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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 Woodstock'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.
Questions · 7 so far
Things worth asking about
We read Woodstock's financial reports and meeting minutes, and compared its numbers with 13 similar Ontario places. These are the things that stood out.
What these are, and what they are not. A question here means a number or practice is unusual, or harder to see than it should be. It does not mean anyone did anything wrong. Most unusual numbers turn out to have ordinary explanations, and every question lists some. The only way to know is to ask.
Worth asking
Worth asking
There may well be a good reason. It is still worth asking what it is.
$8,000,000of industrial land sales budgeted in each of 2025 and 2026
A city can sell land it owns to businesses that want to build. The City of Woodstock budgets for $8,000,000 of land sales in both 2025 and 2026, and almost all of it ($7,787,500 in 2025 and $7,812,800 in 2026) is set aside in an industrial land reserve fund (a savings account for one purpose). The 2024 audited statements show reserve funds rising from $40,951,228 to $69,716,136, an increase of $28,764,908 (worked out by us). They also show planning and development spending of $10,927,028 against a budget of $3,011,055, and "Other" revenue of $34,452,621 against a budget of $27,993,500. The statements do not say what is in "Other", so we have not shown that it is land sales. The capital plan then leans on the same reserve fund: $60,540,000 for the Northeast Industrial Park.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 6 sources
$85,000,000Cowan Fields Community Centre in the 2026 to 2030 capital plan, funded by debentures
The City's 2026 to 2030 capital plan lists a Cowan Fields Community Centre at 85,000,000, with one funding line: "LONG TERM DEBT (Debentures)". Debentures are loans repaid over many years. For comparison, the City's net long-term liabilities at the end of 2024 were $15,037,180 (the 2025 figures are in a scanned file we did not use for numbers). The City tells us in its 2026 budget slides that it has issued new debt for the downtown, the South Gate Centre and a public works office, and that "where possible" it pays some growth debt from development charges (fees on new buildings). We did not find any explanation of the community centre in the documents we read.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 3 sources
$5,758,699increase in the 2026 general purposes tax line (6.99%)
The 2026 operating budget shows the "GENERAL PURPOSES" taxation line going from $82,381,340.00 to 88,140,039.00, a rise of $5,758,699.00 or 6.99%. That line is the tax money the City collects for itself, not the County or schools. In 2025 the budget also used $2,983,450.00 of the previous year's surplus, and in 2026 it uses none. At the same time the transfer to the capital reserve falls from $8,533,810.00 to 4,504,930.00. The City's slides explain the reserve side: the 2024 surplus was put into the capital reserve, which raised the 2025 amount. We did not find the tax rate increase for the average home in the documents we read.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 4 sources
$1,896,320boundary adjustment payments in the 2026 budget (four lines added by us)
The 2026 operating budget has four "boundary adjustment" lines: $150,000.00 (Norwich Township), 115,770.00 (Zorra), 108,000.00 (Southwest Oxford) and 1,522,550.00 (Blandford-Blenheim). Together they come to $1,896,320 in 2026 (worked out by us). The City explains this: the payments are due under agreements with neighbouring municipalities and rise as development happens in the adjusted area. The City does not say when the payments end or how much is owed in all.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 2 sources
$5,794difference between two year-end surplus figures in the 2024 statements (worked out by us)
The 2024 consolidated statements give the City's accumulated surplus (what it owns less what it owes, all years added up) at the end of 2024 as $347,905,369 on the statement of financial position and in note 10, but $347,911,163 on the statement of operations. The opening figure for 2024 differs by the same amount: $305,118,872 against $305,124,666. Net financial assets at the end of 2024 are $88,568,705 on one statement and $88,574,499 on another. Each pair differs by $5,794 (worked out by us). It is small, about 0.002% of the surplus, but audited statements should agree with themselves.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 4 sources
$524,780total 2026 budget for the Council department, up from $516,940.00
Ontario cities must publish a yearly statement of pay and expenses for each member of council (Municipal Act, section 284). We did not find one on the budget, Mayor and Council or accountability pages. It may be filed with a council agenda, which we could not search because the City's meeting pages refused our scripted requests. What we can read is the 2026 budget: "COUNCIL - REMUNERATION" is $284,140.00 in 2025 and $294,090.00 in 2026, and the whole Council department is $516,940.00 and then $524,780.00. The budget includes $22,000.00 a year for the Integrity Commissioner.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 2 sources
$8,000,000of industrial land sales budgeted in each of 2025 and 2026
A city can sell land it owns to businesses that want to build. The City of Woodstock budgets for $8,000,000 of land sales in both 2025 and 2026, and almost all of it ($7,787,500 in 2025 and $7,812,800 in 2026) is set aside in an industrial land reserve fund (a savings account for one purpose). The 2024 audited statements show reserve funds rising from $40,951,228 to $69,716,136, an increase of $28,764,908 (worked out by us). They also show planning and development spending of $10,927,028 against a budget of $3,011,055, and "Other" revenue of $34,452,621 against a budget of $27,993,500. The statements do not say what is in "Other", so we have not shown that it is land sales. The capital plan then leans on the same reserve fund: $60,540,000 for the Northeast Industrial Park.
Why it matters
Land can only be sold once. If the City plans its future roads and buildings around a reserve fund filled by land sales, residents should know how much land is left to sell, how prices are set, and what happens to the plan if sales slow down.
It could be because…
Selling serviced land to businesses is a normal way for an Ontario city to pay for growth, and the proceeds are meant to be spent on more serviced land.
The 2024 spending and revenue may be one large sale or purchase that the budget did not plan for. The budget is set before the year, and the statements say the budget is unaudited.
The reserve fund growth in 2024 may be mostly money committed to named projects, so it is not free to spend on anything else.
The City's finance presentation puts "Various Sales Inc Land" (land and other sales together) at a small share of its revenue, so the plan may not rely on land sales as much as the capital plan suggests.
Questions you could ask
How many acres of industrial land did the City sell in each of the last five years, and for how much?
How much industrial land does the City still own and plan to sell, and how much of the reserve fund is already promised to projects like the Northeast Industrial Park?
What is in the "Other" revenue of $34,452,621 in the 2024 statements, and why was spending in Planning and development about three and a half times its budget (worked out by us)?
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 Woodstock?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Statement of operations, 2024. "Planning and development" under expenditures: budget 3,011,055, actual 10,927,028 (2023 actual 2,266,310). "Other" under revenue: budget 27,993,500, actual 34,452,621 (2023 actual 3,974,731).
Schedule 2, segmented information, 2024: the Planning and Development segment shows total revenue of 34,000,141, expenditures of 10,927,028 and an excess of revenue over expenditures of 23,073,113. The statements do not list what makes up its "Other" revenue of 30,630,511.
Note 10, Accumulated surplus: "Reserve funds set aside for specific purpose by legislation, regulation or agreement" were 69,716,136 in 2024 and 40,951,228 in 2023.
Development section, "LAND SALES" (account 0801-69309-0000): $8,000,000.00 in the 2025 budget and 8,000,000.00 in the 2026 budget. "PROVISION FOR INDUSTRIAL LAND RESERVE FUND" (account 0801-84231-0712): $7,787,500.00 in 2025 and 7,812,800.00 in 2026. "COSTS RELATED TO LAND SALES": $240,000.00 in both years.
Capital project DEV00022, "Northeast Industrial Park (Corlett)": funding line "RES FUND - INDUSTRIAL LAND" 60,540,000, and "Other Funding Sources - Developer" 2,450,000.
Treasury revenue chart: "Various Sales Inc Land" is one slice, labelled 6.92%, beside Taxation at 72.08%. The slide says nothing more about land sales.
$85,000,000Cowan Fields Community Centre in the 2026 to 2030 capital plan, funded by debentures
The City's 2026 to 2030 capital plan lists a Cowan Fields Community Centre at 85,000,000, with one funding line: "LONG TERM DEBT (Debentures)". Debentures are loans repaid over many years. For comparison, the City's net long-term liabilities at the end of 2024 were $15,037,180 (the 2025 figures are in a scanned file we did not use for numbers). The City tells us in its 2026 budget slides that it has issued new debt for the downtown, the South Gate Centre and a public works office, and that "where possible" it pays some growth debt from development charges (fees on new buildings). We did not find any explanation of the community centre in the documents we read.
Why it matters
A loan of $85,000,000 is more than five times what the City owed in 2024 (worked out by us). It would be repaid out of taxes and fees for decades, so it is the kind of decision residents should hear about before an election.
It could be because…
A long-range plan often carries a large placeholder for a project that is years away and may change in size, timing or funding (for example grants or development charges).
The Province sets a yearly limit on how much of a city's income can go to debt payments, and the City's statements say its payments are within it.
Council may not have decided to build it; a line in a five-year plan is not an approval.
Questions you could ask
In which year is the community centre expected to be built, how big is it, and has council voted to build it?
How much of the $85,000,000 is meant to come from development charges, grants or the land reserve fund instead of tax-supported debt?
What would the yearly payments be, and how close would they bring the City to its Provincial debt limit?
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 Woodstock?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Project BLD00071, "Cowan Fields Community Centre", 85,000,000. The funding line under it reads "LONG TERM DEBT (Debentures)". The five-year plan is headed "2026-2030 CAPITAL BUDGET".
2026-2030 Capital Budget · 310 New Buildings, Repairs, Maintenance, project BLD00071, PDF page 20
Note 9, Long-term liabilities: "Total long-term liabilities issued by the County of Oxford which the City has assumed responsibility for repayment" $ 15,037,180 in 2024 and $ 13,343,298 in 2023. Principal due in 2025: $ 2,042,068. "The annual principal and interest payments required to service these liabilities are within the annual debt repayment limit prescribed by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs." The cash flow statement shows "Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt" of 3,691,000 in 2024.
Debt: "New debt issued: Downtown Revitalization Phase 1 & 2, Southgate Expansion/Renovation, Public Works Office Addition/Renovation. Where possible, we finance some of the growth-related debt repayments with development charges."
$5,758,699increase in the 2026 general purposes tax line (6.99%)
The 2026 operating budget shows the "GENERAL PURPOSES" taxation line going from $82,381,340.00 to 88,140,039.00, a rise of $5,758,699.00 or 6.99%. That line is the tax money the City collects for itself, not the County or schools. In 2025 the budget also used $2,983,450.00 of the previous year's surplus, and in 2026 it uses none. At the same time the transfer to the capital reserve falls from $8,533,810.00 to 4,504,930.00. The City's slides explain the reserve side: the 2024 surplus was put into the capital reserve, which raised the 2025 amount. We did not find the tax rate increase for the average home in the documents we read.
Why it matters
The size of the line is not the same as the size of the tax bill. New homes add to the total without raising anyone's rate. Residents deserve to see the rate change for a typical home, next to the reason for it, before voting.
It could be because…
Part of the rise is new buildings added to the tax roll in 2025, which raises the total without raising anyone's rate.
The City stopped using last year's surplus to lower the 2026 budget, so some of the rise just replaces that one-time money.
Costs such as wages and insurance have risen across Ontario.
Questions you could ask
What is the 2026 tax rate change for the City's share, and what would it mean in dollars for a home worth the City's average assessment?
How much of the $5,758,699.00 comes from new buildings added to the tax roll?
Why was the operating budget adopted on March 19, 2026, almost three months into the year it covers?
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 Woodstock?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Administration revenue, "GENERAL PURPOSES" (0200-61001-0000): $82,381,340.00 (2025 budget), 88,140,039.00 (2026 budget), difference $5,758,699.00, 6.99 per cent change. "SURPLUS FROM PREVIOUS YEAR" (0200-69405-0000): $2,983,450.00 in 2025 and 0.00 in 2026. "ADDITIONAL TAXES" (0200-61005-0000): $1,600,000.00 and 1,750,000.00.
"PROV. FOR RES. FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS" (0200-71319-0000): $8,533,810.00 in the 2025 budget and 4,504,930.00 in the 2026 budget, a change of ($4,028,880.00).
"The 2024 surplus was allocated to the Reserve for Capital Projects resulting in the increased 2025 contribution. The 2026 estimate reflects the standard contribution of the base indexed amount plus some funding from the OMPF grant and the OLG revenue."
Woodstock spent $25.8M on police, fire and safety in 2019 and $38M in 2025. Prices only went up about 21% in that time.
Why did the cost of police, fire and safety grow 47% in 6 years?
Police, fire and safety
Prices (inflation)
+0%+10%+20%+30%+40%+50%
+47%
2019202020212022202320242025
Show as a table
Year
Police, fire and safety
Prices (inflation)
2019
+0%
+0%
2020
+17%
+1%
2021
+10%
+4%
2022
+16%
+11%
2023
+34%
+16%
2024
+33%
+18%
2025
+47%
+21%
Change since the first year shown. The grey line is how much prices rose overall, for comparison.
Why it matters
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.
It could be because…
The city added a service, a building or staff that residents asked for.
Costs were moved from another area, so the total did not really change.
Accounting rules changed how costs are sorted.
Large one-time costs, like a study, lawsuit or repair, landed in one year.
Questions you could ask
What did the extra $12.3M a year pay for?
Why did police (opp contract) go from $15.5M to $24M?
Was each increase approved by council as a separate decision, or did it happen through the yearly budget?
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 Woodstock?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Police, fire and safety: 2019 $25.8M, 2020 $30.1M, 2021 $28.3M, 2022 $30.1M, 2023 $34.5M, 2024 $34.4M, 2025 $38M.
$1,896,320boundary adjustment payments in the 2026 budget (four lines added by us)
The 2026 operating budget has four "boundary adjustment" lines: $150,000.00 (Norwich Township), 115,770.00 (Zorra), 108,000.00 (Southwest Oxford) and 1,522,550.00 (Blandford-Blenheim). Together they come to $1,896,320 in 2026 (worked out by us). The City explains this: the payments are due under agreements with neighbouring municipalities and rise as development happens in the adjusted area. The City does not say when the payments end or how much is owed in all.
Why it matters
These are fixed costs of Woodstock's growth that will land on future councils. A resident cannot judge the cost of growth without knowing how long and how much.
It could be because…
The agreements may have a fixed end date or a cap that is simply not shown in a one-line budget entry.
The payments are tied to development in the adjusted area, so they may come with new tax revenue from the same land.
Questions you could ask
When does each boundary agreement end, and what is the most the City could owe under each?
How much has the City paid under these agreements since they began?
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 Woodstock?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
$5,794difference between two year-end surplus figures in the 2024 statements (worked out by us)
The 2024 consolidated statements give the City's accumulated surplus (what it owns less what it owes, all years added up) at the end of 2024 as $347,905,369 on the statement of financial position and in note 10, but $347,911,163 on the statement of operations. The opening figure for 2024 differs by the same amount: $305,118,872 against $305,124,666. Net financial assets at the end of 2024 are $88,568,705 on one statement and $88,574,499 on another. Each pair differs by $5,794 (worked out by us). It is small, about 0.002% of the surplus, but audited statements should agree with themselves.
Why it matters
Residents rely on the statements being right. A small difference can be a typing slip or a late correction, but it is easy for the City to explain, and it shows whether the numbers tie out.
It could be because…
A late adjustment may have been made to one statement and not the other before the auditor signed.
It may be a transcription error in the statement of operations and the statement of changes in net financial assets.
It may come from a small board consolidated in one place and not the other.
Questions you could ask
Which figure is correct, and why do the statement of operations and the statement of changes in net financial assets differ from the statement of financial position by $5,794?
Was the difference raised with the auditor, and is it corrected in the 2025 statements?
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 Woodstock?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Statement of financial position: "ACCUMULATED SURPLUS (note 10)" $347,905,369 (2024) and $305,118,872 (2023). "NET FINANCIAL ASSETS" 88,568,705 (2024).
$524,780total 2026 budget for the Council department, up from $516,940.00
Ontario cities must publish a yearly statement of pay and expenses for each member of council (Municipal Act, section 284). We did not find one on the budget, Mayor and Council or accountability pages. It may be filed with a council agenda, which we could not search because the City's meeting pages refused our scripted requests. What we can read is the 2026 budget: "COUNCIL - REMUNERATION" is $284,140.00 in 2025 and $294,090.00 in 2026, and the whole Council department is $516,940.00 and then $524,780.00. The budget includes $22,000.00 a year for the Integrity Commissioner.
Why it matters
A budget line is a plan for all of council together. The yearly statement shows what each member was actually paid and what they spent on conferences, travel and mileage.
It could be because…
The statement may be posted on the meeting portal with the agenda where it is tabled, which we could not search.
The statement may be posted under a page name that we did not search for.
Questions you could ask
Where is the yearly statement of each member's pay and expenses for 2022 to 2025 posted?
What did each member of council actually spend on conferences, travel and mileage in each year of this term?
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 Woodstock?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
Council: "COUNCIL - REMUNERATION" (1200-71110-0101) $284,140.00 (2025) and 294,090.00 (2026); "COUNCIL - EXECUTIVE SUPPORT" $53,370.00 and 57,930.00; "COUNCIL-INTEGRITY COMMISSIONER-CONSULTANT SERVICES" $22,000.00 in both years.
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