Council BooksCentral ManitoulinOntarioSign inSubscribe
Not the full picture. Built from public records, which leave things out.Older reportDetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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
An older report. We have no 2024 report for Central Manitoulin in the Province's latest release, so these pages use its 2023 report. It may simply be filed late.
Read by hand. We read Central Manitoulin'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 / Central ManitoulinUpdated Oct 7, 2026

Your town, in plain words

How Central Manitoulin uses the money we share.

A clear, checkable guide to Central Manitoulin's budget, taxes and council decisions. A municipality on Manitoulin Island, with a mayor and six councillors in three wards. Every figure links back to the public record.

Your typical 2023 property tax bill$3,388on a $230K home90% Town10% SchoolsSee your tax bill explained →
Town spending, 2023$7.3MAbout $4,578 per household, up 4.0% from 2022.See the money →
Property tax change+5.4%Central Manitoulin's own property tax came to $5.4M in 2023, against $5.1M in 2022.What changed →

Where it goes

Most of every dollar supports the everyday town.

Explore every service →
Roads and snow$1.5M · 21%
Running the town office$1.3M · 17%
Parks, arena and library$1.1M · 15%
Water, sewers and garbage$1.1M · 15%
Show all 9 servicesShow fewer
Police, fire and safety$963K · 13%
Health$825K · 11%
Social services$208K · 3%
Housing$177K · 2%
Planning and business$160K · 2%

Day-to-day spending in 2023, from Central Manitoulin's report to the Province.

A fair comparisonHow does Central Manitoulin compare?Among 29 similar Ontario towns, Central Manitoulin's day-to-day spending per household is near the middle.Central Manitoulin is here · 17 of 29, lowest to highestCompare Central Manitoulin →

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 10 questions
Worth askingMoney health

How will the Municipality pay for a new roads shed that is now a $9,000,000 project?

$9,000,000new loan for the roads shed in the 2026 budget, against $629,764 of long-term debt at the end of 2023

The 2025 budget described a new roads shed as a multi-year project of $7 million. The 2026 budget puts $9,000,000 in the capital plan for it and shows a new bank loan of the same size. The Municipality's long-term debt at the end of 2023, the latest audited year we could read, was $629,764. We did not find a council report explaining the change in cost, the loan terms or the effect on the tax levy (the amount raised from property taxes).

Found by reading the town's own documents · 5 sources

Worth askingOpenness

Why were the audited statements for 2023 not signed until January 16, 2026?

The audit report on the 2023 statements is dated January 16, 2026, about two years after the year ended. On the day we read the budget and finance page (October 7, 2026), the newest audited statements posted there were for 2023. We did not find statements for 2024 or 2025.

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

Worth askingSpending level

What is the plan for the church the Municipality has bought, and what will it cost to run?

The 2026 capital budget lists "Purchase cost & legal fees" for a church at 310,000, and "New Church Capital Improvements" of 310,000, and a 2026 operating budget of 16,000.00 for the church. The purchase is listed as financed by a 2025-2029 internal loan (borrowed from the Municipality's own reserves).

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

Worth askingRising costs

Why did the cost of parks, arena and library grow 48% in 4 years?

+48%parks, arena and library, 2019 to 2023

Central Manitoulin spent $758K on parks, arena and library in 2019 and $1.1M in 2023. Prices only went up about 16% in that time.

Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 2 sources

Show 6 more questionsShow fewer
Good to knowRising costs

Why did the design contract for the roads shed come in above the budget line for design?

Council awarded the first-stage design of the roads shed for $207,120.00 plus HST in October 2025. The 2026 budget carries $150,000 for consultation, design and project management of the shed, marked "Committed". We do not know how the Municipality sees the two numbers fitting together.

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

Good to knowRising costs

Why were audit fees about $61,565 in 2025 against a budget of $35,000?

The 2026 budget shows the audit fee budgeted at $35,000.00 for 2025 and projected at $61,564.80. The 2026 budget is $38,500.00. A separate line for asset management audit fees is marked "ARO" (asset retirement obligations).

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

Good to knowMoney health

Is the Municipality's cash falling while it moves toward a much larger loan?

$1,254,085cash at December 31, 2023, down from $2,068,164 a year earlier

Cash fell from $2,068,164 to $1,254,085 during 2023. The statements show net financial debt of $(1,650,725), mostly because of a landfill and asbestos clean-up obligation of $3,957,828 that was booked under a new accounting standard. Working funds set aside by council were $2,279,911.

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

Good to knowMoney health

Central Manitoulin went from having money in the bank to owing more than it has. What changed?

−$1.7Mnet financial position, 2023

In 2019, Central Manitoulin had $186K more in cash and money owed to it than it owed to others. By 2023 it was −$1.7M. About 215% of that change ($4.0M) is a new accounting rule from 2023: towns must now record the future cost of closing things like a landfill. That is not new spending or borrowing. Even leaving that out, only 8 of 28 similar towns are in a weaker position.

Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 2 sources

2023 tax year · Central Manitoulin, 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 Central Manitoulin'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 Central Manitoulin.

Source

a year in property tax, at 2023 rates

  • Central Manitoulin
  • Schools

Central Manitoulin council sets only its own share. the Province sets the school rate.

See what your Central Manitoulin share pays forHide the breakdown

Roughly what your Central Manitoulin share pays for

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

An estimate. It uses the residential tax rate, and splits Central Manitoulin's share by what each service cost in 2023 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 Central Manitoulin's council · Council Books is free and paid for by readers: support this work.