A councillor in the Township of Madoc calls the current financial situation in the municipality “a mess.”
Amy Beaton spoke with Quinte News early Thursday morning about a motion from Wednesday evening’s meeting of council, along with the search for a new municipal treasurer.
Beaton says she was reviewing the 2026 municipal budget and she questioned funding listed under provincial transfers.
She says it should have read around $730,000 but was listed at $0.
The transfers come through the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund and the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund.
OMPF – Unconditional funding meant to support day-to-day municipal operations, particularly in rural, northern, and fiscally challenged communities.
OCIF – Conditional funding specifically designated to build, renew, or rehabilitate long-term core infrastructure (e.g., roads, bridges, water, and wastewater systems).
Beaton says Deputy Treasurer/Clerk Karly Reid indicated the funding had been halted because of financial compliance issues with audited financial statements.
Taken from the technical guide from the Province of Ontario
Financial Information Returns need to be submitted to the province, however, Madoc Township is still not up to date.
Baker Tilly KDN LLP works with the Madoc Township Treasury department annually.
When Quinte News searched for the last Financial Audit Statement on the Madoc Township site, we found links for 2021 and 2022.
A draft of 2023 was located on the site CLICK HERE for the draft.
A Financial Information Return is due May 31, the following year.
Councillor Beaton put forward a motion to comply with requirements from the province so the municipality would have access to the transfer funds.
Beaton’s motion can be seen at the bottom of article.
“I wanted to bring the information forward to be transparent to the residents of Madoc Township.”
In summary, the motion, approved by Madoc Township council, directed municipal staff to execute immediate emergency measures—including hiring third-party accounting support, submitting overdue financial returns, and expediting audits—to resolve a backlog of financial reporting. The actions aim to restore compliance and secure the release of frozen provincial transfer payments from funds such as the OMPH and OCIF.
Clerk Amanda Cox has been named interim treasurer while the municipality is looking to hire for the position.
Councillor Beaton confirmed that Shannon Campoli is no longer employed by Madoc Township.
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There are many more issues the municipality is currently dealing with.
Former Deputy Mayor Larry Rollins, who was planning to run for mayor in this fall’s election found out he was not eligible due to not filing a 2022 financial statement for his campaign. Rollins argued he was acclaimed and spent no money. Under Ontario’s Municipal Elections Act, candidates are personally responsible for filing their financial statements. CLICK HERE for that story. Township council has appointed Cathy Mouck as a councillor, as Councillor Randy Rowe took over the deputy mayor position.
NOTE: Quinte News has contacted Mayor Lloyd Blackburn and Administrator/Clerk/Interim Treasurer Amanda Cox to provide a statement and he was receptive to doing so.
Those comments/statements will be added to this story, once received.
Councillor Amy Beaton’s full motion reads as follows:
WHEREAS the Township of Madoc is committed to ensuring full financial compliance, accountability, and transparency with provincial regulatory standards; and
WHEREAS the completion and submission of outstanding municipal financial records are required to secure the release of the Township’s frozen provincial transfer payments, including the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund (OMPF) and the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF);
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the Township of Madoc hereby directs municipal staff to take the following immediate emergency measures to restore financial compliance:
Emergency Treasury Support: Immediately retain qualified third-party municipal accounting support to assist the Treasury Department in completing all outstanding bank reconciliations to balance the Township’s books.
Financial Information Returns (FIR): Prioritize the compilation, finalization, and formal submission of the outstanding 2023, 2024, and 2025 Financial Information Returns to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing registry.
Auditor Engagement: Formally contact the Township’s designated auditing firm, Baker Tilly, to establish an accelerated timeline to execute and certify the outstanding municipal annual financial audits.
Provincial Intercession: Schedule an urgent meeting with Hastings—Lennox and Addington MPP Ric Bresee to present the Township’s remediation plan and request provincial assistance in unfreezing the OMPF and OCIF cash allocations once milestones are met.
Upper-Tier Assistance: Reach out to the County of Hastings administrative and treasury staff to explore shared resource opportunities, peer mentorship, or temporary staff pooling to assist Madoc Township through this backlogged reporting cycle.
