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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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

Your town, in plain words

How Dorion uses the money we share.

A clear, checkable guide to Dorion's budget, taxes and council decisions. A small township in the Thunder Bay District of northwestern Ontario, with a Reeve and four councillors. Every figure links back to the public record.

Your typical 2024 property tax bill$2,679on a $160K home91% Town9% SchoolsSee your tax bill explained →
Town spending, 2024$1.0MAbout $5,811 per household, up 13.3% from 2023.See the money →
Property tax change+11.1%Dorion's own property tax came to $825K in 2024, against $742K in 2023.What changed →

Where it goes

Most of every dollar supports the everyday town.

Explore every service →
Roads and snow$357K · 35%
Running the town office$315K · 31%
Police, fire and safety$130K · 13%
Social services$65,328 · 6%
Show all 8 servicesShow fewer
Health$58,964 · 6%
Parks, arena and library$54,034 · 5%
Water, sewers and garbage$46,726 · 5%
Planning and business$1,043 · 0%

Day-to-day spending in 2024, from Dorion's report to the Province.

A fair comparisonHow does Dorion compare?Among 33 similar Ontario towns, Dorion's day-to-day spending per household is near the middle.Dorion is here · 17 of 33, lowest to highestCompare Dorion →

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

Why has the auditor qualified the Township's statements every year since 2021?

4 yearsin a row (2021 to 2024) that the auditor's opinion was qualified, worked out by us from the three reports

A qualified opinion means the auditor said the statements are fair except for one problem they could not check. Each year's report points to the landfill: the cost of closing it was not worked out with up-to-date information. The 2024 report adds a second problem: no cost was set for removing asbestos from Township buildings when the new rule began.

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

Worth askingOpenness

Why were the 2022 and 2023 audited statements signed so long after the year ended?

February 20, 2025the date the auditor signed the 2023 statements, about 14 months after year end (worked out by us)

The auditor signed the 2022 statements on December 5, 2023 and the 2023 statements on February 20, 2025. The 2024 statements were signed September 16, 2025. We did not find 2025 statements on the Township's website.

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

Worth askingMoney health

Is the Township's day-to-day money getting thinner?

$(21,161)general fund balance at the end of 2024, down from $51,922 a year earlier

The general fund (the account for everyday running costs) went from a balance of $74,635 at the end of 2022 to $51,922 at the end of 2023 and a deficit of $(21,161) at the end of 2024. Cash fell each year and net financial assets (cash and money owed to the Township, less what it owes) went from $467,696 to $3,134. The statements say a large part of that last drop was a new accounting rule for the landfill, not spending.

Found by reading the town's own documents · 6 sources

Worth askingMoney health

Is enough set aside to close the landfill, and has anyone updated what it will cost?

$312,647in the landfill site reserve fund at the end of 2024, against a total obligation of $611,377

The Township's landfill opened in 1976 and management estimates 31% of its space is left. It is expected to fill up in 2034, followed by 20 years of care. The Township counts $611,377 as its total obligation for closing the landfill and removing asbestos from buildings. The landfill reserve fund holds $312,647, which is about half of that total, worked out by us.

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

Show 5 more questionsShow fewer
Worth askingMoney health

Why is $53,118 counted for removing asbestos when the notes list $1,256,473 of future spending?

$1,256,473undiscounted asbestos removal spending listed in the notes, none of it before 2029

The notes say Township buildings have asbestos that must legally be removed. The cost is listed as $1,256,473, all in the "Thereafter" row (after 2028). The amount recorded on the books for it, after discounting, is $53,118.

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

Worth askingSpending level

How will the Township pay a yearly $182 thousand shortfall for roads, bridges and buildings?

$182 thousandyearly capital funding gap in the Township's 2025 Asset Management Plan

The Township's 2025 Asset Management Plan says keeping its assets going needs an average of $338 thousand a year for capital. The Township puts about $156 thousand a year toward it, leaving a yearly gap of $182 thousand. The plan says 54% of assets are in poor or worse condition and shows an average yearly tax change of 2.1% over 10 years for tax-funded assets.

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

Worth askingOpenness

Where can residents read the Township's budget, council pay report and the minutes for 2023 and 2024?

0budget documents we found on the Township's website

The Finance page has a "Budgets" heading with nothing under it. A July 22, 2025 agenda lists "2025 Budget" and a by-law to adopt the 2025 estimates. A March 4, 2025 agenda lists a report on council pay and expenses paid in 2024. We did not find any of those documents posted. The page of minutes shows 2021, 2022, 2025 and 2026 but not 2023 or 2024.

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

Worth askingRising costs

Why did Dorion's property tax go up 11% in 2024?

+11%town property tax, 2023 to 2024

In 2024, Dorion collected $82,548 more in its own property tax than in 2023. That is a 11% jump, while prices went up about 2.4%. Only 5 of 32 similar towns raised theirs by more. Almost all of it came from a higher tax rate (up 8% for homes); the value of homes on the tax roll grew only 0.2%.

Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 4 sources

Good to knowHow decisions are made

Have residents been told the Township plans to turn paved roads into gravel roads starting in 2028?

2028year the plan says the first paved road would be converted to gravel

The Asset Management Plan says the paved roads are in very poor condition, replacing them with new pavement is "not financially viable", and the Township aims to start converting the first road to gravel in 2028. The plan describes a resident questionnaire and the April 22, 2025 agenda lists its results.

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

2024 tax year · Dorion, 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 Dorion'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 Dorion.

Source

a year in property tax, at 2024 rates

  • Dorion
  • Schools

Dorion council sets only its own share. the Province sets the school rate.

See what your Dorion share pays forHide the breakdown

Roughly what your Dorion share pays for

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

An estimate. It uses the residential tax rate, and splits Dorion's share by what each service cost in 2024 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.

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