Not the full picture. Built from public records, which leave things out.Read by hand, Oct 2026Details

This is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 Brethour'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.

The money · 2024

How Brethour's money works

A town is a bit like a household. Money comes in (mostly taxes and grants), and money goes out to pay for services like roads, fire trucks and the arena. Here is what that looked like in 2024, the latest year the town has reported to the Province.

Why 2024 and not this year? A budget is a plan. These figures are what actually happened, checked by an auditor and reported to Ontario. The 2025 report is not out yet.

Money in: $441K

Where the town's money came from in 2024.

38%

37%

21%

Property taxes$167K38%
Money from Ontario (no strings)$163K37%
Grants for specific projects$93,16421%
Everything else$18,2854%

Show as a table

Category	Amount	Share
Property taxes	$166,904	37.8%
Money from Ontario (no strings)	$162,900	36.9%
Grants for specific projects	$93,164	21.1%
Everything else	$18,285	4.1%
Total	$441,253	100%

What each source means

Property taxes: What home and business owners pay each year, based on what their property is worth.
Money from Ontario (no strings): A yearly grant from the Province that the town can spend on anything. Small rural towns get more.
Grants for specific projects: Money from Ontario or Canada that must be spent on a certain thing, often a road or building.

Money out: $549K on services

Day-to-day spending in 2024, by service. On top of this, the town recorded $64,192 of "wear and tear" on things it owns. That is an accounting cost, not cash out the door, so it is left out here.

25%

49%

Running the town office$137K25%
Police, fire and safety$46,1098%
Roads and snow$272K49%
Water, sewers and garbage$48,6179%
Health$20,3464%
Social services$4,6521%
Housing$8,0691%
Planning and business$12,1832%

Show as a table

Category	Amount	Share
Running the town office	$137,257	25.0%
Police, fire and safety	$46,109	8.4%
Roads and snow	$271,710	49.5%
Water, sewers and garbage	$48,617	8.9%
Health	$20,346	3.7%
Social services	$4,652	0.8%
Housing	$8,069	1.5%
Planning and business	$12,183	2.2%
Total	$548,943	100%

Roads and snow

$272K

Fixing and paving roads, bridges and culverts, ploughing snow, and street lights.

+11% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)

Gravel roads$226K−8%
Grading and fixing gravel roads.
Roadsides and signs$21,943
Ditches, signs, line painting and roadside brush.
Bridges and culverts$21,612
Keeping bridges and the pipes under roads safe.
Snow ploughing$1,949
Ploughing, salting and sanding roads in winter.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Gravel roads	$226,206	−7.8%
Roadsides and signs	$21,943	–
Bridges and culverts	$21,612	–
Snow ploughing	$1,949	–

Running the town office

$137K

Council, managers, the clerk, accounting, computers, insurance and the town hall itself. Every town needs some of this, but it does not fix a road or put out a fire.

+48% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)

Senior management$123K+50%
The top managers who run the town day to day.
Council$13,825
Pay and expenses for the mayor and councillors, and council meetings.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Senior management	$123,432	+49.8%
Council	$13,825	–

Water, sewers and garbage

$48,617

Clean tap water, the sewer system, garbage pickup, the dump and recycling.

+1,011% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)

The dump (landfill)$48,617
Running the landfill, and saving up to close it safely one day.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
The dump (landfill)	$48,617	–

Police, fire and safety

$46,109

Paying for police, the fire department, building inspectors and by-law officers.

+37% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)

Police (OPP contract)$16,843
What the town pays for policing.
Fire department$13,565
Firefighters, trucks and fire halls.
By-law and animal control$9,272
Enforcing town rules, like noise, parking and dogs.
Building permits$6,429
Checking that new buildings are safe.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Police (OPP contract)	$16,843	–
Fire department	$13,565	–
By-law and animal control	$9,272	–
Building permits	$6,429	–

Health

$20,346

Public health, ambulances and cemeteries.

+48% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)

Ambulance$14,467
Paramedics and ambulances.
Public health$5,704
Health inspections and programs.
Cemeteries$175
Looking after town cemeteries.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Ambulance	$14,467	–
Public health	$5,704	–
Cemeteries	$175	–

Planning and business

$12,183

Deciding what can be built where, and trying to bring businesses and visitors to town.

+57% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)

Farms and forests$5,017
Programs for farms and forests.
Planning and zoning$4,635
Deciding what can be built where.
Farm drainage loans$2,531
Loans to farmers for field drainage.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Farms and forests	$5,017	–
Planning and zoning	$4,635	–
Farm drainage loans	$2,531	–

Housing

$8,069

Affordable and social housing.

−13% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)

Public housing$8,069
Homes owned by government.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Public housing	$8,069	–

Social services

$4,652

Help for people and families who need it, and child care.

+24% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)

Income support$3,490
Help for people with very low income.
Child care$1,162
Daycare and early learning.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Income support	$3,490	–
Child care	$1,162	–

What the money bought

The same 2024 spending, sorted by what it paid for rather than which service.

Supplies and utilities$198K
Gravel, salt, fuel, electricity, heating, office supplies and repairs.
Staff pay and benefits$155K
Wages, benefits and pensions for town workers.
Outside companies$113K
Work the town pays other companies to do, like policing, paving or consultants.
Rent and money costs$44,713
Renting equipment or space, bank fees, and some accounting costs.
Money given to others$32,892
Grants and payments to other groups, like the conservation authority.
Interest on loans$4,480
The extra money paid to lenders for money the town borrowed.

Show as a table

Item	Amount
Supplies and utilities	$198,411
Staff pay and benefits	$155,236
Outside companies	$113,211
Rent and money costs	$44,713
Money given to others	$32,892
Interest on loans	$4,480

Staff

People on the town's payroll at the end of each year, as reported to the Province.

Year	Full-time	Part-time
2019	1	2
2020	1	1
2021	1	1
2022	0	2
2023	2	1
2024	2	2

How things have changed since 2019

Money in compared with day-to-day spending, each year. When the orange line is above the blue one, the town spent more than it took in and made up the difference from savings or loans. Grants for big projects arrive in some years and not others, which makes "money in" jump around.

$441K

Show as a table

Year	Money in	Day-to-day spending
2019	$471K	$411K
2020	$414K	$375K
2021	$822K	$733K
2022	$457K	$464K
2023	$415K	$554K
2024	$441K	$549K

Town property tax

Up 20% since 2019. Prices rose 18%.

$167K

Show as a table

Year	Town property tax
2019	$139K
2020	$154K
2021	$161K
2022	$164K
2023	$164K
2024	$167K

Savings (reserves)

Money set aside for repairs, equipment and emergencies.

$116K

Show as a table

Year	Savings
2019	$58,194
2020	$254K
2021	$278K
2022	$245K
2023	$128K
2024	$116K

What the town owes

Long-term loans plus short-term (temporary) loans at year end.

$168K

Show as a table

Year	Long-term loans	Temporary loans
2019	$22,139	$0
2020	$227K	$0
2021	$251K	$0
2022	$221K	$0
2023	$194K	$0
2024	$168K	$0

Building new things

Spending on new or rebuilt roads, pipes, buildings and equipment, compared with how fast existing ones wear out.

Show as a table

Year	Built or bought	Wore out (amortization)
2019	$201K	$61,699
2020	$45,867	$64,198
2021	$0	$64,197
2022	$0	$64,197
2023	$0	$64,980
2024	$0	$64,192

Source: Ontario Financial Information Return (FIR), Schedules 10, 40, 51, 60, 70, 74 and 80 (archived copy). Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Retrieved 2026-10-01. Figures are what the municipality reported to the Province for each year, prepared on the same basis as its audited financial statements.