Questions · 11 so far
We read Sundridge's financial reports and meeting minutes, and compared its numbers with 32 similar Ontario towns. These are the things that stood out.
These are unusual enough that residents deserve a clear answer from council.
$4,477per home on long-term debt, 2025
Sundridge spent about $4,477 per home on long-term debt in 2025. The typical similar town spent $595. Only 2 of 32 similar towns spent more.
Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 1 source
There may well be a good reason. It is still worth asking what it is.
-18.3%change in property tax revenue needed from Sundridge under one rate, before any savings (consultant's estimate)
The councils of the Village of Sundridge and the Townships of Strong and Joly are studying whether to join into one municipality. A consultant's report for their restructuring committee used 2024 figures. If one tax rate were used everywhere and nothing were saved, it says the money raised from property taxes would fall 18.3% in Sundridge and 16.6% in Joly, and rise 16.5% in Strong. With the savings it expects over time, Sundridge would be down 32.6% and Strong up 7.0%. These are changes in the total raised in each place (property taxes only), not in one house's bill. The Village's own page says residents will not vote on a merger.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 4 sources
$106,000 vs $174,000council savings in the consultant's report vs the staff report
Two documents estimate what a merger would save. The consultant's report says council would save $106,000 a year and total savings would be $111,430 in the short term and $462,930 a year in the long term. A staff report dated August 10, 2026 says council would save $174,000, and that total savings would be over $500,000. The two use different years and methods, and the staff report's tables are pictures we could not read, so we cannot say how each total was built.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
$650,000highest estimated one-time cost of a merger, in the consultant's report
The consultant says one-time costs of a merger could be between $450,000 and $650,000. The biggest items are a new official plan and zoning by-law ($200,000 to $300,000) and incentives for staff to leave ($500,000 to $600,000), less $250,000 from selling an unused office. The report notes the province paid one-time costs of the forced mergers of 1995 to 2000 but says it is not clear it would do so now. The staff report's mock budget assumes all one-time costs have already been paid.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
$587,408Sundridge share of the fire department in the 2025 budget, of which $367,668 comes from the fire reserve
The fire department is shared with the Township of Strong. In the 2025 budget schedule, "Sundridge Share of Fire Department" goes from $210,647.00 in the 2024 column to $587,408.00 in 2025. The same page shows a "Transfer From Fire Reserve" of $367,668.00 in 2025. A reserve is money the Village has set aside in past years. Taking the reserve transfer off, the amount left is $219,740 (worked out by us).
Found by reading the town's own documents · 1 source
$2,169,846to be raised from municipal property taxes in 2025, up from $1,992,304 in the 2024 budget
The levy is the amount the Village asks property owners to pay for its own services (schools are separate). The 2025 budget schedule raises it from $1,992,304.00 to $2,169,846.00, about 8.9% more (worked out by us). By-law 2025-019, passed April 23, 2025, uses the $2,169,846 figure. The same schedule shows less money from two road grants: "PROV GOV'T GRANTS - OCIF FORMULA FUNDING" goes from $371,454.00 to $167,085.00 and "NORDS Funding" from $222,574.00 to $68,465.00. Planned road capital spending also falls, from $605,000.00 to $233,186.00.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
+56%roads and snow, 2019 to 2025
Sundridge spent $414K on roads and snow in 2019 and $646K in 2025. Prices only went up about 21% in that time. Only 6 of 32 similar towns had faster growth here.
Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 3 sources
Background that helps make sense of the rest.
$261,849policing in the 2025 budget, against $199,927 in the 2024 column
In the 2025 budget schedule, "Policing - OTHER TRANSFERS" goes from $199,927.00 to $261,849.00, about 31% more (worked out by us). It is one of the larger single lines in the schedule's general expenses. The schedule does not say what changed.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 1 source
2024the newest year of audited statements we found posted
The Village's budgets and financial reporting page lists audited statements for 2020 to 2024. We did not find 2025 statements on the page we read on October 7, 2026. The auditor's reports on the earlier statements are dated September 13, 2023 (for 2022), October 23, 2024 (for 2023) and September 10, 2025 (for 2024). The 2024 report says the 2023 statements were audited by another auditor.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
$246,716operating deficit for 2023, against a budgeted surplus of $8,121
A deficit means a year's costs were more than its revenue. For 2023 the Village budgeted an operating surplus of $8,121 and recorded a deficit of $246,716. Government transfers came in at $772,207 against a budget of $1,215,499, and purchases of capital assets (things like roads and equipment) were $173,493 against a budgeted $757,255. The 2024 statements show a surplus of $536,073 against a budgeted $365,202.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
$476per home on garbage, dump and recycling, 2025
Sundridge spent about $476 per home on garbage, dump and recycling in 2025. The typical similar town spent $267. Only 2 of 32 similar towns spent more.
Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 1 source
$4,477per home on long-term debt, 2025
Sundridge spent about $4,477 per home on long-term debt in 2025. The typical similar town spent $595. Only 2 of 32 similar towns spent more.
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.
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 Sundridge? Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
Long-term debt per home: Sundridge $4,477; typical similar town $595; ranked 3rd highest of 33.
Ontario Financial Information Return (FIR), 2025, 32 similar municipalities · Schedule 40 and Schedule 2 · archived copy
-18.3%change in property tax revenue needed from Sundridge under one rate, before any savings (consultant's estimate)
The councils of the Village of Sundridge and the Townships of Strong and Joly are studying whether to join into one municipality. A consultant's report for their restructuring committee used 2024 figures. If one tax rate were used everywhere and nothing were saved, it says the money raised from property taxes would fall 18.3% in Sundridge and 16.6% in Joly, and rise 16.5% in Strong. With the savings it expects over time, Sundridge would be down 32.6% and Strong up 7.0%. These are changes in the total raised in each place (property taxes only), not in one house's bill. The Village's own page says residents will not vote on a merger.
A merger would change who pays for what, and the biggest shift falls on Strong, whose taxes are lower today. Residents of all three places cannot vote on it, so the numbers are how they judge it. The consultant also says a new council would have to decide how to handle the differences, so the final bills are not known.
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 Sundridge? Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The consultant's table "Tax Impacts of Amalgamation" gives current tax revenue of 1,999,902 for Sundridge and 3,111,705 for Strong. Future tax revenue is 1,634,342 for Sundridge (-18.3%) and 3,624,537 for Strong (16.5%). With short-term reductions Sundridge is 1,603,988 (-24.68%) and with long-term reductions 1,508,237 (-32.6%); Strong is 12.52% and 7.0%.
Maclaren Municipal Consulting, Financial Analysis for the Restructuring Study · page 14, table "Tax Impacts of Amalgamation"
The report says: "Amalgamation will result in increased property tax in Strong." It adds that Joly and Sundridge "would experience tax decreases of 16% to 18% with no savings from amalgamation".
Maclaren Municipal Consulting, Financial Analysis for the Restructuring Study · page 13, answer to Q7
A staff report to the restructuring committee says that without harmonization of tax rates, amalgamation would lower rates in Joly and Sundridge and raise them in Strong, and that harmonization "would be required" so ratepayers "would not expect major deviations from their current municipal tax rate".
Staff Report 2026-006SSJR, 2026 Mock Amalgamation Budget · page 4, conclusion 2
The Village's amalgamation page answers "Will residents have the opportunity to vote on amalgamation?" with "No, under the Municipal Act, amalgamation decisions are not made through referendums."
Village of Sundridge, Amalgamation page · FAQs section
$106,000 vs $174,000council savings in the consultant's report vs the staff report
Two documents estimate what a merger would save. The consultant's report says council would save $106,000 a year and total savings would be $111,430 in the short term and $462,930 a year in the long term. A staff report dated August 10, 2026 says council would save $174,000, and that total savings would be over $500,000. The two use different years and methods, and the staff report's tables are pictures we could not read, so we cannot say how each total was built.
Savings are the main reason given for merging. When two official documents give different numbers for the same item, residents cannot tell which to rely on at the public information session.
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 Sundridge? Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The records that would answer this can be requested: Tables attached to the August 10, 2026 mock amalgamation budget report, with wording you can copy.
The consultant's "Annual Impact" table shows Council (106,000), Employees 21,500 short-term and (330,000) long-term, and a Joly fire contract (26,930). The total is (111,430) short-term and (462,930) long-term. Page 7 says 15 councillors cost about $236,000 in 2024 and 5 councillors could cost about $130,000.
Maclaren Municipal Consulting, Financial Analysis for the Restructuring Study · page 12, "Annual Impact" table; page 7, "Council"
The staff report's best-case scenario says savings in levy funding come to "over $500,000", listing Council expenses savings of $174,000, Audit expenses $50,000, Administration expenses $106,000 and Insurance expense $46,000. It gives a Sundridge rate decrease of 33% in the worst case and 38% in the best case.
Staff Report 2026-006SSJR, 2026 Mock Amalgamation Budget · page 3, "Analysis", scenarios A and B
The staff report lists the assumptions behind its mock budget, including that the Joly property was sold during the transition and that sewer, curbside garbage collection, crossing-guard, sidewalk and streetlight costs are excluded and treated as local improvement charges.
Staff Report 2026-006SSJR, 2026 Mock Amalgamation Budget · page 2, "Assumptions"
$650,000highest estimated one-time cost of a merger, in the consultant's report
The consultant says one-time costs of a merger could be between $450,000 and $650,000. The biggest items are a new official plan and zoning by-law ($200,000 to $300,000) and incentives for staff to leave ($500,000 to $600,000), less $250,000 from selling an unused office. The report notes the province paid one-time costs of the forced mergers of 1995 to 2000 but says it is not clear it would do so now. The staff report's mock budget assumes all one-time costs have already been paid.
If the province does not pay, the three councils would have to find the money, from reserves, borrowing or taxes. The long-term savings figures in the other documents do not include this cost.
You can ask during the public part of a council meeting, by writing to the clerk, or by contacting your councillors. How to reach council.
Speak for Sundridge? Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The consultant's "One-time Costs" table shows Official Plan and Zoning By-law 200,000 to 300,000, Employee Incentives 500,000 to 600,000 and Potential Sale of Surplus Property (250,000), for a total of 450,000 to 650,000. It says: "the province paid the one-time costs of the forced amalgamations that occurred in 1995 through 2000. It is not clear if the province would take the same position now".
Maclaren Municipal Consulting, Financial Analysis for the Restructuring Study · page 12, "One Time Expenses"
The staff report's mock budget assumes the first year of "normal" operations after the transition period, "therefore all one-time cash inflows and outflows have already occurred with a NIL$ impact moving forward".
Staff Report 2026-006SSJR, 2026 Mock Amalgamation Budget · page 2, "Assumptions"
$587,408Sundridge share of the fire department in the 2025 budget, of which $367,668 comes from the fire reserve
The fire department is shared with the Township of Strong. In the 2025 budget schedule, "Sundridge Share of Fire Department" goes from $210,647.00 in the 2024 column to $587,408.00 in 2025. The same page shows a "Transfer From Fire Reserve" of $367,668.00 in 2025. A reserve is money the Village has set aside in past years. Taking the reserve transfer off, the amount left is $219,740 (worked out by us).
Spending $367,668 from savings is a large one-time draw for a village this size, and residents may want to know what it bought and how much is left. The budget schedule does not say.
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 Sundridge? Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The records that would answer this can be requested: What the 2025 fire reserve transfer paid for, with wording you can copy.
Under Fire Services, "Sundridge Share of Fire Department" is $210,647.00 in the "2024 Budget amount" column and $587,408.00 in the "2025 Proposed" column. "Transfer From Fire Reserve" is $367,668.00 in 2025. On page 10, "FIRE EQUIP. RESERVES TRANSFER" is $25,000.00 and $30,000.00.
Village of Sundridge 2025 Budget, by area (Schedule A to By-law 2025-019) · page 3, Fire Services; page 10, Reserve Transfers
$2,169,846to be raised from municipal property taxes in 2025, up from $1,992,304 in the 2024 budget
The levy is the amount the Village asks property owners to pay for its own services (schools are separate). The 2025 budget schedule raises it from $1,992,304.00 to $2,169,846.00, about 8.9% more (worked out by us). By-law 2025-019, passed April 23, 2025, uses the $2,169,846 figure. The same schedule shows less money from two road grants: "PROV GOV'T GRANTS - OCIF FORMULA FUNDING" goes from $371,454.00 to $167,085.00 and "NORDS Funding" from $222,574.00 to $68,465.00. Planned road capital spending also falls, from $605,000.00 to $233,186.00.
A levy rise of this size is a direct cost to residents. The budget schedule gives line amounts but not the town's reasons, so residents cannot see which lines drove the rise.
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 Sundridge? Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
"Municipal Taxation" is $1,992,304.00 in the 2024 budget column and $2,169,846.00 in the 2025 column. "Revenue to be raised by Taxation" is $1,992,304.00 and $2,169,846.00. "PROV GOV'T GRANTS - OCIF FORMULA FUNDING" is $371,454.00 and $167,085.00 (page 3); "NORDS Funding" is $222,574.00 and $68,465.00 (page 4); "Road Capital - PW" is $605,000.00 and $233,186.00 (page 4). "Opening Surplus (for budget only)" is $87,292.00 and $104,951.20 (page 8).
Village of Sundridge 2025 Budget, by area (Schedule A to By-law 2025-019) · pages 2, 11 (taxation), 3, 4, 8
By-law 2025-019 lists "General Purposes $ 2,169,846" and "Education $ 298,079" as the sums to be raised by taxation for 2025. It was "PASSED THIS 23rd DAY OF APRIL, 2025" and says the estimates for 2025 are attached as Schedule A.
By-law No. 2025-019, adoption of tax rates for 2025 · page 1, recitals; last page, passed date and section 10
+56%roads and snow, 2019 to 2025
Sundridge spent $414K on roads and snow in 2019 and $646K in 2025. Prices only went up about 21% in that time. Only 6 of 32 similar towns had faster growth here.
| Year | Roads and snow | Prices (inflation) |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | +0% | +0% |
| 2020 | −6% | +1% |
| 2021 | +3% | +4% |
| 2022 | +24% | +11% |
| 2023 | +43% | +16% |
| 2024 | +46% | +18% |
| 2025 | +56% | +21% |
Change since the first year shown. The grey line is how much prices rose overall, for comparison.
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.
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 Sundridge? Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
Roads and snow: 2019 $414K, 2020 $390K, 2021 $426K, 2022 $513K, 2023 $591K, 2024 $603K, 2025 $646K.
Ontario Financial Information Return (FIR), 2019 to 2025 · Schedule 40 · archived copy
Biggest driver: Roadsides and signs, from $178K to $568K.
Ontario Financial Information Return (FIR), 2019 to 2025 · Schedule 40 · archived copy
Typical growth among similar towns: 31%. Sundridge ranks 7th of 33.
Ontario Financial Information Return (FIR), 2025, 32 similar municipalities · Schedule 40 · archived copy
$261,849policing in the 2025 budget, against $199,927 in the 2024 column
In the 2025 budget schedule, "Policing - OTHER TRANSFERS" goes from $199,927.00 to $261,849.00, about 31% more (worked out by us). It is one of the larger single lines in the schedule's general expenses. The schedule does not say what changed.
Policing is a cost many residents cannot see or control. A rise this large would be useful to explain, along with how the Village's share is set.
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 Sundridge? Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
Under General Expenses, "Policing - OTHER TRANSFERS" is $199,927.00 in the "2024 Budget amount" column and $261,849.00 in the "2025 Proposed" column.
Village of Sundridge 2025 Budget, by area (Schedule A to By-law 2025-019) · page 9, Policing
2024the newest year of audited statements we found posted
The Village's budgets and financial reporting page lists audited statements for 2020 to 2024. We did not find 2025 statements on the page we read on October 7, 2026. The auditor's reports on the earlier statements are dated September 13, 2023 (for 2022), October 23, 2024 (for 2023) and September 10, 2025 (for 2024). The 2024 report says the 2023 statements were audited by another auditor.
Audited statements are the independent check on what the Village says it spent and owns. Until they are posted, the latest independent figures are for the year ended December 31, 2024.
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 Sundridge? Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The "Financial Statements" section lists the years 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2020, each with the Village's statements. The first year listed is 2024.
Village of Sundridge, Budgets and Financial Reporting page · Financial Statements section
The auditor's report for 2024 is signed in North Bay on September 10, 2025. Under "Other Matter" it says the 2023 statements "were audited by another auditor who expressed an unmodified opinion of those statements on October 23, 2024".
The Corporation of the Village of Sundridge, Financial Report, December 31, 2024 · PDF pages 5 and 6, Independent Auditor's Report
The auditor's report for 2022 is dated September 13, 2023.
The Corporation of the Village of Sundridge, Consolidated Financial Statements, December 31, 2022 · PDF page 4, Independent Auditor's Report
$246,716operating deficit for 2023, against a budgeted surplus of $8,121
A deficit means a year's costs were more than its revenue. For 2023 the Village budgeted an operating surplus of $8,121 and recorded a deficit of $246,716. Government transfers came in at $772,207 against a budget of $1,215,499, and purchases of capital assets (things like roads and equipment) were $173,493 against a budgeted $757,255. The 2024 statements show a surplus of $536,073 against a budgeted $365,202.
A budget is the promise about what a year will cost. A swing from a deficit to a surplus in a year is worth understanding, because it shows how much depends on when grants arrive and when projects are done.
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 Sundridge? Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
Statement of operations for 2023: "ANNUAL OPERATING SURPLUS (DEFICIT)" budget 8,121, actual (246,716). "Government transfers" budget 1,215,499, actual 772,207. On page 8, "Acquisition of tangible capital assets" is budget (757,255), actual (173,493).
The Corporation of the Village of Sundridge, Consolidated Financial Statements, December 31, 2023 · PDF page 6, statement of operations; PDF page 8, change in net financial assets
Statement of operations for 2024: "Annual surplus (deficit)" budget 365,202, actual 536,073, with 2023 actual (246,716). "Government grants and transfers related to capital - Provincial" is 594,028 budgeted and 566,177 actual.
The Corporation of the Village of Sundridge, Financial Report, December 31, 2024 · PDF page 8, statement of operations (page 2 of the statements)
$476per home on garbage, dump and recycling, 2025
Sundridge spent about $476 per home on garbage, dump and recycling in 2025. The typical similar town spent $267. Only 2 of 32 similar towns spent more.
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.
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 Sundridge? Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
Garbage, dump and recycling per home: Sundridge $476; typical similar town $267; ranked 3rd highest of 33.
Ontario Financial Information Return (FIR), 2025, 32 similar municipalities · Schedule 40 and Schedule 2 · archived copy