Council BooksBonfieldOntarioSign 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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 Bonfield'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 / BonfieldUpdated Oct 7, 2026

Your town, in plain words

How Bonfield uses the money we share.

A clear, checkable guide to Bonfield's budget, taxes and council decisions. A township of just over 2,000 people about 20 minutes east of North Bay, with a mayor and four councillors. Every figure links back to the public record.

Property tax raised in 2025$4.7Mall property in Bonfield86% Town14% SchoolsSee where your tax bill goes →
Town spending, 2025$5.0MAbout $4,627 per household, up 12.0% from 2024.See the money →
Property tax change+5.1%Bonfield's own property tax came to $4.1M in 2025, against $3.9M in 2024.What changed →

Where it goes

Most of every dollar supports the everyday town.

Explore every service →
Roads and snow$1.8M · 36%
Running the town office$1.0M · 21%
Social services$873K · 17%
Police, fire and safety$746K · 15%
Show all 8 servicesShow fewer
Health$227K · 5%
Parks, arena and library$147K · 3%
Water, sewers and garbage$137K · 3%
Planning and business$32,424 · 1%

Day-to-day spending in 2025, from Bonfield's report to the Province.

A fair comparisonHow does Bonfield compare?Among 18 similar Ontario towns, Bonfield's day-to-day spending per household is near the middle.Bonfield is here · 10 of 18, lowest to highestCompare Bonfield →

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 askingMoney health

How big will Bonfield's share of the Cassellholme rebuild turn out to be?

$2,551,538recorded at December 31, 2025 for the Cassellholme rebuild, with cost overruns still ongoing

Cassellholme is the long-term care home that nine nearby municipalities own together. It is being rebuilt. Bonfield now records $2,551,538 as what it expects to pay for its share, up from $2,441,657 a year earlier. The auditors' notes say this is an estimate that depends on project costs that are not final.

Found by reading the town's own documents · 4 sources

Worth askingMoney health

Why was a $2.4 million obligation missing from the 2024 statements?

$2,441,657added to 2024 municipal debt when the statements were restated

The 2025 statements were corrected for an error in the year before. The Township had not recorded what it owed for the Cassellholme rebuild. Adding it cut the 2024 accumulated surplus (what the Township owns minus what it owes, including buildings and roads) from $10,306,374 to $7,864,717.

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

Worth askingMoney health

What happens if the seniors' apartment loan guaranteed by the Township is not paid?

$6,192,000guaranteed by the Township for Community Non-Profit Seniors Housing Bonfield

Council guaranteed a $6,192,000 loan for a non-profit group's seniors' apartments in Bonfield. If the group cannot pay, the Township is responsible for the debt. The guarantee is mentioned in the notes to the statements and is not counted as a debt.

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

Worth askingMoney health

What was the capital emergencies reserve used for, and what will refill it?

$369,653capital emergencies reserve at the end of 2024, shown as nothing at the end of 2025

The statements show the capital emergencies reserve going from $369,653 at the end of 2024 to nothing at the end of 2025. The July 2026 report says an emergency contingency reserve was used and will be replenished from provincial disaster funding, and that reserves grew to $2.2M. The statements show total reserves of $2,838,364.

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

Show 5 more questionsShow fewer
Worth askingHow decisions are made

Why did the Township change its financial software supplier after awarding a contract in 2023?

$44,500software purchase price, noted in the July 2026 report as sitting in an IT supplies account until it moves to capital

The 2025 budget highlights said a supplier called Townsuite was being set up, to be fully working by July 2026. The July 2026 report says the software was tendered again in 2025 and a different supplier, Munisoft, won. That set-up began in March 2026 and is behind schedule.

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

Worth askingRising costs

Why did the cost of roads and snow grow 86% in 6 years?

+86%roads and snow, 2019 to 2025

Bonfield spent $964K on roads and snow in 2019 and $1.8M in 2025. Prices only went up about 21% in that time. Only 3 of 17 similar towns had faster growth here.

Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 3 sources

Good to knowMoney health

Is Bonfield catching up on its aging roads and buildings?

$(2,798,507)net debt at December 31, 2025, down from $(2,970,762)

The Township's net debt (what it owes minus its financial assets) is $(2,798,507) at the end of 2025, slightly better than $(2,970,762) a year earlier. It spent $736,532 on capital assets and its assets lose $598,609 in value a year. The Township's own budget material says its assets are close to the end of their lives.

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

Good to knowHow decisions are made

Will an Integrity Commissioner be in place before the October 26, 2026 election?

October 26, 2026election day

An Integrity Commissioner handles complaints that a council member broke the code of conduct. The July 2026 report says the Township's request for proposals to choose one will be completed by the end of summer. We did not find a named Integrity Commissioner or any reports.

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

Where your tax bill goes

A property tax bill in Bonfield pays for the town and schools. Only part of it goes to the town, and that part is what Bonfield council controls.

Tax bill split: Bonfield 86%, Schools 14%
$4.7Mraised in 2025
  • Bonfield86%
  • Schools14%

  • 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 Bonfield's council · Council Books is free and paid for by readers: support this work.