329,973".
$263,713budgeted insurance for 2025, against $219,900 in 2024
The 2025 budget book says the Municipality's insurance was budgeted at $263,713 for 2025, excluding water and sewer, compared with $219,900 in 2024. That is a rise of about 19.9% (worked out by us). The Municipality explains it: higher liability claims, changes in law, a shrinking insurance market, inflation, higher costs to replace assets, and a greater risk of cyberattacks.
Why it matters
Insurance is a cost every Ontario municipality is facing, and the Municipality has explained it. We list it so residents can see the size of the rise, and so the next budget can show whether it was bid out or reviewed.
It could be because…
The Municipality says premiums are rising across the sector, which matches what many Ontario towns report.
A rise can come from adding assets (new buildings, equipment) to the policy.
Questions you could ask
When was the insurance last put out for quotes, and what was the result?
Has the Municipality changed its coverage or deductibles to hold down the premium?
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 Dundas?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
"Municipal insurance is approximately 1.8% of the Municipal operating expenditures. 2025 budgeted at $263,713, excluding water & sewer, compared to $219,900 in 2024." The book lists "the increase in severity of liability claims, statutory changes", "a shrinking insurance market, inflation and higher replacement costs for assets" and cyberattacks as causes.
Municipal debt at the end of 2025 was $5,909,369, and $821,015 of principal is due in 2026. The 2025 budget book says Ontario's rules limit yearly debt payments to 25% of a measure of revenue; for South Dundas, based on the 2023 return to the province, the yearly repayment limit is estimated at $2,548,874. The Municipality also has an overdraft line of up to $2,000,000 that it had not used at December 31, 2025. The budget book says debt is an option council may consider for capital.
Why it matters
Debt spreads a cost over many years, but each dollar borrowed is paid back with interest from future taxes. Residents should be able to see how much room is left before council uses it.
It could be because…
The debt is falling as old loans are paid off, and the Municipality may have plenty of room.
The limit in the budget book is based on 2023 figures and is not a current number.
Several loans are for assets that earn their own revenue, such as water. We did not break the debt down by who repays it.
Questions you could ask
What is the Municipality's most recent annual repayment limit, and how much of it is used?
Is council planning to borrow for any 2026 or 2027 capital projects, and for how much?
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 Dundas?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Long-Term Debt: under O. Reg. 403/02 annual debt costs are limited to 25% of operating revenue. "Based on the 2023 FIR, 25% of net revenue is $3,596,586 and the estimated annual repayment limit is $2,548,874."
Note 10, Municipal debt: principal repayments are estimated at $821,015 for 2026, $827,131 for 2027, $728,928 for 2028, $521,854 for 2029 and $528,533 for 2030, with $2,481,908 for 2031 and later, a total of $5,909,369.
Note 6, Credit facility: "an overdraft lending product with a credit limit of up to $2,000,000 ... At December 31, 2025 the Municipality had not drawn any amounts (2024 - $nil)".
South Dundas spent about $303 per home on garbage, dump and recycling in 2025. The typical similar town spent $168. Only 4 of 45 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 Dundas?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Garbage, dump and recycling per home: South Dundas $303; typical similar town $168; ranked 5th highest of 46.
South Dundas spent about $209 per home on snow ploughing in 2025. The typical similar town spent $139. Only 6 of 45 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 Dundas?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Snow ploughing per home: South Dundas $209; typical similar town $139; ranked 7th highest of 46.
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