Your town, in plain words
A clear, checkable guide to Whitewater Region's budget, taxes and council decisions. A rural township in Renfrew County in the Ottawa Valley, with a mayor, a deputy mayor and five councillors. 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.
$3,597per home on long-term debt, 2025
Whitewater Region spent about $3,597 per home on long-term debt in 2025. The typical similar town spent $971. Only 2 of 37 similar towns spent more.
Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 1 source
$65,140interest not counted in the 2025 statements (2024: $69,947)
Both the 2024 and 2025 statements say no provision was made for interest that had built up on long-term debt by December 31. The statements say adding it would have lowered reserves and raised spending by $65,140 for 2025. The auditor still gave a clean opinion.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
$872,988moved to reserves in 2025, against a budget of $272,993
The 2025 budget planned to move $272,993 from the general operating account into reserves. The audited actual was $872,988, about $600,000 more. The Township has explained one piece of this: $118,528 set aside to soften future police cost increases.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
$244,248general government spending over budget in 2025 (worked out by us)
General government (council and administration) was budgeted at $1,570,309 for 2025 and came in at $1,814,557. That is $244,248 over, or about 15.6% (worked out by us).
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
$1,611,048paid on long-term debt in 2025
The Township owed $13,429,190 in long-term debt at the end of 2025 and paid $1,611,048 in principal and interest during the year. Net municipal taxation was $8,568,606, so debt payments were about 18.8% of it (worked out by us; the two are not the same pot of money). The Township says it is within the Province's limit.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 4 sources
+48%water, sewers and garbage, 2019 to 2025
Whitewater Region spent $2.0M on water, sewers and garbage in 2019 and $2.9M in 2025. Prices only went up about 21% in that time.
Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 2 sources
$4.9Min savings at the end of 2025
Towns keep savings (called reserves) to pay for new trucks, roof repairs and surprises. Whitewater Region had $4.9M saved at the end of 2025, up from $2.7M in 2019. That is 44% of one year's spending. Only 4 of 37 similar towns had less, compared with what they spend.
Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 2 sources
$1.7Mowed in unpaid property tax, end of 2025
At the end of 2025, $1.7M of property tax had been billed but not paid. That is 11% of everything billed. Only 4 of 37 similar towns had a higher share. A year earlier it was $1.5M.
Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 2 sources
$15,467,661capital work in progress at December 31, 2025
At the end of 2025 the Township carried $15,467,661 as capital work in progress, up from $13,470,190 a year earlier. That is about 32.0% of the $48,285,642 net value of all its assets (worked out by us). The statements do not say which projects it holds.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 1 source
16 September 2026date printed on the auditor's report for 2025
The auditor's report on the 2024 statements is dated 15 April 2026, more than a year after that year ended. The report on the 2025 statements is dated 16 September 2026, nearly nine months after year end.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
$44.71increase in municipal tax per $100,000 of assessment, 2026 over 2025
The Treasurer's slides say the 2026 operating budget rose 1.6% net of growth. The same slides show the residential tax rate going from $778.42 to $823.13 per $100,000 of assessment, a rise of $44.71. The Township explains that it has committed to raising its capital levy 4.2% a year, and the Mayor's budget direction capped the net tax requirement at 7%.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
A property tax bill in Whitewater Region pays for three governments. Only part of it goes to the town, and that part is what Whitewater Region council controls.
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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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