Budget and Finance

On this page

1. Financial Reports
2. Asset Management Plan
3. Municipal User Fees
4. Municipal Budget

Financial Reports

Every year, an external independent accounting firm audits the Township of Champlain's financial statements and we publish those Annual Financial Statements.  These statements include Audited Financial Statements, as required by the Ontario Municipal Act.  These statements help the Municipality demonstrate responsible management of financial resources through open, transparent, accountable and innovate leadership in local governance. 

The Financial Information Return (FIR) is the main data collection tool used by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing to collect financial and statistical information on Municipalities. The FIR is a standard document comprised of a number of Schedules which are updated each year to comply with current legislation and reporting requirements. All Financial Information Return can be found on the Ministry of Municipal Affaires and Housing website.

Asset Management Plan

The Asset Management Plan helps the Township make the best possible decisions regarding the construction, operation, maintenance, renewal, replacement, expansion and disposal of infrastructure assets while minimizing risk and cost to taxpayers and maximizing service delivery.

Municipal User Fees

Municipal fees and charges are a charge to the user of a specific municipal service, activity or product, or for the use of municipal property.

The purpose of a User Fees and Charges is to recover costs incurred as a result of services provided by the municipality. Most services are as a result of an individual or group needs and not beneficial to the community as a whole. Those services are calculated to recovery costs to provide the services. During the annual budget process, these user fees and charges are reviewed and amended accordingly, to ensure that cost recovery is reviewed and achieved on an economy of scale. Contact the finance department for to get the municipal user fees document.

Budget

At a Special Council meeting on March 16, the Township of Champlain's Council was presented the 2023 municipal budget of $25.7 million, with an operating budget of $15,606,335 and capital projects of $10,094,488. The municipal budget will be approved at the regular meeting on Wednesday, March 22.

For 2023, the property tax bill is increased by 3.6%. An increase of 1% represents $71,756 for the Township of Champlain. For a house with an average property assessment of $225,883, the increase represents $99.50:

• $65.15 for the municipal portion (4.5%)
• $34.10 for the United Counties' portion (3,53%).
• No increase in school taxes

The Mayor was very satisfied with the budget presented and with being the 3rd lowest municipal tax bill in the United Counties of Prescott and Russell: " It is essential to keep improving our infrastructure, to invest in facilities for our children and our community and to maintain the efficient operation of the municipality. The Stephens, St-Denis and King Streets rehabilitation projects, the landfill investments and the library and arena improvements are projects that cost close to $10.3M, but only $4.8M are collected from property taxes because of the outstanding work of the Department Heads who were able to secure significant grants. It is remarkable that the Administration has been able to control the combined tax increase to 3.6%, despite inflation and the strong rise in the consumer price index over the past two years.”

A Budget Greatly Impacted by Inflation

Projects and expenses for 2023 are greatly impacted by the inflation of the last two years. For example, the fuel and gas budget must be increased by $67,000 and winter road sand must be increased by $45,000. In addition, due to the increase in lawsuits against Ontario municipalities and inflation, the liability insurance policy must also be adjusted by $45,000 in 2023. As shown in the table below, property taxes have not increased by enough since 2020 to cover the higher inflation rate.

Accessibility for All

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) is a law that sets out a process for developing and enforcing accessibility standards. The goal of the AODA is to reduce and remove barriers for people with disabilities so that Ontario can become more accessible and inclusive for everyone. Accessibility standards are regulations that public government must follow in order to become more accessible, and this includes recreational facilities and parks, infrastructure, roads and online communications. The Township of Champlain, as well as all municipalities in Ontario, is required to submit an Accessibility Compliance Action Plan Progress Report on an annual basis, and many investments and works are required to ensure compliance with the AODA:

• Dedicated parking near L'Orignal Beach ($4,500)
• Ramps and mats at Mill Street Park ($10,000)
• Mats under slides and swings at Woodhill, Pilon and Desjardins parks ($4,800)
• Remediation of public documents to comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA ($20,000)

Highlights of the 2023 Budget

• Grants for community organizations ($39,420);
• Federal, provincial and regional government capital grants of $4,032,259.
• Condition assessment of all municipal infrastructure as required by the Asset Management Planning for Municipal Infrastructure Regulation (O. Reg. 588/2017) which requires an approved asset management plan that identifies the current levels of service of all municipal infrastructure and the costs required to maintain those levels of service by July 2024 ($141,000)
• New self-contained breathing apparatus for the firefighters ($433,000)

Roads and Public Works

• Phase 2 and final phase of the wastewater and stormwater management systems and King Street rehabilitation in L'Orignal ($1.6M in 2022 and $3.2M in 2023)
• Rehabilitation of L'Orignal Standpipe ($1.8M project, $1.3M funded by grants)
• Rehabilitation of Chartrand, Perreault, Pattee and Eldemer Streets (Projects funded by grants for a total of $701,000)

Parks and Recreation

• Tree planting and rubber surface repairs at Sacha's Park ($7,300)
• Multiple repairs to L'Orignal Park and additions to the storage garage ($47,500)
• Replacement of the backstop at Mill Street Park ($15,000)

Your municipal budget funds services and programs in diverse sectors such as roads, police department, fire services, social and family services, garbage and recycling collection, communication, community development, parks and recreation programs, snow clearing, planning, and economic development.