Champlain Township ended 2017 with a $193,406 surplus. This amount is a significant change compared to the year-end surplus at the end of 2016, which was $421,375. The marked difference can be attributed primarily to extra costs paid by Champlain Township for work related to flood remediation when the Ottawa River overflowed its banks in the spring of 2016 and dealing with the emergency itself, says Champlain CAO Paula Knudsen. The township’s financial statements for 2017 were presented by Gary Hoffman, representing Deloitte, at the township’s regular meeting, which took place on Tuesday, May 8, 2018.

The township racked up about $150,000 in flood expenditures and had no revenue to offset the expense. Its insurance company is not covering any part of these expenses.

Revenues for 2017 were $16,151,551, compared to $12,292,275 for 2016. In 2017, Champlain Township collected $13,031,514  in taxes, an increase from $12,339,870 in 2016, representing a 5.6 per cent increase in overall taxes (municipal, counties, school boards) collected. The net taxation collected for municipal purposes was $6,741,646 in 2017, up from $6,182,906 in 2016. This represents a nine per cent increase in municipal taxes collected.

User fees were $3,660,413, up from $3,395,019 in 2016. Federal and provincial funding boosted the township’s revenues this year, bringing the total revenues to the $16-million mark cited above.

Township expenses actually decreased by about $100,000 in 2017, when compared to 2016. Total expenses were $12,642,391 in 2017, compared to $12,729,378 in 2016.

At the end of 2017, the township’s reserves stood at $2,418,296, up from $2,076,589 at the end of 2016. While $220,000 was used from the fire department’s $243,500 reserve fund, the infrastructure reserve fund has been topped up with another $400,000 to create a $1,001,475 reseerve and the water and sewer reserves stand at $612,120 at the end of 2017, up from $452,029 at the end of 2016.

The recreation department reserves have decreased from $74,160 at the end of 2016 to $30,130 at the end of 2017, while the roads reserves have doubled from $25,000 to $50,000.

The Champlain Township Library ended 2017 with a $1,921 surplus, compared to $9,434 in 2016. Revenues for 2017 were $194,070, compared to $191,052 in 2016.  Expenses were $214,458 in 2017, compared to $204,531 in 2016.