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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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 Trent Hills'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.
Ontario / Trent HillsUpdated Oct 5, 2026

Your town, in plain words

How Trent Hills uses the money we share.

A clear, checkable guide to Trent Hills' budget, taxes and council decisions. A lower-tier municipality in Northumberland County, Ontario, with a mayor, a deputy mayor and five ward councillors. Every figure links back to the public record.

Your typical 2024 property tax bill$3,664on a $230K home55% Town35% County10% SchoolsSee your tax bill explained →
Town spending, 2024$21.2MAbout $3,011 per household, up 1.3% from 2023.See the money →
Property tax change+7.7%Trent Hills' own property tax came to $16.9M in 2024, against $15.6M in 2023.What changed →

Where it goes

Most of every dollar supports the everyday town.

Explore every service →
Roads and snow$5.5M · 26%
Police, fire and safety$5.1M · 24%
Parks, arena and library$3.5M · 16%
Water, sewers and garbage$3.1M · 14%
Show all 7 servicesShow fewer
Running the town office$3.0M · 14%
Planning and business$1.0M · 5%
Health$94,442 · 0%

Day-to-day spending in 2024, from Trent Hills' report to the Province.

A fair comparisonHow does Trent Hills compare?Among 81 similar Ontario towns, Trent Hills' day-to-day spending per household is near the middle.Trent Hills is here · 31 of 81, lowest to highestCompare Trent Hills →

Questions worth asking

A closer look at the numbers.

Each one is a question, not an accusation. Every one lists ordinary reasons it could be true, and the documents it comes from.

All 8 questions
Worth askingRising costs

How much will the Sunny Life Recreation and Wellness Centre cost in the end, and how much of it is still to be paid for?

$6,723,827of the centre's cost not yet funded at December 31, 2024 (up from $5,188,087)

The 2023 statements said the Municipality had committed to build the Sunny Life Recreation and Wellness Centre at a total cost of $21,648,700 plus HST (the harmonized sales tax), and that $10,106,041 had been spent by December 31, 2023. The 2024 statements do not repeat that note, and we did not find a final cost anywhere we read. They do show a line called "unfunded capital" for the centre: money spent on it that has not yet been matched by a grant, a loan or a reserve. It grew from $5,188,087 to $6,723,827 in one year. In the 2026 budget the centre's loan payment is $467,043 a year, to 2045.

Found by reading the town's own documents · 5 sources

Worth askingMoney health

How will Trent Hills pay the $2,386,744 of loan principal due in 2026, when its unrestricted cash fell to $3,459,760?

$2,386,744of loan principal due in 2026, the highest year in the repayment table

The statements list the principal the Municipality must repay on its long term debt, year by year. It is $1,192,198 for 2025 and $2,386,744 for 2026, the highest year shown. Several bank loans end in 2026, including one with a balance of $1,755,112 at December 31, 2024. Cash that is not restricted to a particular use fell from $7,907,229 to $3,459,760 in 2024. The Municipality has a $4,000,000 line of credit, with nothing drawn at the end of 2024.

Found by reading the town's own documents · 5 sources

Worth askingMoney health

How much new borrowing is in the 2026 budget, and what will the planned new Public Works depot cost?

$1,893,495listed beside the $2,485,000 Frank Street and Saskatoon Street project, funded by "2026 OCIF, and Loan"

The 2026 budget plans $6,747,325 of capital spending, up from $4,289,626 in 2025. The largest project, Frank Street and Saskatoon Street, is $2,485,000, and its funding comment reads "2026 OCIF, and Loan". The budget does not say how much of the $1,893,495 listed beside it is the loan. A new Public Works depot, to replace three sets of buildings and yards, is in both the 2025 and 2026 budgets at $100,000 a year for design. We did not find a total cost for it.

Found by reading the town's own documents · 5 sources

Good to knowMoney health

Why did Trent Hills go from $5,131,228 in net financial assets to $3,987,282 of net debt in one year?

$3,987,282net debt at December 31, 2024, after $5,131,228 of net financial assets a year earlier

Net financial assets is what a town has in cash and money owed to it, minus what it owes. Trent Hills had $5,131,228 of it at the end of 2023. At the end of 2024 it had net debt (the other direction) of $3,987,282. In 2024 the Municipality spent $24,994,159 on buildings, roads and equipment, borrowed $6,400,000, and its cash fell from $15,718,114 to $11,796,441. The Municipality's own budget in the same statements expected net debt, of $5,159,150, so this was planned.

Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources

Show 4 more questionsShow fewer
Good to knowRecord-keeping

Why does the 2026 budget book print the increase in tax-supported spending as both 5.86% and 6.40%?

5.86% or 6.40%two different increases printed for the same $1,016,086

The 2026 budget raises the amount to be collected from property taxes from $17,325,999 to $18,342,085, a difference of $1,016,086. Two pages of the budget book give the percentage as 5.86%. Another page gives 6.40% for the same total. Dividing the difference by the 2025 figure gives 5.86% (worked out by us), so 6.40% looks like a leftover from an earlier draft. The book also says that 1% is about $173,000.

Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources

Good to knowRising costs

Why does the 2026 budget take $168,745 from reserves to cover a building permit shortfall?

$168,745taken from reserves in 2026 to cover a predicted building permit shortfall

The building department is planned to cost $657,745 in 2026. Its fees are budgeted at $489,000, down from $544,000 in 2025. The $168,745 gap is covered by a withdrawal from reserves, where in 2025 the gap left to taxes was $53,026. The Municipality has explained part of this: it says permit fees were set "based on historical revenues received and forcasted building permit revenues" (spelled as printed), and that the shortfall is "predicted".

Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources

Good to knowRising costs

Why is the 2026 police bill $280,864 higher, and what happens when the limit on its growth ends?

$280,864increase in the 2026 OPP billing, with $173,000 taken from a reserve to soften it

Trent Hills pays the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) under a contract. The budget says the 2026 billing is $2,834,171, an increase of $280,864 or 11% on the monthly billing. It says the OPP's own starting figure was $3,261,303, and that a cap on the yearly increase brought it down by $427,132. In 2025 the same cap took off $431,907. The Municipality also moves $173,000 from a reserve in 2026 to soften the increase. The budget counts the increase as 1.8% of the municipal budget.

Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources

Good to knowHow decisions are made

Under strong mayor powers, who now decides the budget and approves by-laws in Trent Hills, and where is the paperwork?

MDI-2025-001the directive for the 2026 budget, issued May 13, 2025

The Municipality's 2026 budget book says the province gave Trent Hills strong mayor powers on May 1, 2025, and that on May 13, 2025 Mayor Crate issued Mayoral Directive MDI-2025-001 telling staff to prepare the 2026 budget. Under these powers the budget is the mayor's responsibility, and council can amend it within 30 days or the budget is deemed adopted. The Municipality's own page says every Mayoral Decision and Directive is posted, and lists a written approval for the by-laws passed at each council meeting.

Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources

2024 tax year · Trent Hills, Ontario

Your tax bill, worked out.

Enter your home's assessed value to see roughly what you pay in property tax each year, who gets it, and what Trent Hills'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 Trent Hills.

Source

a year in property tax, at 2024 rates

  • Trent Hills
  • County or region
  • Schools

Trent Hills council sets only its own share. County or region sets its share, the Province sets the school rate.

See what your Trent Hills share pays forHide the breakdown

Roughly what your Trent Hills share pays for

Source
  • Roads and snow
  • Police, fire and safety
  • Running the town office
  • Parks, arena and library
  • Planning and business
  • Health

An estimate. It uses the residential tax rate, and splits Trent Hills'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.

  • Every fact, sourced

    Each number links to the public document it came from. Check it yourself.

  • No accusations

    We ask questions. Every one lists ordinary reasons a number could look odd.

  • Compared fairly

    Towns are only compared with places of a similar size and kind, from the same yearly reports.

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