Your town, in plain words
A clear, checkable guide to Gillies' 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.
Follow Gillies in one tapWhere it goes
Questions worth asking
Each one is a question, not an accusation. Every one lists ordinary reasons it could be true, and the documents it comes from.
$169Kowed in unpaid property tax, end of 2024
At the end of 2024, $169K of property tax had been billed but not paid. That is 22% of everything billed. Only 6 of 35 similar towns had a higher share. A year earlier it was $186K.
Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 2 sources
2 yearsof qualified audit opinions, for 2023 and 2024, on the same accounting rule
An audit ends with the auditor's opinion on whether the statements show the Township's money fairly. A "qualified" opinion means the auditor is satisfied except for one stated problem. For both 2023 and 2024 the problem is the same. A newer accounting rule (PS 3280, asset retirement obligations) has applied since January 1, 2023. It asks the Township to record what it will cost to retire certain assets, such as closing a landfill. For 2024 the auditor says management has not finished checking its assets for such costs, so the effect cannot be put in numbers.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
December 29, 2025date of the 2024 audit report, against August 15, 2024 for the 2023 report
The audited statements are how residents see how the year really went. The 2023 audit report is dated August 15, 2024. The 2024 report is dated December 29, 2025. The 2024 statements also say a different audit firm (MNP LLP) took over from the firm that did 2023 (BDO Canada LLP).
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
September 16, 2024date Council adopted the 2024 budget
A budget is the plan for spending and tax money in a year. The 2023 statements say the 2023 budget was adopted on August 14, 2023. The 2024 statements say the 2024 budget was adopted on September 16, 2024. The Township's tax bills are based on the budget, so the plan is set after more than half of the year has been spent.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
$673,940of deferred (set-aside grant) money at December 31, 2024, against cash of $910,772
At December 31, 2024 the Township held cash of $910,772. The statements also show deferred revenue of $673,940. Deferred revenue is money received for a stated purpose that has not yet been spent. The balance grew from $532,666 the year before. The three largest pieces are the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund ($287,740), the Northern Ontario Resource Development Support fund ($240,708) and the Canada Community Building Fund, also called the gas tax ($143,262). During 2024 the Township moved $58,290 of it into revenue, after moving $182,574 the year before. The Township budgeted $35,000 of the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund as revenue and booked $13,514.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 4 sources
Backlogthe Township's own word for the state of its posted minutes and by-laws
The Township's own agendas and minutes page says that "A backlog of work remains and as such posting minutes, by-laws, and other information on the website is affected." It says staff are working to fix this. The meeting calendar where the minutes live (calendar.gilliestownship.com) answered our request with a block page, so we could not check how far behind the minutes are.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 1 source
$215Kin savings at the end of 2024
Towns keep savings (called reserves) to pay for new trucks, roof repairs and surprises. Gillies had $215K saved at the end of 2024, down from $363K in 2019. That is 22% of one year's spending. Only 6 of 35 similar towns had less, compared with what they spend.
Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 2 sources
$61,040written off in 2024, turning a $27,104 surplus into a $33,936 deficit
The statements show a "write-down of tangible capital assets" of $61,040 in 2024. A write-down removes the recorded value of something the Township owns. It uses no cash, but it turns the year's result from a surplus into a loss. The Township budgeted a surplus of $55,242. Before the write-down the surplus was $27,104. After it the statements show a deficit of $33,936. We did not find, in the pages we read, an explanation of which asset or project was written off.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
$2,000difference between Note 5 ($33,484) and Note 8 ($35,484) for the landfill reserve
Note 5 says $33,484 (2023: $31,684) has been set aside for the landfill's closing costs and future expansion, held in a reserve fund. Note 8 lists the landfill reserve fund at $35,484 (2023: $33,684). The two differ by $2,000 in both years, which is small. The statements show the landfill closure liability at $84,756 against total estimated costs of $129,703. The auditor has not been able to confirm these liabilities under the newer accounting rule (see the first question).
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
$85,625amortization in 2024 actual expenses that the budget does not include
Revenue was $1,010,805 against a budget of $986,529. Expenses were $983,701 against a budget of $931,287. The statements say most of the expense gap is a difference in how the two are drawn up: the budget leaves out amortization (the yearly wearing out of assets), which came to $85,625, and counts capital spending in full instead. Spending on the "Environmental services" line was $45,195 against $24,087 budgeted.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
2024 tax year · Gillies, Ontario
Enter your home's assessed value to see roughly what you pay in property tax each year, who gets it, and what Gillies'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 Gillies.
a year in property tax, at 2024 rates
Gillies council sets only its own share. the Province sets the school rate.
An estimate. It uses the residential tax rate, and splits Gillies'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.
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Each number links to the public document it came from. Check it yourself.
We ask questions. Every one lists ordinary reasons a number could look odd.
Towns are only compared with places of a similar size and kind, from the same yearly reports.
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