Your town, in plain words
A clear, checkable guide to Stirling-Rawdon's budget, taxes and council decisions. A rural township of about 5,000 people in Hastings County, around the village of Stirling. Every figure links back to the public record.
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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.
$1.7Mowed in unpaid property tax, end of 2024
At the end of 2024, $1.7M of property tax had been billed but not paid. That is 17% of everything billed. None of the 65 similar towns had a higher share. A year earlier it was $1.5M.
Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 4 sources
14½ monthsfrom December 31, 2024 to the date the auditor signed the 2024 statements (March 19, 2026), worked out by us
Every year a town must produce financial statements that an outside auditor has checked. The auditor signed the 2021 statements on November 10, 2023 and the 2022 statements on November 16, 2023. The 2023 statements were signed on December 5, 2024. The 2024 statements were signed on March 19, 2026, and council approved a revised version on July 7, 2026. In May 2026 the town’s staff still listed finishing the audits as a next step, and said it was working with the auditors on both 2024 and 2025. All four audit reports we read say the statements “present fairly”, so the problem is timing, not the numbers. The 2024 statements are in council’s July 7, 2026 package, but the town’s budget and financial statements page lists only 2021 to 2023.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 7 sources
$52,410,000the town’s own 2024 estimate for work on 32 bridges and large culverts
In its 2024 budget presentation the Township said its 2023 bridge inspections found 32 bridges and large culverts needing about $52,410,000 of major repair or replacement. About $8,980,000 of that was replacement within one to five years. The town said doing the five-year part would take an average of $1,796,000 a year, or a 27.79% increase in the tax levy. The whole 2025 tax levy was $7,158,249. At the end of 2025 the town’s list of savings shows $13,941.25 in its capital works reserve and $65,687.29 in its roads reserve. The 2026 budget moves one bridge replacement ($460,000) to 2027 “due to risk of failure” and another ($800,000) to 2028. On February 17, 2026 council took a culvert project on Stirling-Marmora Road out of the 2026 budget.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 6 sources
$4,000,000loan in the 2026 budget for a $15 million water, sewer and road project
The 2026 budget includes a rebuild of Belleville Road, East Front Street and North Street, with water and sewer lines. The town calls it a $15 million project with a $10.8 million provincial grant. The budget shows a $4,000,000 loan for most of the rest, so the project adds nothing to the 2026 tax levy. The loan has not been priced yet. In February the CAO said a report on financing would come to council later. Using the 4.4% rate and 20 years that the town’s own consultant used for its debt estimates, a $4,000,000 loan would cost about $305,000 a year (our arithmetic). The town says 1% of its tax levy is $71,582, so that would be roughly 4% of the levy, unless water and sewer rates pay part of it. Council hired an engineer for the project on June 16, 2026 for $378,333.91.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 9 sources
+37%net cost of general administration, 2025 budget to 2026 budget
“General administration” pays for the office staff, computers, insurance and the municipal building. The 2026 budget puts its net cost at $1,086,602, which is $291,902 (37%) more than the $794,700 budgeted for 2025. In 2025 it actually came in at $727,926.94. Spending alone was $911,973 in 2025 and is budgeted at $1,217,102 for 2026. The town says the reason is changes in the number of office staff in 2025, plus higher computer leasing costs. It lists wages and benefits as the first of four reasons for the 2026 tax increase. It does not say how many positions were added or what contract help costs.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 5 sources
+15%town property tax, 2023 to 2024
In 2024, Stirling-Rawdon collected $919K more in its own property tax than in 2023. That is a 15% jump, while prices went up about 2.4%. Only 5 of 65 similar towns raised theirs by more. Almost all of it came from a higher tax rate (up 13% for homes); the value of homes on the tax roll grew only 1.6%.
Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 11 sources
$2.2Min savings at the end of 2024
Towns keep savings (called reserves) to pay for new trucks, roof repairs and surprises. Stirling-Rawdon had $2.2M saved at the end of 2024, down from $3.1M in 2019. That is 23% of one year's spending. Only 1 of 65 similar towns had less, compared with what they spend.
Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 6 sources
$2,726per home on long-term debt, 2024
Stirling-Rawdon spent about $2,726 per home on long-term debt in 2024. The typical similar town spent $643. Only 6 of 65 similar towns spent more.
Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 7 sources
+49%roads and snow, 2019 to 2024
Stirling-Rawdon spent $2.3M on roads and snow in 2019 and $3.4M in 2024. Prices only went up about 18% in that time. Only 9 of 65 similar towns had faster growth here.
Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 7 sources
+23%the mayor’s yearly council pay, 2023 to 2025 (councillors +13%, deputy mayor +30%)
Council members are paid a yearly amount called an indemnity. The mayor received $16,272.88 in 2023 and $19,999.98 in 2025. The deputy mayor went from $13,818.13 to $18,000.06, and two councillors from $13,271.18 to $15,000.18. The town’s pay policy says council pay rises each year with the cost-of-living increase for non-union staff. That does not obviously explain two years of 13% to 30% increases. We did not find the council statement for 2024, so we cannot see in which year the change happened or which decision caused it.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 5 sources
2024 tax year · Stirling-Rawdon, Ontario
Enter your home's assessed value to see roughly what you pay in property tax each year, who gets it, and what Stirling-Rawdon'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 Stirling-Rawdon.
a year in property tax, at 2024 rates
Stirling-Rawdon 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 Stirling-Rawdon'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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