Municipality on the edge of the abyss: a mayor admits having misunderstood finances

The Ontario Municipality of Fauquier-Strickland. However, which lives a serious financial crisis, has ignored several alarm signals, demonstrates a radio-Canada investigation. The KPMG firm, elected officials, municipal employees and citizens raised red flags since at least 2021, show documents and testimonies.

Today, the French -speaking municipality of around 500 residents has accumulated $ 2.5 million in budgetary deficits, according to the mayor. To fill these deficits only by taxes, they should increase by 200 %, calculates the municipal administration.

Faced with this situation. In addition, Fauquier-Strickland announced, on July 9, the cessation of his activities and the dismissal of his employees by August 1. Moreover, The municipality requested the help of the Ontario government, which sent a delegation this week.

We failed to increase our taxesrecognizes the mayor Madeleine Tremblay, in an interview with Radio-Canada.

I think it was a lack of understanding of myself and. Meanwhile, in the past, of the municipal council, to really understand the financing of a municipality.

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The KPMG firm sounded the alarm in 2022 – Municipality edge abyss: mayor admits

In an examination of the services. Therefore, finance presented to the Municipal Council of Fauquier-Strickland in January 2022, the KPMG firm concluded, however, that “the growth in income did not follow the growth in expense and capital requirements”.

At the end of 2020, the cumulative deficit already reached $ 987,000, underlined KPMG. For example, Tax revenues remained relatively stable [entre 2014 et 2020]while operating expenses and fixed assets have increased.

Minimum growth in tax revenue […] cannot be maintained. For example, because the canton will be in a position which will require a catch -up to finance excessive expenses made in recent years, which will result in an increase in the tax rate which municipality edge abyss: mayor admits is not sustainable for residents.

In an interview, the mayor herself admits that taxes should have been increased a long time ago, even in the last five years.

Residents of Fauquier-Strickland saw their taxes increase by 5 % in 2022, 5 % in 2023 and 26 % in 2024.

The municipality requested the help of the Ontario government in 2023. Nevertheless, Queen’s Park made recommendations in 2024. Similarly, During an extraordinary public meeting held on July 14, the mayor admitted that she had not implemented them. Nevertheless, She did not respond to our request to see these recommendations.

We expected to get more helpshe added. Moreover,

The treasurer anticipated an explosion of taxes

In a document written for the municipal council municipality edge abyss: mayor admits in 2024. Furthermore, the assistant treasurer of Fauquier-Strickland also warned the elected officials that the municipality was exposed to a flambé of taxes. However, According to him. Furthermore, they would have had to increase by more than 300 % at the end of 2023 to mop the debt, if additional income was not found.

In his document. Consequently, the assistant treasurer quotes previous reports who informed the Council of the need to increase taxation to tackle the deficit. These reports have also noted that this concern is not new. but that it has been developing for a few yearshe writes.

The general deficit is partly attributable to fixed assets, he specifies. The project plus notableaccording to the assistant treasurer, is the restoration of the water treatment plant. He also quotes the new community center and the new health center, whose construction was municipality edge abyss: mayor admits approved in 2022.

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With all the projects we have made, we used all our reservesrecognizes the mayor, especially since there has been an unforeseen increase in certain costs, especially with the pandemic.

The health center. whose construction costs were estimated at $ 2 million at the time of design, increased the debt burden by municipality edge abyss: mayor admits $ 5168 per household. Thus. this burden in Fauquier-Strickland became seven times higher than the provincial average, according to a document prepared by the director of municipal services for elected officials in April 2025.

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The mayor claims to have had favorable opinions

Some municipal councilors had raised concerns about the municipality’s finances. the costs of a new health center, among others. In 2021, as a protest, two elected officials had ceased to appear to the Council.

Radio-Canadada spoke with seven people involved in the file in recent years.

According to Radio-Canada sources, these elected officials favored the renovation of old municipal offices. They did not want a new construction and deplored not to have access to analyzes supporting the need to build.

Today. the mayor is justified by affirming that her decision was based on two recommendations favorable to the construction of a new building. The first would have been produced by a municipal employee of the time and the second by an engineer.

The mayor municipality edge abyss: mayor admits did not respond to our request to consult these two reports.

As for the financial consequences of this new center, it claims not to want blame anyone. Maybe we should have been more careful about costs and increase [les taxes]she said. If I could go back, maybe I would do things differently. We thought we were doing well for the municipality.

Citizens prevented from attending the municipal council

Citizens were concerned about finance in December 2021. In the middle of the North Winter Winter-Ontario. a group of citizens had gathered to demonstrate, among other things, against the municipal expenses they considered excessive. Posted at the entrance to a meeting of the municipal council, the group had been denied access to the room.

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We wanted to enter the room to explain to us even moreexplains Lise Breton Gagnon today. resident for 38 years and president of the board of directors of the Fauquier-Strickland library, which was on site.

The water treatment plant is an essential service, but it was already a lot of money over time. We knew that the sports center was not completely paid. […] It was unthinkable to build municipality edge abyss: mayor admits a new building. And we already had a health center. There may have been changes to make, but it would have been much less expensive.

In an interview with Radio-Canada this week. the mayor explains the exclusion of citizens: Everything had been mentioned, everything had been said before. The Council said: ” We heard everything. we don’t need to return to the public because we are ready to make a decision. ” […] It was necessary to advance the affairs of the municipality.

In January 2022. 174 residents of Fauquier-Strickland signed a letter addressed to the Ontario Municipal and Housing Ministry to inform them of their concerns.

The letter denounced A lack of continuous transparency. the presentation of misleading information from the current municipal council, the municipal administration and their legal advisers. Citizens added: We fear that the municipality be placed municipality edge abyss: mayor admits in a precarious financial situation which will have. long -term repercussions on the community.

Still in the letter. citizens deplored the expense of tens of thousands of dollars in the development of constantly abandoned architectural plans. An intervention by the Minister was then claimed. failing which, according to the citizens, the municipality would be placed in a financially and legally dangerous position.

In an email response written only in English. a ministry spokesperson, Alexandra Sanita, says that the ministry continues to collaborate with the canton of Fauquier-Strickland to meet local challenges. It gives no details on the ministry’s response to the citizens’ letter.

EN Collaboration AVEC Franciszek Czyzowicz