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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 Black River - Matheson'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 / Black River - MathesonUpdated Oct 7, 2026
Your town, in plain words
How Black River - Matheson uses the money we share.
A clear, checkable guide to Black River - Matheson's budget, taxes and council decisions. A township in the Cochrane District of northeastern Ontario, with a mayor and six ward councillors. Every figure links back to the public record.
$6,140,893asset retirement obligation at December 31, 2025, up from $1,142,453
An asset retirement obligation is the cost an owner must someday pay to close down or clean up something it owns, such as a landfill site or a building with asbestos. Accounting rules make a town write that cost down as a debt-like line even though it is not due yet. The Township's line for it was $1,142,453 at the end of 2024 and $6,140,893 at the end of 2025. The statements say $4,569,732 of the rise was a re-estimate (a "revaluation") and $428,708 was yearly build-up of the cost over time ("accretion"). They also say no remediation work is budgeted for the next twelve months. The same year the Township's net financial assets (what it has in the bank and owed to it, less what it owes) fell from $6,215,856 to $2,474,414. The statements print only one total for the obligation, covering four landfill sites and several buildings.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 5 sources
$410,100budgeted for long-term debt repayments in 2025; the cash flow statement shows $31,539 repaid
To put its budget on the same footing as its audited statements, the Township adds back certain items. The note that does this lists "Long-term debt repayments" of $410,100 for 2025. The cash flow statement shows principal repayments on municipal debt of $31,539 for the year. The Township's debt at the end of 2025 was one loan from Infrastructure Ontario of $559,988, repaid at about $32,000 of principal a year, plus a small tile drainage loan of $11,490 that landowners repay. The line of credit with the bank was $Nil. The difference, $378,561 (worked out by us), is about 40% of the budgeted 2025 surplus of $941,495.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 4 sources
$512,774budgeted for "Other" revenue in 2025; $29,760 came in
The Township budgeted total revenue of $12,443,475 for 2025 and booked $12,036,005. That near-match hides large gaps on single lines. "Other" revenue was budgeted at $512,774 and came in at $29,760. Federal operating grants were budgeted at $544,142 and came in at $225,229. "User charges" went the other way: budgeted at $154,514, actual $443,465. Water, sewer and garbage charges were budgeted at $1,266,511 and came in at $1,121,374. Adding the "Other" and "User charges" budget lines gives $667,288 and the two actual lines give $473,225 (worked out by us), so some of the gap may be the same money filed under a different label.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
$1,974,321general government spending in 2025, down from $3,489,855 in 2024 (budget $2,642,518)
General government covers council, the administration and the costs of running the Township itself. It cost $3,489,855 in 2024 and $1,974,321 in 2025, against a 2025 budget of $2,642,518. Two lines moved most. "Contracted services" in general government were $1,546,059 in 2024 and $413,679 in 2025. "Rents and financial expenses" went the other way: $45,973 in 2024 and $298,111 in 2025. The statements do not say what is in either line. The Township's 2024 was unusual. A provincial appointee did the work of council from April 29 to August 27, 2024, a by-election was held on August 12, 2024, and the appointee's reports mention a labour dispute and litigation, but they do not give any cost. We do not know whether any of that explains these lines.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 4 sources
$500,000cap on legal fees reimbursed for each of two outstanding claims
The Township's 2025 statements say that various claims for damages have been filed against it. It expects them to be unfounded or covered by insurance, after a $10,000 deductible for each claim. For two of the claims, however, legal fees are reimbursed only up to $500,000 each. After that, the Township pays. The statements say any loss cannot be estimated. They do not say how much of either cap has been used or when the claims were filed.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
In 2025, Black River - Matheson collected $488K more in its own property tax than in 2024. That is a 7% jump, while prices went up about 2.1%. Only 1 of 17 similar towns raised theirs by more.
Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 3 sources
$672,014deficit shown for environmental services in 2025, before leaving out $722,960 of non-cash costs (worked out by us)
Water, sewer and garbage are paid for by their own fees, separate from the property tax levy. In 2025 the statements show these environmental services with revenue of $1,227,374 and expenses of $1,899,388, a gap of $672,014. But $294,252 of the expenses is amortization (the yearly wearing-out of pipes and plant, which is not cash) and $428,708 is accretion expense (the build-up of the landfill cost, also not cash). Leaving those two out, the service came out $50,946 ahead (worked out by us). In 2024 the same service showed a surplus of $12,790. The water reserve went from $2,233,019 to $2,151,794 and the sewer reserve from $1,836,433 to $2,077,596.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
10%levy increase proposed to the Minister's Appointee on June 26, 2024
In the spring of 2024 the Township had no sitting council. A person appointed by the province did council's work from April 29, 2024. Her May 15, 2024 report says the 2024 budget process was started on May 13, 2024. On June 26, 2024, staff presented a levy budget with a "proposed 10% levy increase". She asked for more work. Her June 30, 2024 report says she could not adopt the budget (section 275 of the Municipal Act, 2001 limits what she could do once nominations closed) and wanted the new council to approve it. Her July 31, 2024 report says staff were to bring back a consolidated report "prior to August 12, 2024". We found no budget on the Township's website, and the meeting portal that holds agendas was not open to us. We could not find out when the 2024 budget was adopted or what it set.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
$2,490,755market value of the Canadian equity portfolio held at December 31, 2025
The Township holds $6,264,949 in short-term investments through The ONE Investment Program. Of that, $2,490,755 is in a Canadian equity (stock) portfolio. That is about 40% of the total (worked out by us). The equity portfolio cost $1,776,063, so it is $714,692 above cost on paper (worked out by us). The statements show a fall in value of $(78,555) for the year on pooled funds. We did not find the Township's investment policy.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
Black River - Matheson spent about $312 per home on snow ploughing in 2025. The typical similar town spent $158. Only 2 of 17 similar towns spent more.
Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 1 source
Where your tax bill goes
A property tax bill in Black River - Matheson pays for the town and schools. Only part of it goes to the town, and that part is what Black River - Matheson council controls.
Tax bill split: Black River - Matheson 84%, Schools 16%
$8.4Mraised in 2025
Black River - Matheson84%
Schools16%
How Black River - Matheson's share of the bill compares with similar towns
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