{"id":8958,"date":"2026-10-02T09:13:53","date_gmt":"2026-10-02T13:13:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/northhatley.info\/?p=8958"},"modified":"2026-10-02T09:28:20","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T13:28:20","slug":"administrative-expenses-how-does-north-hatley-compare-with-its-neighbouring-municipalities-2021-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/northhatley.info\/en\/2026\/10\/02\/administrative-expenses-how-does-north-hatley-compare-with-its-neighbouring-municipalities-2021-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Administrative Expenses: How Does North Hatley Compare with Neighbouring Municipalities from 2021 to 2026?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Between 2021 and the 2026 budget, North Hatley\u2019s general administration expenses increased from $612,813 to $922,837, representing a 50.6% increase. How does this trend compare with Hatley, the Township of Hatley, Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley, and Ayer\u2019s Cliff?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To answer this question, I compiled the administrative expenses of all five municipalities over a six-year period, using their financial reports from 2021 to 2024, along with their municipal budgets for 2025 and 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The objective is to make this public financial information more accessible and allow residents to track how their municipality\u2019s administrative expenses have evolved over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Why Compare Administrative Expenses Per Capita?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Comparing total expenditures alone can provide an incomplete picture of the situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A municipality with 675 residents and another with 2,741 residents do not necessarily have the same administrative needs, infrastructure, or organizational structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make the figures easier to compare, I divided each municipality\u2019s annual general administration expenses by its population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I used a consistent population baseline based on the 2021 Census to measure changes in administrative spending without population fluctuations affecting the results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reference populations are as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Municipality<\/th>Reference Population (2021)<\/th><\/tr>
North Hatley<\/td>675<\/td><\/tr>
Hatley<\/td>771<\/td><\/tr>
Township of Hatley<\/td>2,230<\/td><\/tr>
Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley<\/td>2,741<\/td><\/tr>
Ayer\u2019s Cliff<\/td>1,180<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Evolution of Administrative Expenses Per Capita from 2021 to 2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The following table shows administrative expenses per resident for each of the five municipalities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Municipality<\/th>2021<\/th>2022<\/th>2023<\/th>2024<\/th>2025 Budget<\/th>2026 Budget<\/th><\/tr>
North Hatley<\/strong><\/td>$908<\/strong><\/td>$948<\/strong><\/td>$1,166<\/strong><\/td>$1,280<\/strong><\/td>$1,290<\/strong><\/td>$1,367<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Hatley<\/td>$593<\/td>$607<\/td>$692<\/td>$653<\/td>$640<\/td>$688<\/td><\/tr>
Township of Hatley<\/td>$384<\/td>$391<\/td>$475<\/td>$434<\/td>$280<\/td>$292<\/td><\/tr>
Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley<\/td>$258<\/td>$262<\/td>$325<\/td>$293<\/td>$245<\/td>$255<\/td><\/tr>
Ayer\u2019s Cliff<\/td>$433<\/td>$472<\/td>$542<\/td>$472<\/td>$586<\/td>$588<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The 2021\u20132024 figures represent actual expenditures reported in municipal financial statements, while the 2025 and 2026 figures reflect budgeted expenditures. All per capita amounts are rounded to the nearest dollar.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comparative Chart: Trends from 2021 to 2026<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Solid lines represent actual expenditures from 2021 to 2024, while dashed lines represent the adopted budgets for 2025 and 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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North Hatley: A 50.6% Increase Between 2021 and the 2026 Budget<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s now take a closer look at how North Hatley\u2019s general administration expenses have evolved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Year<\/th>General Administration<\/th>Cost per Capita<\/th>Data Type<\/th><\/tr>
2021<\/td>$612,813<\/td>$908<\/td>Actual<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
2022<\/td>$640,111<\/td>$948<\/td>Actual<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
2023<\/td>$786,753<\/td>$1,166<\/td>Actual<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
2024<\/td>$863,727<\/td>$1,280<\/td>Actual<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
2025<\/td>$870,424<\/td>$1,290<\/td>Budget: Revenues<\/a> \/ Expenditures<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
2026<\/td>$922,837<\/strong><\/td>$1,367<\/strong><\/td>Budget<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Between 2021 and 2024, North Hatley\u2019s actual administrative expenses increased by $250,914, or approximately 40.9%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the 2026 budget projections are included, the difference compared with 2021 reaches $310,024, representing a 50.6% increase<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the 2025\u20132026 budget period alone, an additional increase of $52,413 is projected, representing a 6.02% rise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Based on our reference population of 675 residents, administrative expenses have therefore increased from $908 per capita in 2021 to $1,367 in the 2026 budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is important to note, however, that the 2026 figure remains a budget projection rather than an actual expenditure recorded at the end of the fiscal year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What Do the 2026 Budgets of Neighbouring Municipalities Project?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We also reviewed the official budget documents of each of the four municipalities included in this comparison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are the projected general administration expenses for 2026:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Municipality<\/th>2026 General Administration Budget<\/th>Cost per Capita<\/th><\/tr>
North Hatley<\/strong><\/td>$922,837<\/strong><\/td>$1,367<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Hatley<\/td>$530,755<\/td>$688<\/td><\/tr>
Township of Hatley<\/td>$650,991<\/td>$292<\/td><\/tr>
Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley<\/td>$699,911<\/td>$255<\/td><\/tr>
Ayer\u2019s Cliff<\/td>$694,172<\/td>$588<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There are significant differences in per capita amounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, it is important to keep in mind that municipalities do not necessarily present their budgets using an identical breakdown of expenses. Certain expenditures, particularly elected officials\u2019 remuneration, may be reported under separate budget categories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These figures should therefore be viewed as a comparative indicator rather than a definitive measure of administrative efficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How Have Administrative Budgets Changed Between 2025 and 2026?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The inclusion of the official budgets also makes it possible to compare the projected changes between the two fiscal years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Municipality<\/th>2025 Budget<\/th>2026 Budget<\/th>Change<\/th><\/tr>
North Hatley<\/td>$870,424<\/td>$922,837<\/td>+6.02%<\/td><\/tr>
Hatley<\/td>$493,221<\/td>$530,755<\/td>+7.61%<\/td><\/tr>
Township of Hatley<\/td>$625,477<\/td>$650,991<\/td>+4.08%<\/td><\/tr>
Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley<\/td>$671,580<\/td>$699,911<\/td>+4.22%<\/td><\/tr>
Ayer\u2019s Cliff<\/td>$691,886<\/td>$694,172<\/td>+0.33%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For Hatley, the 2025 figure corresponds to the original budget published in December 2024. The 2026 budget document presents a different comparative figure for 2025 ($483,387). We have retained the original budget to ensure a consistent approach across all municipalities.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What Explains General Administration Expenses?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The \u201cGeneral Administration\u201d category may include several types of expenses, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n