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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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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.

Council

Who decides, and how you can hold them to account

Bonfield is run by an elected council of 5 people. They set the budget, approve big purchases and hire the senior staff who run the town day to day.

Current council

Names and official email addresses from the town's council page. None of the members lists a public social media account there.

How open is Bonfield?

What a resident can find online without asking, as of October 7, 2026.

  • Partly
    Budgets posted online

    The Budget and Finance page posts the 2025 operating budget, the June 2025 budget highlights and a July 2026 budget-to-actual report in text we could read. The 2026 operating budget PDF has no text at all (it is pictures of pages), so we did not use it. Source

  • Yes
    Audited financial statements

    Statements for 2022 to 2025 are linked. The 2025 and 2024 reports from Baker Tilly SNT LLP both say the statements "present fairly"; the 2025 report is dated May 26, 2026 and the 2024 report June 24, 2025. Source

  • Partly
    Council pay and expenses (s. 284)

    Statements for 2023, 2024 and 2025 are linked from the Mayor and Council page. The 2025 copy is a scan with a garbled text layer, so we did not copy any pay figures from it. Source

  • Unknown
    Meeting videos

    The Township links a YouTube channel from its site. We did not check how many meetings are posted or kept. Source

  • Partly
    Tender results

    The Bids and Tenders page lists requests for quotations and proposals and "Tender Reports Package" entries for closed bids. We did not open the packages. Source

Where the town speaks for itself

Bonfield's official channels, as linked from its own website. Council members may also post on their own pages; we link only to official municipal channels.

Ask for the records

Anyone can ask the town for its records under Ontario's Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA). You do not have to say why. Here is how it works, and the wording for the records that would answer the questions on this site.

  1. Send the request in writing to the town clerk (the freedom of information coordinator), on the town’s form or in a letter, with the $5 application fee.
  2. Describe the records, not the answer you want. Dates, departments and the kind of record (a list, invoices, emails) make a request quicker and cheaper.
  3. The town has 45 business days to answer (the law changed in 2026; older guides say 30 days). It can charge for search time and copies, but must send an estimate first if the fees will be over $25.
  4. Some parts can be held back, such as legal advice or personal information about other people. The town must say which part of the law it relied on.
  5. If you are refused, or the fees seem too high, you can appeal to the Information and Privacy Commissioner within 30 business days of the town’s decision.

The town's request form (on its Forms page) · The law · Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario

  • Latest Cassellholme cost and payment estimates

    The statements say the Township's share depends on project costs that are not final. Related question: How big will Bonfield's share of the Cassellholme rebuild turn out to be?.

    Show the request wordingHide the wording
    Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request the most recent total project cost and the projected yearly payment schedule for the Cassellholme redevelopment that the Township has received from the Board of Management for the District of Nipissing East.

  • Balance of the guaranteed seniors housing loan

    The Township guaranteed $6,192,000 in 2022 and the current balance is not in the statements. Related question: What happens if the seniors' apartment loan guaranteed by the Township is not paid?.

    Show the request wordingHide the wording
    Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request the most recent statement of the outstanding balance of the loan for Community Non-Profit Seniors Housing Bonfield that the Township guaranteed in May 2022, and any reports on that loan given to Council.

The wording is a starting point, not legal advice. Narrow the dates if the town says a request is too broad or too costly.

How to raise a concern

From the gentlest step to the most serious. Start at the top.

  1. Integrity Commissioner

    The Township's accountability page explains what an Integrity Commissioner does. The July 2026 budget report says the request for proposals to choose one will be completed by the end of summer. In the pages we read we did not find a named Integrity Commissioner or any reports.