Your town, in plain words
A clear, checkable guide to Southwest Middlesex's budget, taxes and council decisions. A rural municipality in Middlesex County, Ontario, with its office in Glencoe, a mayor, a deputy mayor and six councillors from three wards. Every figure links back to the public record.
Follow Southwest Middlesex in one tapWhere it goes
Questions worth asking
Each one is a question, not an accusation. Every one lists ordinary reasons it could be true, and the documents it comes from.
$1.8Mowed in unpaid property tax, end of 2024
At the end of 2024, $1.8M of property tax had been billed but not paid. That is 16% of everything billed. Only 3 of 73 similar towns had a higher share. A year earlier it was $1.7M.
Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 2 sources
$344,332bank overdraft at the end of 2024, against $1,727,251 in cash a year earlier
At the end of 2023 the Municipality had $1,727,251 in cash. A year later it had no cash and owed its bank $344,332. A bank overdraft is money the bank has covered because the account ran below zero. During 2024 it paid $4,047,019 for capital assets (roads, buildings, vehicles) and its cash flow from operations was $1,975,436. At the same time its notes list reserves (savings set aside for named purposes) of $6,279,579. Reserves are a line in the books. They are not always cash sitting in an account. In October 2025 the Mayor moved that staff report on "our internal financing program", and in November 2025 Council reviewed the 2024 statements and asked for external financing options. In January 2026 Council passed a temporary borrowing by-law of $2,000,000.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 6 sources
$2,932,926net debt at the end of 2024, from net financial assets of $4,216 at the end of 2022
Net financial assets is what a town has in cash and money owed to it, minus what it owes. At the end of 2022 it was a small plus ($4,216). At the end of 2023 it was a minus of $2,037,000, and at the end of 2024 a minus of $2,932,926. The notes to the 2024 statements also list "Unfunded capital" of $9,610,882, up from $8,652,623, as an amount still to be recovered. The statements do not say how it will be paid. Council has since adopted a Capital Financing and Debt Management Policy and a Reserve and Reserve Fund Policy, and in June 2026 endorsed a financing strategy and passed a by-law for credit facilities and a bridge loan.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 8 sources
$1,297,292.02approved project budget for the Limerick closure, excluding HST, in March 2025
The Municipality owns two landfills. The 2023 statements estimated the closing cost of the Limerick site at $900,000 and the 2024 statements at $1,209,000. In January 2025 Council awarded the closure work for $876,568.86 (excluding HST, the sales tax). In March 2025 it added "provisional items" (extra work listed in the tender, to be done if needed) of $420,723.16 and set the total approved project budget at $1,297,292.02, which is $88,292.02 more than the $1,209,000 estimate (worked out by us). The statements say part of the cost is expected back from "participating municipalities", and in December 2025 Council approved an operating and monitoring cost sharing agreement with Chatham-Kent and the Village of Newbury.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 6 sources
$2,400,000estimated closing cost of the Trillium landfill, unchanged in the 2023 and 2024 statements
The statements for 2023 and for 2024 say the Trillium site "was required to be closed by 2024, but ceased operations during 2022", that the Municipality is "awaiting approval" of a plan sent to the Ministry, and that the closing cost estimate is $2,400,000. The wording and the figure are the same in both years. The $4,967,918 recorded for both landfills is "based on a estimate for the closure and monitoring of both sites received in 2021". The reserve set aside for these costs was $1,579,481 at the end of 2024.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
October 15, 2025date of the auditor's report on the 2024 statements, against August 14, 2024 for 2023
The auditor signed the 2024 statements on October 15, 2025 with a clean opinion. The 2023 statements were signed on August 14, 2024. Council accepted the 2024 statements on October 15, 2025. On November 20, 2025 it held a special meeting on a "2024 Financial Statement Review" (FIN-2025-22). On December 3, 2025 it received a report titled "Updated 2026 Budget Timeline and Process in Response to Financial Review Findings" (CAO-2025-64). We did not find either report posted, so we do not know what the review found. The 2026 budget was accepted "in principle" on February 11, 2026.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 5 sources
+58%water, sewers and garbage, 2019 to 2024
Southwest Middlesex spent $2.0M on water, sewers and garbage in 2019 and $3.2M in 2024. Prices only went up about 18% in that time.
Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 2 sources
$2,117,672owed to the Municipality for "Municipal drain work" at the end of 2024, up from $1,343,917
In its statements the Municipality lists what it is owed. The line "Municipal drain work" rose from $1,343,917 to $2,117,672 in 2024, an increase of $773,755 (worked out by us). That is more than half of the $1,007,875 by which accounts receivable (money owed) grew in the year, and it came in a year when the Municipality ended with a bank overdraft. Council also dealt with several new drains in 2025.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
8council members for the October 26, 2026 election, per Council's February 4, 2026 decision; five are planned from 2030
On December 3, 2025 Council's own motion said it "has voted to reduce the size of Council" from eight to five members "effective for the 2026 Municipal Election", and asked the province to remove the Municipality from the strong-mayor list. On February 4, 2026 Council confirmed that "the existing council composition currently in force will remain in place for the 2026 municipal election" and that a five-member council would start with the 2030 election. On February 18, 2026 it passed by-law 2026/017 to that effect. The motion also told staff to "review internal governance processes and statutory deadline tracking". In August 2025 Council received a "Mayoral Direction" to start the 2026 budget process, under strong-mayor rules where the Mayor prepares the budget, and it defeated a motion to shorten the veto periods in those rules.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 4 sources
8 of 8members whose "#" meeting count in the 2024 pay report matches the 2023 report
The yearly statement of council pay has a "#" column beside each member's meeting pay. For all eight members the "#" figures in the 2024 report are identical to the 2023 report, while the meeting pay amounts changed. The 2024 report says it uses "SWM By-law # 2023/007, as amended for 2024 rates". If the column was carried over from the year before, readers cannot tell from the report how many meetings the 2024 pay covers.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 4 sources
−$2.9Mnet financial position, 2024
In 2019, Southwest Middlesex had $3.9M more in cash and money owed to it than it owed to others. By 2024 it was −$2.9M. About 73% of that change ($5.0M) is a new accounting rule from 2023: towns must now record the future cost of closing things like a landfill. That is not new spending or borrowing. Even leaving that out, only 24 of 73 similar towns are in a weaker position.
Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 2 sources
$422per home on garbage, dump and recycling, 2024
Southwest Middlesex spent about $422 per home on garbage, dump and recycling in 2024. The typical similar town spent $210. Only 4 of 73 similar towns spent more.
Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 1 source
2024 tax year · Southwest Middlesex, Ontario
Enter your home's assessed value to see roughly what you pay in property tax each year, who gets it, and what Southwest Middlesex's share pays for.
Ontario still uses property values from January 1, 2016 for tax, so your assessed value is probably well below what your home would sell for today.
It is on your property assessment notice from MPAC, and on your tax bill. We filled in the typical value in Southwest Middlesex.
a year in property tax, at 2024 rates
Southwest Middlesex council sets only its own share. County or region sets its share, the Province sets the school rate.
An estimate. It uses the residential tax rate, and splits Southwest Middlesex's share by what each service cost in 2024 after its own fees and grants (for example, water bills pay for much of a water system). Real bills also depend on your property class, local charges and any rebates.
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Each number links to the public document it came from. Check it yourself.
We ask questions. Every one lists ordinary reasons a number could look odd.
Towns are only compared with places of a similar size and kind, from the same yearly reports.
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