Council BooksBillingsOntarioSign inSubscribe
Not the full picture. Built from public records, which leave things out.Read by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date. Check the sources, and tell us if you spot a mistake. What this site can't tell you
Read by hand. We read Billings's own documents for this site in October 2026; the Sources page lists which ones. The comparisons with other places still come from the Province's yearly reports.
Ontario / BillingsUpdated Oct 7, 2026

Your town, in plain words

How Billings uses the money we share.

A clear, checkable guide to Billings' budget, taxes and council decisions. A township on Manitoulin Island, around the village of Kagawong, with a mayor, a deputy mayor and three councillors. Every figure links back to the public record.

Your typical 2024 property tax bill$3,093on a $230K home89% Town11% SchoolsSee your tax bill explained →
Town spending, 2024$3.0MAbout $3,895 per household, down 11.6% from 2023.See the money →
Property tax change+6.4%Billings' own property tax came to $2.2M in 2024, against $2.1M in 2023.What changed →

Where it goes

Most of every dollar supports the everyday town.

Explore every service →
Running the town office$1.0M · 34%
Roads and snow$500K · 17%
Water, sewers and garbage$402K · 13%
Police, fire and safety$345K · 11%
Show all 9 servicesShow fewer
Health$289K · 10%
Parks, arena and library$256K · 8%
Social services$96,326 · 3%
Housing$84,963 · 3%
Planning and business$18,829 · 1%

Day-to-day spending in 2024, from Billings' report to the Province.

A fair comparisonHow does Billings compare?Among 55 similar Ontario towns, Billings' day-to-day spending per household is on the low side.Billings is here · 13 of 55, lowest to highestCompare Billings →

Questions worth asking

A closer look at the numbers.

Each one is a question, not an accusation. Every one lists ordinary reasons it could be true, and the documents it comes from.

All 9 questions
Worth askingSpending level

How will the Township pay for a $1,000,000 washroom, laundry and shower building?

$1,000,000for a public washroom, laundry and shower facility in the 2026 capital budget

The adopted 2026 capital budget includes $1,000,000 for a public washroom, laundry and shower facility. It is the largest single project in the capital budget. The schedule names a $500,000 tourism grant for it, but does not say which of its funding lines (reserves, the year's surplus, roads funding) pay the rest. The Township's 2024 statements show cash of $4,147,624 and long-term debt of $1,295,061.

Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources

Worth askingMoney health

What did the Township borrow $1,115,200 for in 2024?

$1,295,061long-term debt at December 31, 2024, up from $200,000 a year earlier

The Township's long-term debt rose from $200,000 at the end of 2023 to $1,295,061 at the end of 2024. Two loans from Ontario Infrastructure and Lands Corporation make up the total. The statements say what the loans are, but not what they paid for.

Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources

Worth askingMoney health

Why did the amount set aside to hold down taxes and user charges fall from $1,544,719 to $5,390 in one year?

$5,390left in the amount set aside for general tax and charge decreases, down from $1,544,719

The Township's note on its net assets splits the total between money to be used for "the general decrease in taxation and user charges" and money set against long-term debt and other liabilities. The first part fell from $1,544,719 at the end of 2023 to $5,390 at the end of 2024.

Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources

Worth askingMoney health

What will it cost to clean up the ground under the municipal office and to close the landfill?

$741,383worked out by us: the two clean-up liabilities together ($239,506 plus $501,877), at December 31, 2024

The Township's statements carry two future clean-up costs: $239,506 for ground and groundwater under the municipal office at 15 Old Mill Road, and $501,877 for closing and monitoring the landfill. The statements say the landfill is expected to close in 2037. The 2026 budget has money for landfill work, but we found no schedule for the office site.

Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources

Show 5 more questionsShow fewer
Good to knowHow decisions are made

How would the Township pay if the $600,000 claim against it succeeds?

$600,000claimed in a lawsuit against the Township; nothing accrued

The 2024 statements say the Township is being sued for $600,000 in a claim involving a road grader. Nothing has been set aside for it in the accounts. The Township says it believes it has valid defences.

Found by reading the town's own documents · 1 source

Good to knowOpenness

Where are the audited financial statements for 2025?

July 15, 2025the auditor's report date on the 2024 statements, the newest posted

The Township's Financial Reports page lists audited statements through 2024 only. When we read the page on October 7, 2026, we did not find 2025 statements. The 2024 statements were signed by the auditor on July 15, 2025, and the 2023 statements on September 17, 2024.

Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources

Good to knowOpenness

Can residents read the budget and compare it with what was actually spent?

$4,055,115total 2026 operating expense, the only expense figure we could read with confidence

The adopted 2026 budget is a short by-law with two schedules. In the posted PDF, the operating expense lines are printed apart from their amounts, so only the totals can be read with confidence. The 2025 budget by-law PDF has no readable text. The auditor's notes say the Township does not prepare its budget in the same format as its statements, so the statements carry no budget comparison.

Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources

Good to knowRecord-keeping

Why were the 2023 figures restated, and what changed?

$87,040reduction to 2023's accumulated surplus from the restatement

The auditor drew attention to a restatement of the 2023 comparison figures. The Township changed how it counted two outside bodies it helps fund, the Manitoulin Centennial Manor and the Manitoulin Planning Board. The change lowered 2023's accumulated surplus by $87,040.

Found by reading the town's own documents · 1 source

2024 tax year · Billings, Ontario

Your tax bill, worked out.

Enter your home's assessed value to see roughly what you pay in property tax each year, who gets it, and what Billings's share pays for.

Ontario still uses property values from January 1, 2016 for tax, so your assessed value is probably well below what your home would sell for today.

It is on your property assessment notice from MPAC, and on your tax bill. We filled in the typical value in Billings.

Source

a year in property tax, at 2024 rates

  • Billings
  • Schools

Billings council sets only its own share. the Province sets the school rate.

See what your Billings share pays forHide the breakdown

Roughly what your Billings share pays for

Source
  • Running the town office
  • Roads and snow
  • Police, fire and safety
  • Health
  • Parks, arena and library
  • Social services
  • Housing
  • Planning and business

An estimate. It uses the residential tax rate, and splits Billings's share by what each service cost in 2024 after its own fees and grants (for example, water bills pay for much of a water system). Real bills also depend on your property class, local charges and any rebates.

  • Every fact, sourced

    Each number links to the public document it came from. Check it yourself.

  • No accusations

    We ask questions. Every one lists ordinary reasons a number could look odd.

  • Compared fairly

    Towns are only compared with places of a similar size and kind, from the same yearly reports.

Council meetings are open to the public, and councillors answer to you. How to reach Billings' council · Council Books is free and paid for by readers: support this work.