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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 St Clair'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 · 9 so far
Things worth asking about
We read St Clair's financial reports and meeting minutes, and compared its numbers with 44 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.
$8,194,479projected deficit in the Fire Vehicle reserve at the end of 2028, up from $491,702 at the end of 2024
A reserve is money a township sets aside for a future cost, like a savings account. The Township's own table shows the Fire Vehicle reserve was a deficit of $491,702 at the end of 2024, a deficit of $3,741,890 at the end of 2025, and then a deficit of $5,080,713, $6,631,118 and $8,194,479 at the end of 2026, 2027 and 2028. In other words, it has spent more on fire vehicles than it has set aside. The Mayor's message explains this: the Township charges interest to the fire vehicle reserve, credits other reserves, and could borrow short term if needed. What the budget does not say is when the deficit stops growing.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
$8,077,781reserves projected for the end of 2026, down from $25,678,039 at the end of 2024
The 2026 budget's reserve table (prepared in January 2026, on a cash basis, with 2025 figures marked estimated) starts at $25,678,039 at the end of 2024, shows $13,848,555 at the end of 2025 and projects $8,077,781 at the end of 2026. By our arithmetic (worked out by us) that is a drop of about 46 per cent in 2025 and about 69 per cent by the end of 2026. The audited statements show something different: "Total Reserves" of $24,730,165 at the end of 2025, down from $30,247,951 at the end of 2024 (a drop of about 18 per cent, worked out by us). These are different measures, but the Township does not publish a bridge between them.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
$20,072,640total cost listed for the Courtright Wastewater Treatment Plant expansion, 2025 to 2027
The 2026 capital list includes the Courtright Wastewater Treatment Plant expansion as a multi-year project (2025 to 2027) at $20,072,640. The list's funding note reads "Ext/ Grt 14,261, Deben 5,812". We read these as thousands of dollars of outside grants and borrowing (a debenture is a loan repaid over years), which together come to about $20.07 million (worked out by us). Meanwhile the sewer reserve is overdrawn: a deficit of (922,253) at the end of 2025 in the audited statements, against (177,830) a year earlier. The Township's budget table projects a deficit of (3,292,325) in the "Waste water" reserve at the end of 2026.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 4 sources
$2,187,609tax-funded capital in the 2026 budget, up from $1,573,241 in 2025
The Mayor's message says the 2026 budget started with a levy change of 7.32% and, after review, ended at 2.58% for an average single-family home, or $76.74 a year. That is a clear explanation of the headline number. It does not say which items were removed. One line is visible in the exhibits: the part of capital spending paid by property tax (after grants and the Environment and Education Fund) rises to $2,187,609 from $1,573,241, which is the same figure the Township printed for both 2024 and 2025. The Township prints this as an increase of 39.05%.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
$1,482,580net debt at the end of 2025, after net financial assets of $1,729,915 a year earlier
Net financial assets is what a township owns in money and receivables, minus what it owes. If the number is negative, it is called net debt. At the end of 2024 the Township had net financial assets of $1,729,915. At the end of 2025 it had net debt of $1,482,580. The 2025 budget had planned for net debt of $4,228,491, so the result was better than planned. Cash fell from $18,288,773 to $10,299,005, and the Township spent $19,746,372 on capital assets (roads, water, sewer, buildings) against $13,355,908 the year before. The 2026 capital plan is larger again, at $39,074,799.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
$20,984,101user charges in 2025, against a budget of $16,892,335
User charges are what people pay for services such as water, sewer, garbage and the golf course. The 2025 budget expected $16,892,335. The audited actual is $20,984,101, which is $4,091,766 higher (worked out by us, about 24%). Government transfers (grants) were budgeted at $5,627,523 and came in at $8,072,487, which is $2,444,964 higher (worked out by us). The annual surplus was $9,150,306 against a budgeted $7,094,865. The segment schedule shows where some of it landed: transportation grants of $6,354,163 (2024: $3,820,905) and water charges of $7,797,846 (2024: $6,570,310). The statements do not say why these were more than budget.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
$12,825,100wages and employee benefits in 2025, against $11,830,833 in 2024
Wages and employee benefits were $12,825,100 in 2025 and $11,830,833 in 2024, an increase of $994,267 or about 8.4% (worked out by us). The Township's note on the OMERS pension plan says it contributes on behalf of 160 staff in 2025, against 127 in 2024, and its contribution rose from $662,258 to $724,553. The statements do not say whether these are new positions, part-time staff newly enrolled, or something else.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
In 2019, St Clair had $1.8M more in cash and money owed to it than it owed to others. By 2025 it was −$1.5M. About 17% of that change ($567K) 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 7 of 44 similar towns are in a weaker position.
Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 2 sources
$8,194,479projected deficit in the Fire Vehicle reserve at the end of 2028, up from $491,702 at the end of 2024
A reserve is money a township sets aside for a future cost, like a savings account. The Township's own table shows the Fire Vehicle reserve was a deficit of $491,702 at the end of 2024, a deficit of $3,741,890 at the end of 2025, and then a deficit of $5,080,713, $6,631,118 and $8,194,479 at the end of 2026, 2027 and 2028. In other words, it has spent more on fire vehicles than it has set aside. The Mayor's message explains this: the Township charges interest to the fire vehicle reserve, credits other reserves, and could borrow short term if needed. What the budget does not say is when the deficit stops growing.
Why it matters
Fire trucks are expensive and must be replaced on a schedule. A deficit that grows each year means today's trucks are being paid for by future budgets. The figures in the table show planned additions of $647,968 in 2026, much smaller than the planned spending on vehicles.
It could be because…
The Township bought trucks ahead of when the reserve would have paid for them, and plans to catch up over a long time. The reserve table is a plan, not a bill.
Because the Township charges interest to this reserve and credits other reserves, the cost is already counted in the yearly budget, as the Mayor's message says.
Fire vehicles last many years, so paying for them through borrowing or a deficit that is repaid slowly can be a normal way to spread the cost.
Questions you could ask
What is the plan, and the year, for the Fire Vehicle reserve to stop being overdrawn?
How much of the deficit has been paid for by charging interest, and by how much has that reduced the other reserves?
Which fire vehicles were bought or ordered ahead of the reserve, and what do they cost?
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 St Clair?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Projected Reserve table, line "Fire Vehicle": (491,702) at Dec. 31, 2024; 654,353 estimated addition and 3,904,541 estimated deletions in 2025, leaving (3,741,890) at Dec. 31, 2025; 647,968 added and 1,986,791 deleted in 2026, leaving (5,080,713); (6,631,118) at Dec. 31, 2027; (8,194,479) at Dec. 31, 2028.
Mayor's message: "Total reserves budgeted at the end of 2026 are $8,077,781; however, this includes the lifecycle reserve for fire vehicles, which currently shows a deficit of $5,080,713." It continues: "The Township is managing this responsibly by charging interest to the fire vehicles lifecycle reserve and crediting other reserves. If required, the Township can address this through short-term borrowing" and gives "the Township's effective reserve position is $13,158,494."
$8,077,781reserves projected for the end of 2026, down from $25,678,039 at the end of 2024
The 2026 budget's reserve table (prepared in January 2026, on a cash basis, with 2025 figures marked estimated) starts at $25,678,039 at the end of 2024, shows $13,848,555 at the end of 2025 and projects $8,077,781 at the end of 2026. By our arithmetic (worked out by us) that is a drop of about 46 per cent in 2025 and about 69 per cent by the end of 2026. The audited statements show something different: "Total Reserves" of $24,730,165 at the end of 2025, down from $30,247,951 at the end of 2024 (a drop of about 18 per cent, worked out by us). These are different measures, but the Township does not publish a bridge between them.
Why it matters
Residents are told reserves protect them from sudden tax jumps. If the cash-basis figure is closer to what is really available, the cushion is much thinner than the audited number suggests. If the audited figure is closer, the budget table is too gloomy. Either way, a reader cannot tell without a reconciliation.
It could be because…
The two tables count different things. The audited table includes the Township's share of the Lambton Area Water Supply System (LAWSS) reserve of $6,814,105, and a negative line called "Unfunded deficit" of (7,513,823).
The budget table is a cash-basis estimate made before the year ended, and the audited table is accounting-basis and final.
Large 2025 and 2026 spending on capital projects (the 2026 capital plan is $39,074,799) is planned to come out of reserves, which would explain a steep fall that is intentional.
Questions you could ask
Can the Township publish a one-page table that reconciles the cash-basis reserve total ($13,848,555 estimated at December 31, 2025) with the audited "Total Reserves" ($24,730,165)?
What was the final cash-basis reserve total at December 31, 2025, now that the year is closed?
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 St Clair?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
Schedule 3, Consolidated Schedule of Accumulated Surplus: "Total Reserves" 24,730,165 for 2025 and 30,247,951 for 2024. Lines include "Capital expenditures" 13,705,649 (2024: 11,262,684), "Water distribution LAWSS" 6,814,105 and "Unfunded deficit" (7,513,823).
$20,072,640total cost listed for the Courtright Wastewater Treatment Plant expansion, 2025 to 2027
The 2026 capital list includes the Courtright Wastewater Treatment Plant expansion as a multi-year project (2025 to 2027) at $20,072,640. The list's funding note reads "Ext/ Grt 14,261, Deben 5,812". We read these as thousands of dollars of outside grants and borrowing (a debenture is a loan repaid over years), which together come to about $20.07 million (worked out by us). Meanwhile the sewer reserve is overdrawn: a deficit of (922,253) at the end of 2025 in the audited statements, against (177,830) a year earlier. The Township's budget table projects a deficit of (3,292,325) in the "Waste water" reserve at the end of 2026.
Why it matters
Sewer plants are paid for by people who use the sewers, through their water and sewer bills as well as taxes. Borrowing around $5.8 million and an overdrawn sewer reserve suggest future sewer charges, or taxes, may need to rise. The grants cover most of the cost, but they depend on the money arriving as planned.
It could be because…
The Township may have started building before the grant money arrived, so the sewer reserve is overdrawn only until grants and debenture proceeds are received.
Sewer reserves often go negative during a big build and recover as development charges and user fees come in.
The funding note "Ext/ Grt 14,261, Deben 5,812" may be in thousands, so the debenture would be about $5.8 million, not the full cost.
Questions you could ask
How much will the Township borrow for the Courtright plant, over how many years, and who repays it (sewer users, taxpayers, or development charges)?
When and how will the sewer reserve be brought back out of deficit?
What happens to the project if any of the outside grants arrive late or smaller?
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 St Clair?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
Projected Reserve table, line "Waste water": (177,830) at Dec. 31, 2024; (1,947,325) estimated at Dec. 31, 2025; (3,292,325) estimated at Dec. 31, 2026 and 2027.
Mayor's message: the 2026 capital plan is "$39,074,799 in total project costs", with "Less external sources (debt, commutations, and other sources): $23,883,640".
$2,187,609tax-funded capital in the 2026 budget, up from $1,573,241 in 2025
The Mayor's message says the 2026 budget started with a levy change of 7.32% and, after review, ended at 2.58% for an average single-family home, or $76.74 a year. That is a clear explanation of the headline number. It does not say which items were removed. One line is visible in the exhibits: the part of capital spending paid by property tax (after grants and the Environment and Education Fund) rises to $2,187,609 from $1,573,241, which is the same figure the Township printed for both 2024 and 2025. The Township prints this as an increase of 39.05%.
Why it matters
Residents see the tax-bill number, not the plan underneath. A smaller increase can be real savings, or it can be work pushed to later years. Capital spending paid from taxes is one of the places a budget can be lowered by delay.
It could be because…
Council may have removed or phased projects, or found grants and reserves to replace tax money. That would be normal budget work, as the Mayor's message describes.
Part of the 39.05% rise is catching up after tax-funded capital was held at $1,573,241 for two years in a row.
The line "Parks Facilities & Improvements" rises from 275,000 to 1,085,000 and "Shoreline Protection" is a new 895,000; individual projects may be one-time.
Questions you could ask
Which projects or costs were removed or delayed between the 7.32% draft and the 2.58% result?
Are any of the delayed items already counted in the 2027 forecast?
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 St Clair?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Mayor's message: "The budget process began with a levy change of 7.32%, which would have equated to $217.24 annually for the average single-family detached home"; "the budget was reduced to an overall increase of 2.58% on an average single-family detached home, representing an annual impact of $76.74".
St Clair spent $4.1M on police, fire and safety in 2019 and $6.0M in 2025. Prices only went up about 21% in that time.
Why did the cost of police, fire and safety grow 46% in 6 years?
Police, fire and safety
Prices (inflation)
+0%+10%+20%+30%+40%+50%
+46%
2019202020212022202320242025
Show as a table
Year
Police, fire and safety
Prices (inflation)
2019
+0%
+0%
2020
+8%
+1%
2021
+10%
+4%
2022
+19%
+11%
2023
+30%
+16%
2024
+34%
+18%
2025
+46%
+21%
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 $1.9M a year pay for?
Why did fire department go from $1.5M to $2.8M?
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 St Clair?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Police, fire and safety: 2019 $4.1M, 2020 $4.5M, 2021 $4.6M, 2022 $4.9M, 2023 $5.4M, 2024 $5.5M, 2025 $6.0M.
$1,482,580net debt at the end of 2025, after net financial assets of $1,729,915 a year earlier
Net financial assets is what a township owns in money and receivables, minus what it owes. If the number is negative, it is called net debt. At the end of 2024 the Township had net financial assets of $1,729,915. At the end of 2025 it had net debt of $1,482,580. The 2025 budget had planned for net debt of $4,228,491, so the result was better than planned. Cash fell from $18,288,773 to $10,299,005, and the Township spent $19,746,372 on capital assets (roads, water, sewer, buildings) against $13,355,908 the year before. The 2026 capital plan is larger again, at $39,074,799.
Why it matters
Spending on long-lived assets is normal, but each year of net debt has to be paid back from future taxes and fees. A township that moves into net debt just before a plan that is almost double the 2025 spending deserves a clear public explanation of how it will end up.
It could be because…
The Township budgeted a deeper net debt of $4,228,491 for 2025, so the move into net debt was planned and smaller than planned.
Much of the capital spending is paid for by grants and reserves, which the budget lists as external sources.
Net debt is a normal state for a township in a building phase; the audited opinion is clean.
Questions you could ask
What does the Township expect its net debt or net financial assets to be at the end of 2026 and 2027, once the 2026 capital plan is spent?
Where is the Township's annual debt repayment limit for 2026, and how much room is left once the Courtright borrowing is counted?
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 St Clair?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Statement of Change in Net Financial Assets (Debt), 2025: "NET FINANCIAL (DEBT) ASSETS, END OF YEAR" budget (4,228,491), actual (1,482,580), 2024 actual 1,729,915. "Acquisition of tangible capital assets" budget (20,145,000), actual (19,746,372), 2024 actual (13,355,908).
Statement of Cash Flows, 2025: "CASH, BEGINNING OF YEAR" 18,288,773; "CASH, END OF YEAR" 10,299,005; "NET CHANGE IN CASH" (7,989,768). "Debt repayment" (1,028,546).
$20,984,101user charges in 2025, against a budget of $16,892,335
User charges are what people pay for services such as water, sewer, garbage and the golf course. The 2025 budget expected $16,892,335. The audited actual is $20,984,101, which is $4,091,766 higher (worked out by us, about 24%). Government transfers (grants) were budgeted at $5,627,523 and came in at $8,072,487, which is $2,444,964 higher (worked out by us). The annual surplus was $9,150,306 against a budgeted $7,094,865. The segment schedule shows where some of it landed: transportation grants of $6,354,163 (2024: $3,820,905) and water charges of $7,797,846 (2024: $6,570,310). The statements do not say why these were more than budget.
Why it matters
A surplus is not spare cash: much of it is grants that must be spent on capital projects. But revenue far above budget raises two fair questions: were user rates set higher than needed, and are grants being counted as the Township's own money?
It could be because…
Water and sewer charges rose with new industrial use and rate changes, which the Township may have planned for but not put in the budget.
Capital grants are recorded as revenue in the year they arrive, even when the project is spent over several years, so the surplus can look larger than it is.
The budget was approved in early 2025, before some grants were confirmed.
Questions you could ask
What explains the $4.1 million gap between budgeted and actual user charges in 2025?
How much of the 2025 annual surplus is grant money already committed to projects?
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 St Clair?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Statement of Operations, 2025: "User charges" budget 16,892,335, actual 20,984,101 (2024 actual 16,715,248). Government transfers subtotal budget 5,627,523, actual 8,072,487 (2024 actual 5,532,432). "ANNUAL SURPLUS" budget 7,094,865, actual 9,150,306 (2024 actual 5,314,660).
Schedule 8, Segment Disclosure - Operating Revenues, 2025: Transportation Services government transfers 6,354,163; Water user charges 7,797,846; Waste Water user charges 3,412,546; Golf Course user charges 2,493,066.
Schedule 6, Segment Disclosure - Operating Revenues, 2024: Transportation Services government transfers 3,820,905; Water user charges 6,570,310; Waste Water user charges 3,190,710; Golf Course user charges 1,812,769.
$12,825,100wages and employee benefits in 2025, against $11,830,833 in 2024
Wages and employee benefits were $12,825,100 in 2025 and $11,830,833 in 2024, an increase of $994,267 or about 8.4% (worked out by us). The Township's note on the OMERS pension plan says it contributes on behalf of 160 staff in 2025, against 127 in 2024, and its contribution rose from $662,258 to $724,553. The statements do not say whether these are new positions, part-time staff newly enrolled, or something else.
Why it matters
Staff costs are the largest part of what the Township pays for after contracts and materials, and they continue every year. A jump of this size is worth a plain explanation of what services it buys.
It could be because…
Union and non-union pay increases, plus the cost of the contracts already in place, can add 3 to 5 per cent on their own.
The OMERS count may include part-time and seasonal workers who became eligible, which changes the count without changing the number of full-time jobs.
Golf course wages rose with its revenue: schedule 9 shows golf wages of 1,233,328 for 2025 and user charges at the golf course rose too.
Questions you could ask
How many full-time and part-time positions were added in 2025, and for which services?
What portion of the increase is contract pay increases, and what portion is new staff?
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 St Clair?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Note 12, Expenditure by Object: "Wages and employee benefits" 12,825,100 for 2025 and 11,830,833 for 2024.
Note 6, Pension Agreements: contributions to OMERS "on behalf of 160 (2024 - 127) members of its staff"; "The employer amount contributed to OMERS for 2025 was $724,553 (2024 - $662,258)."
In 2019, St Clair had $1.8M more in cash and money owed to it than it owed to others. By 2025 it was −$1.5M. About 17% of that change ($567K) 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 7 of 44 similar towns are in a weaker position.
St Clair went from having money in the bank to owing more than it has. What changed?
−$2.0M$0$2.0M$4.0M
−$1.5M
2019202020212022202320242025
Show as a table
Year
Net financial position
2019
$1.8M
2020
$3.6M
2021
$3.8M
2022
$2.1M
2023
$3.0M
2024
$1.7M
2025
−$1.5M
Why it matters
This number is one of the clearest signs of whether a town is living within its means. The accounting-rule part is a bill that will come due when the landfill closes, not money already spent. The rest is real borrowing and spending of savings.
It could be because…
A new accounting rule (asset retirement obligations, from 2023) added a large future cost to the books all at once.
Borrowing for a planned project, such as sewage lagoons, which is paid back over many years.
Questions you could ask
What is the plan and timeline for paying the landfill closing cost?
Without the accounting change, is the town's position getting better or worse?
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 St Clair?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
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