Not the full picture. Built from public records, which leave things out.Older reportDetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 An older report. We have no 2024 report for St Marys in the Province's latest release, so these pages use its 2023 report. It may simply be filed late. Read by hand. We read St Marys'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 Marys' financial reports and meeting minutes, and compared its numbers with 16 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.
$2,034,459budgeted debt payments for 2026, up from $1,536,826 in 2025
The levy is the part of the Town's budget that property taxes pay for. Council adopted the 2026 budget on November 20, 2025. It raises $817,551 more through property taxes, a 5.20% rise. After growth from new properties, the Town says this works out to 3.88% for a typical home. The budget's own summary table shows that the cost line that grew fastest was "Debenture Payment" (payments on borrowed money), from $1,536,826 in 2025 to $2,034,459 in 2026, up 32.38%. The year before it rose from $1,260,209 to $1,536,826. The Town explains the 2026 rise as new debt and names one item: the purchase of 90 Carling Street, which adds $144,665 to the levy.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 5 sources
$1.2Mbank loan for the Carling land purchase, with a 2-year term
The Town bought a property at 90 Carling Street. The 2026 budget says the debt payments on it add $144,665 to the tax levy, and that the property was bought "for future development". The debt schedule shows a $1.2 million bank loan with a 2-year term and a 10-year amortization (the length of time the payments are spread over) at 3.76%, under by-law 45-2025. A short loan term means the loan has to be renewed or repaid after two years, at whatever rate is offered then. The budget does not say what the development will be.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
$6,924,832.69estimated opening balance of the Development Charges fund in 2026
Development charges are fees the Town collects from builders to pay for growth, such as bigger sewers. The debt schedule lists a "WWTP - DC Debt": a $5 million bank loan (2-year term, 20-year amortization, 3.76%, by-law 106-2024) for the wastewater treatment plant. The reserves schedule shows the Development Charges fund with an estimated opening balance of $6,924,832.69 in 2026, and a planned $396,000 going to "Debt payments". At the end of 2023 the audited statements showed $2,677,792 in development charges. The Town's budget does not explain why it borrowed instead of using the fund.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
$26,074,916.84estimated reserves and reserve funds at the start of 2026, against $17,642,687.48 planned for the end of 2025
Reserves are savings that Council sets aside for later costs. The 2026 budget shows total reserves and reserve funds of $26,074,916.84 at the start of 2026, falling to $22,248,571.84 at the end (a drop of about $3.8 million, worked out by us). The 2025 budget had planned $17,642,687.48 for the end of 2025, so the 2026 starting balance is about $8.4 million higher than that plan (worked out by us). Two reserves are planned to end 2026 below zero: Wastewater at (67,960.00) and the Building Department at (84,954.25). The 2023 statements show the Fire Capital Reserve Fund at (103,574) at the end of 2023. The Town's explanation is its asset management plan, which it says closes a funding gap by 2063, and that the 2026 budget draws on reserves for planned capital work.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 5 sources
2023the latest year of audited statements we found on the Town's website
Audited financial statements are the yearly accounts checked by an outside accountant. The Town's Financial Reports page, read on October 5, 2026, links one set only: the 2023 statements. Management signed them, and the auditor's report is dated October 22, 2024. We did not find statements for 2024 or 2025 on the Town's website. The Town may publish them elsewhere, such as in a council agenda.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
$5,312,649surplus in 2023, against a budget figure of $2,333,296
A surplus is what is left when a year's revenue is more than its spending. The 2023 audited statements show a surplus of $5,312,649 against a budget figure of $2,333,296. Revenue came in at $30,857,504 against a budgeted $27,452,360, with more from the federal and Ontario governments, user fees and investment income than planned. The Town's own note says the budget Council approved was balanced, and was restated to match the statements' accounting. Since then the Town has raised its budget for investment income, from $357,000 in 2024 to $697,000 in 2025.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
3of the Mayor's four 2025 decisions concerned the 2026 budget
Since May 1, 2025, Ontario law has given mayors in some towns extra powers over the budget, including the power to propose it and to veto changes. The Town's Mayoral Decisions page lists four decisions for 2025. Two, on October 14 and October 21, 2025, are for "pre-budget approval". Another, on November 18, 2025, is "To shorten the veto period for the 2026 budget". The 2026 budget was adopted on November 20, 2025. The Town's capital budget summary has a column headed "Pre - Budget Approval" with some projects marked "Yes". We did not find which projects the two pre-budget decisions covered.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
$209,675difference in 2025 wages between the two budget books, worked out by us
The 2026 book shows the 2025 budget for "Wages & Benefits" as $10,594,632. The 2025 book shows $10,804,307. The two books show the same total for 2025 expenses, $30,073,530, so about $209,675 (worked out by us) appears to have been moved from wages to "Program Expenses", which is $564,392 in the 2026 book and $354,717 in the 2025 book. Measured against the 2026 book's base, wages grow by 5.42%. Measured against the 2025 book, they grow by about 3.4% (worked out by us). The 2026 book does not say it moved these figures.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
$2,034,459budgeted debt payments for 2026, up from $1,536,826 in 2025
The levy is the part of the Town's budget that property taxes pay for. Council adopted the 2026 budget on November 20, 2025. It raises $817,551 more through property taxes, a 5.20% rise. After growth from new properties, the Town says this works out to 3.88% for a typical home. The budget's own summary table shows that the cost line that grew fastest was "Debenture Payment" (payments on borrowed money), from $1,536,826 in 2025 to $2,034,459 in 2026, up 32.38%. The year before it rose from $1,260,209 to $1,536,826. The Town explains the 2026 rise as new debt and names one item: the purchase of 90 Carling Street, which adds $144,665 to the levy.
Why it matters
Debt payments are fixed. Once the Town has borrowed, those payments come out of the budget every year until the loan is repaid, so they leave less room for services or lower taxes. Residents can only judge the borrowing if they can see what it paid for.
It could be because…
Large projects often need loans. The debt schedule shows loans for wastewater plant work, and the Town says development charges (fees on new building) and reserves pay part of the debt, so not all of it falls on the levy.
Wages, outside services such as policing and public health, and capital savings also grew, so debt is one of several reasons for the 5.20%.
The budget gives a reason for each major factor. The question is whether residents can see enough about the loans themselves.
Questions you could ask
Which loans make up the rise in debt payments in 2026, and what is each one paying for?
How much of the 2026 debt payments is covered by development charges and reserves, and how much by the levy?
What is the total owing on all loans at the end of 2026, and what does the Town expect it to be at the end of 2030?
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 Marys?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
The Town's Annual Budget page says: "The 2026 budget was adopted on November 20, 2025." It also says: "An additional $817,551 (5.20%) will be raised through property taxes in 2026. After accounting for assessment growth, this represents a 3.88% annual property tax increase for residential properties."
Summary of major budget factors, 2026: Wages and Benefits $540,565; External Transfers $187,646; Police $198,340; 90 Carling Street $144,665 ("Debt servicing related to the purchase of the 90 Carling Street property for future development."); Capital Reserve Transfer $107,910; Total Tax Levy Increase $817,551.
Finance detail, Division Finance, Department Administration: "Reserve Transfer 173,281" in the 2025 budget and 526,758 in 2026, with the comment "Contributions from Fire and Wastewater reserves related to debt payments". Within the levy-funded debt line: "Debenture Payment 1,127,281 1,624,922 497,641 44.15%" with the comment "See debt schedule; reflects new debt required payments".
$1.2Mbank loan for the Carling land purchase, with a 2-year term
The Town bought a property at 90 Carling Street. The 2026 budget says the debt payments on it add $144,665 to the tax levy, and that the property was bought "for future development". The debt schedule shows a $1.2 million bank loan with a 2-year term and a 10-year amortization (the length of time the payments are spread over) at 3.76%, under by-law 45-2025. A short loan term means the loan has to be renewed or repaid after two years, at whatever rate is offered then. The budget does not say what the development will be.
Why it matters
A purchase that adds about a point of tax increase every year deserves a plain public reason: what the land is for, when it will be used, and what happens if the plan changes.
It could be because…
Councils often buy land ahead of need, because it is cheaper or because it may not come up again, and they borrow short-term until a plan is ready.
The use of the land may have been discussed in a council meeting or closed session that we could not open.
The Town may plan to sell or lease part of the property, which would reduce the cost to taxpayers.
Questions you could ask
What is the planned use of 90 Carling Street, and where was the decision to buy it made public?
What is the plan when the 2-year loan term ends, and what interest rate is assumed?
Is there an appraisal or purchase price report that can be released?
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 Marys?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
Summary of major budget factors, 2026: "90 Carling Street $144,665", "Debt servicing related to the purchase of the 90 Carling Street property for future development."
Debt schedule, general debt: "PRINCIPAL Carling Land Purchase - $1.2M Bank (2 Yr term, 10 Yr Amort)", first-year principal 102,386.55; "INTEREST 3.76% (45-2025) - Blended", first-year interest 41,769.57.
$6,924,832.69estimated opening balance of the Development Charges fund in 2026
Development charges are fees the Town collects from builders to pay for growth, such as bigger sewers. The debt schedule lists a "WWTP - DC Debt": a $5 million bank loan (2-year term, 20-year amortization, 3.76%, by-law 106-2024) for the wastewater treatment plant. The reserves schedule shows the Development Charges fund with an estimated opening balance of $6,924,832.69 in 2026, and a planned $396,000 going to "Debt payments". At the end of 2023 the audited statements showed $2,677,792 in development charges. The Town's budget does not explain why it borrowed instead of using the fund.
Why it matters
Interest on a loan is a real cost. If a fund set aside for the same purpose was large enough, residents may wonder why the loan was needed. If it was not large enough at the time, that is worth knowing too.
It could be because…
Development charges come in over many years as building happens, while a plant upgrade must be paid for when it is built. Borrowing against future charges is a common way to bridge that gap.
Money in the fund may already be promised to other growth projects, such as the master servicing study and zoning update listed in the same schedule.
The fund balance at the start of 2026 may be higher than it was when the loan was taken, because the audited figure we can see is from the end of 2023.
Questions you could ask
What was the balance of the Development Charges fund when by-law 106-2024 was passed, and how much of it was already committed?
How much interest will the Town pay on this loan over its term, and who pays it: development charges or the levy?
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 Marys?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Debt schedule, general debt: "PRINCIPAL WWTP - DC Debt - $5M Bank (2 year term, 20 year Amortization", first-year principal 173,816.99; "INTEREST 3.76% (106-2024) - Blended", first-year interest 182,228.29.
Reserves & Reserve Funds, January to December 2026: "Fund 54 DC Fund Balance 6,924,832.69" with a closing balance of 7,220,832.69. Planned transfers to the general fund include "396,000 Debt payments".
$26,074,916.84estimated reserves and reserve funds at the start of 2026, against $17,642,687.48 planned for the end of 2025
Reserves are savings that Council sets aside for later costs. The 2026 budget shows total reserves and reserve funds of $26,074,916.84 at the start of 2026, falling to $22,248,571.84 at the end (a drop of about $3.8 million, worked out by us). The 2025 budget had planned $17,642,687.48 for the end of 2025, so the 2026 starting balance is about $8.4 million higher than that plan (worked out by us). Two reserves are planned to end 2026 below zero: Wastewater at (67,960.00) and the Building Department at (84,954.25). The 2023 statements show the Fire Capital Reserve Fund at (103,574) at the end of 2023. The Town's explanation is its asset management plan, which it says closes a funding gap by 2063, and that the 2026 budget draws on reserves for planned capital work.
Why it matters
Reserves are the Town's cushion. If balances end a year millions of dollars away from the plan, residents cannot tell how much of the budget is a real forecast. A reserve below zero means spending has been paid for with money that is not there yet, which the Town has to cover later.
It could be because…
Grants and development charges arrive in lumps, and capital projects started in one year are often finished in the next, so balances move away from a plan.
The 2026 opening figure is an estimate. Carried-over projects and money received but not yet spent can make it higher than the original plan.
A small negative balance in a rate-funded or fee-funded reserve may be covered by a later year's fees, and the Town may track it as an internal loan.
The totals include restricted funds such as gas tax and development charges, which cannot be used freely.
Questions you could ask
What were the actual closing balances of each reserve at December 31, 2025, and what explains the gap from the 2025 plan?
When each reserve that is planned to go below zero is expected to be back above zero, and how it is being covered meanwhile?
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 Marys?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
Consolidated Schedule of Continuity of Reserves and Reserve Funds, 2023: "Fire Capital Reserve Fund 412,033 23,264 25,252 (564,123) (103,574)" (opening balance, interest, from operations, utilized, closing balance).
The Town says of its capital transfers: "In 2024, the Town updated its Asset Management Plan and created a financing strategy to close the cumulative funding gap by 2063."
2023the latest year of audited statements we found on the Town's website
Audited financial statements are the yearly accounts checked by an outside accountant. The Town's Financial Reports page, read on October 5, 2026, links one set only: the 2023 statements. Management signed them, and the auditor's report is dated October 22, 2024. We did not find statements for 2024 or 2025 on the Town's website. The Town may publish them elsewhere, such as in a council agenda.
Why it matters
Audited statements are the best check on the budget. Residents voting on October 26, 2026 would have the latest yearly accounts in front of them if they were easy to find. The 2023 statements were also signed about ten months after the year ended.
It could be because…
The 2024 statements may be posted in a council agenda or on a page we did not reach.
The Financial Reports page may simply not have been updated.
The Town may have changed auditors or timing, so later statements are late.
Questions you could ask
Where are the audited statements for 2024 and 2025 posted, and when did Council receive them?
Will the Town post each year's audited statements on its Financial Reports page as soon as Council receives them?
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 Marys?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
The Financial Reports page reads: "View the Town of St. Marys 2023 Financial Statements." It is the only financial statement the page links.
The management responsibility statement is dated October 22, 2024, and the Independent Auditor's Report by Seebach & Company, Clinton, Ontario is dated October 22, 2024. The opinion says the statements "present fairly, in all material respects" the financial position as at December 31, 2023.
St Marys spent $1.7M on police, fire and safety in 2019 and $2.5M in 2023. Prices only went up about 16% in that time.
Why did the cost of police, fire and safety grow 47% in 4 years?
Police, fire and safety
Prices (inflation)
+0%+10%+20%+30%+40%+50%
+47%
20192020202120222023
Show as a table
Year
Police, fire and safety
Prices (inflation)
2019
+0%
+0%
2020
+26%
+1%
2021
+36%
+4%
2022
+33%
+11%
2023
+47%
+16%
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 $783K a year pay for?
Why did fire department go from $438K to $815K?
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 Marys?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Police, fire and safety: 2019 $1.7M, 2020 $2.1M, 2021 $2.3M, 2022 $2.2M, 2023 $2.5M.
$5,312,649surplus in 2023, against a budget figure of $2,333,296
A surplus is what is left when a year's revenue is more than its spending. The 2023 audited statements show a surplus of $5,312,649 against a budget figure of $2,333,296. Revenue came in at $30,857,504 against a budgeted $27,452,360, with more from the federal and Ontario governments, user fees and investment income than planned. The Town's own note says the budget Council approved was balanced, and was restated to match the statements' accounting. Since then the Town has raised its budget for investment income, from $357,000 in 2024 to $697,000 in 2025.
Why it matters
A budget is a promise about what the year will cost. When revenue comes in well above plan, residents may want to know whether taxes were set higher than needed, or whether the extra money was one-time grants that can only be spent on projects. This is the latest year with audited figures that the Town posts, so it may not describe 2024 or 2025.
It could be because…
The statements use accrual accounting, which counts grants and fees when they are earned, while Council's budget is built differently. The Town's note 15 shows the steps from a balanced budget to the $2,333,296.
Government grants for projects are counted as revenue when received, and the matching spending may come in later years.
The Town raised its investment income budget in later years, which suggests it noticed and adjusted.
Questions you could ask
What were the surplus and the budget figures in the audited statements for 2024 and 2025, and where are they posted?
How much of the 2023 revenue above budget was one-time grant money for projects not yet built?
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 Marys?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Consolidated Statement of Operations, 2023 budget and actual: "Change in fund balance 2,333,296 5,312,649"; total revenue 27,452,360 budget and 30,857,504 actual; "Government transfers - Canada 33,000 766,152"; "Government transfers - Ontario 2,874,806 3,432,829"; "Investment income 262,215 970,849"; total expenditure 25,119,064 budget and 25,544,855 actual.
3of the Mayor's four 2025 decisions concerned the 2026 budget
Since May 1, 2025, Ontario law has given mayors in some towns extra powers over the budget, including the power to propose it and to veto changes. The Town's Mayoral Decisions page lists four decisions for 2025. Two, on October 14 and October 21, 2025, are for "pre-budget approval". Another, on November 18, 2025, is "To shorten the veto period for the 2026 budget". The 2026 budget was adopted on November 20, 2025. The Town's capital budget summary has a column headed "Pre - Budget Approval" with some projects marked "Yes". We did not find which projects the two pre-budget decisions covered.
Why it matters
Pre-budget approval lets spending start before the budget is passed, and a shorter veto period gives Council less time to respond. These are lawful powers. Residents may want to know when they were used and for what.
It could be because…
Pre-budget approval is commonly used to order equipment or start construction before the building season or before prices rise.
A shorter veto period can keep a budget on schedule when council meetings are already planned.
The decisions are posted by title only, and the documents behind them may be on the council agenda site, which we could not open.
Questions you could ask
Which projects did the October 14 and October 21, 2025 pre-budget approvals cover, and what did each cost?
Why was the veto period shortened, and by how many days?
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 Marys?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Mayoral Decisions, 2025: "October 14, 2025 MDE 02-2025 To issue pre-budget approval"; "October 21, 2025 MDE 03-2025 To issue pre-budget approval"; "November 18, 2025 MDE 04-2025 To shorten the veto period for the 2026 budget".
2026 Capital Budget Summary, column "Pre - Budget Approval": "7 Blue Pad Roof Maintenance Community Services Yes Major Maintenance $25,000"; "8 Replacement of Friendship Centre Flat Roof Community Services Yes Replacement $150,000".
$209,675difference in 2025 wages between the two budget books, worked out by us
The 2026 book shows the 2025 budget for "Wages & Benefits" as $10,594,632. The 2025 book shows $10,804,307. The two books show the same total for 2025 expenses, $30,073,530, so about $209,675 (worked out by us) appears to have been moved from wages to "Program Expenses", which is $564,392 in the 2026 book and $354,717 in the 2025 book. Measured against the 2026 book's base, wages grow by 5.42%. Measured against the 2025 book, they grow by about 3.4% (worked out by us). The 2026 book does not say it moved these figures.
Why it matters
A percentage increase depends on the number it starts from. If the starting numbers are changed without a note, residents cannot easily compare one year's promise to the next.
It could be because…
Accounts are sometimes reclassified, for example when a program's staff are moved into a program budget, and the totals stay the same.
The reclassification may be explained in a staff report that we did not read.
It may be a simple correction.
Questions you could ask
Which program or programs had their staff costs moved, and where is the change recorded?
Will future budget books mark any restated prior-year figure?
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 Marys?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
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