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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 West Elgin'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.
A clear, checkable guide to West Elgin's budget, taxes and council decisions. A municipality of about 5,100 people in Southwestern Ontario. Every figure links back to the public record.
$127,900rise in the Landfill line, 2026 draft against the 2025 budget
The draft puts Landfill at $706,358.94 for 2026, against $578,458.61 in the 2025 budget: a rise of $127,900. On the landfill page, an income line called "Resource Recovery - RLG" brought in 145,000.00 in the 2025 budget and an estimated 147,408.90 for 2025. For 2026 it shows a dash, which means nothing. The line for recycling collection also shows a dash for 2026 (it was 144,000.00 in the 2025 budget), garbage collection is 400,000 (294,000.00 in the 2025 budget), and a new transfer to reserves of 50,000 appears. The draft does not explain any of this.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
$661,313.56to come out of the trailer park reserve in 2026, for a $750,000 washroom
A reserve is savings set aside for a purpose. The Port Glasgow Trailer Park page of the 2026 Draft Budget shows a capital line "New Washroom (Engineering & Construction)" of 750,000.00, against 50,000.00 in the 2025 budget. It is paid mainly by a transfer from the park's reserve of 661,313.56. The page's reserve box shows a balance of $1,133,375.69 on January 1, 2026 and an estimated $472,062.13 on December 31, 2026. The rest of the cost, $88,686.44 (worked out by us), has to come from the park's own income.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
$470,000for library building work in 2026, after $29,393.10 estimated spent of $500,000 budgeted for 2025
The Library - West Lorne page of the 2026 Draft Budget shows a capital line "Building Renovations" of 470,000 for 2026. In the 2025 budget it was 500,000.00, and the 2025 estimate is only 29,393.10. The 2026 draft pays for the work with a transfer from reserves of 374,209 and an income line "Long-term Financing" of 100,000. Long-term financing normally means a loan. The Debentures page (loan repayments) lists only tile drains, municipal drains and the waterline, so we found no loan repayment for the library in the draft.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
$519,088.02the whole Rodney sewage reserve balance, shown leaving in 2026
The reserve schedule shows the reserve called "DISC RESERVES - RODNEY SEWAGE" at $519,088.02 at the end of 2025, and a 2026 transfer out of (519,088.02): the whole balance. The water reserve ("DISC RESERVES - WEST ELGIN WATER DEPT") also shows a 2026 transfer out of (203,944.72). The first page of the draft lists "Sewage - Rodney", "Sewage - West Lorne" and "Water" at 0.00, which suggests they are budgeted elsewhere. The 36 pages we read (by our count) have no page for sewage or water, so we cannot see what the money pays for.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
$177,718.84spent in 2024 on four professional-fee lines, against $55,000.00 budgeted (worked out by us)
On the Administration page, the 2024 actuals for four lines are far above the 2024 budget. Legal was 51,421.38 against 30,000.00. Audit was 50,015.62 against 25,000.00. Consulting Services was 21,725.00 against a dash (no budget). Special Projects - Environmental Study was 54,556.84 against a dash. Together that is $177,718.84 spent against $55,000.00 budgeted (both worked out by us). The 2025 estimates are also above the 2025 budget for legal (36,219.54 against 30,000.00) and consulting (22,523.24 against 10,000.00); an estimate is a mid-year projection, so we treat that as timing. The 2026 draft sets legal at 30,000, audit at 32,000 and consulting at 10,000.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
At the end of 2024, $1.1M of property tax had been billed but not paid. That is 11% of everything billed. Only 12 of 65 similar towns had a higher share. A year earlier it was $716K.
Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 2 sources
The first page of the 2026 Draft Budget shows a rate increase of 6.56% and a levy increase of 7.09%. The levy is the total amount raised from property taxes. The page shows taxation of $4,722,651.89 for 2026, against $4,410,133.31 in the 2025 budget. Five departments account for the biggest rises on that page: Roads (up $145,196), Landfill (up $127,900), Police Services (up $104,603), Municipal Buildings (up $74,052) and the Arena (up $43,900). The draft carries no notes explaining them. This is a draft, and we do not know whether Council changed it before adopting it.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
17%rise in Council's own budget, 2026 draft against the 2025 budget
The Council page of the 2026 Draft Budget totals $157,615.76, against $134,353.24 in the 2025 budget (up $23,263, or 17%). The page has a new "Election Expense" of 40,000, in the year of the October 26, 2026 municipal election, with a matching transfer from reserves of 30,000. Other lines also rise: conferences, seminars and meetings 20,000 (10,000.00 in the 2025 budget), other supplies 12,500 (5,000.00) and mileage 2,500 (1,000.00). Legal costs were estimated at 17,280.43 for 2025, against a budget of 10,000.00. We have not used any pay lines.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
$104,603rise in the Police Services line, 2026 draft against the 2025 budget
Police Services is $1,080,995.00 in the 2026 Draft Budget, against $976,392.00 in the 2025 budget: a rise of $104,603. Almost all of it is the "Contracted Services" line, 1,105,995 for 2026 against 996,392.00 in the 2025 budget. The 2025 estimate for that line was lower than the budget, at 979,144.30. A transfer from reserves of 30,000 offsets part of it in each year. The draft has no notes explaining the rise.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
2024 tax year · West Elgin, 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 West Elgin'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 West Elgin.
An estimate. It uses the residential tax rate, and splits West Elgin'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.
How West Elgin's share of the bill compares with similar towns
Towns are only compared with places of a similar size and kind, from the same yearly reports.
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