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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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

Your town, in plain words

How Greenstone uses the money we share.

A clear, checkable guide to Greenstone's budget, taxes and council decisions. A single-tier municipality in northern Ontario, formed in 2001 from Geraldton, Longlac, Nakina, Beardmore and nearby communities, with a mayor and eight councillors. Every figure links back to the public record.

Property tax raised in 2025$23.2Mall property in Greenstone88% Town12% SchoolsSee where your tax bill goes →
Town spending, 2025$25.3MAbout $8,835 per household, up 11.2% from 2024.See the money →
Property tax change+6.3%Greenstone's own property tax came to $20.8M in 2025, against $19.6M in 2024.What changed →

Where it goes

Most of every dollar supports the everyday town.

Explore every service →
Roads and snow$6.1M · 24%
Water, sewers and garbage$4.9M · 20%
Running the town office$3.6M · 14%
Social services$3.4M · 13%
Show all 8 servicesShow fewer
Police, fire and safety$3.1M · 12%
Parks, arena and library$2.7M · 11%
Health$925K · 4%
Planning and business$586K · 2%

Day-to-day spending in 2025, from Greenstone's report to the Province.

A fair comparisonHow does Greenstone compare?Among 10 similar Ontario towns, Greenstone's day-to-day spending per household is on the high side.Greenstone is here · 10 of 10, lowest to highestCompare Greenstone →

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 8 questions
Worth askingSpending level

What happens if the Main Street rebuild in Geraldton costs more than the provincial grant pays for?

$62,300,000total Main Street project cost in the 2026 budget book, funded by a provincial grant

The 2026 capital budget is far larger than usual because of one project: rebuilding Main Street in Geraldton, with new water, sewer and storm pipes underneath. The budget book puts the whole project at $62,300,000 over 2026 and 2027, paid for by a grant from the Province of Ontario. A grant agreement only pays for costs it counts as eligible. The book sets aside a separate allowance for costs the grant will not cover, and says the list of those costs is not yet known.

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

Worth askingMoney health

How will Greenstone close an asset gap of $9.8 million a year when the levy can only rise so far?

$9.8 millionyearly gap between what is spent on capital and what is needed, per the 2026 budget book

Roads, buildings, pipes and vehicles wear out and have to be fixed or replaced. The Municipality's Asset Management Plan says it is spending $9.8 million a year less on capital than it takes to keep its assets in shape, down from $11.4 million before. It also says 27% of assets are in poor to very poor condition, and that keeping service levels needs $16.36 million a year ($13.03M of it from taxes). The plan asks for a further 1.9% rise in the tax levy each year, about $400,200 in 2027 and after, on top of ordinary rises. The book's 10-year list of capital needs adds up to more than $236M.

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

Worth askingOpenness

Is the swimming pool feasibility study in the 2026 budget or not?

$100,000pool study line still in the 2026 capital plan after Council voted to remove it

On December 8, 2025 Council passed a motion that "the pool feasibility study be removed from the 2026 Budget". The deemed-adopted budget book still lists an indoor swimming pool feasibility study as a 2026 objective for Parks and Recreation, still carries a $100,000 line for it in the 2026 capital plan, and a project page that says it would be paid from the Pool Reserve Fund established in 2023. The book does not say whether those pages were left in by mistake.

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

Worth askingMoney health

How much will Greenstone have to borrow for the big projects the budget book lists on the horizon?

$443,319yearly debt repayment in the 2026 budget, against $27 million-plus of projects that may need borrowing (worked out by us from the four figures printed)

The 2026 budget says debt repayment is $443,319, about 9.1% of tax-funded capital, and that no new debt was taken on for 2025. It then lists projects that "may require significant long-term financing": new fire trucks ($2M+), a new landfill ($10M+), a runway rehabilitation at the Geraldton airport ($10M+) and fleet replacements ($5M+). The book also says the tax levy and long-term debt will have to cover most of the 10-year capital need.

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

Show 4 more questionsShow fewer
Worth askingMoney health

How much of Greenstone's tax base now rests on one mine, and what is the plan if that changes?

$1,125,600assessment growth from the Greenstone Mine used to reduce the 2026 tax increase

The 2026 budget says the Municipality is recognizing $1,125,600 of assessment growth from the Greenstone Mine development, which reduces the tax increase for existing owners. In 2025 it counted only part of the mine's levy because the mine could have appealed its assessment; in 2026 it counts all of it. The same book lists a 2026 objective to report to Council on reducing reliance on pipeline levies (tax paid by pipeline companies). We could not read the revenue tables, which are pictures in the book, so we cannot say how large either source is compared with the whole levy.

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

Good to knowRising costs

What drove the $960,810 rise in spending in the 2026 operating budget?

$960,810increase in operating expenses in the 2026 budget, as the Municipality describes it

The book says expenses rise by about $960k, while non-tax revenue falls by $71k. The Municipality explains the main causes: pay raises and three new positions ($686k), repairs and maintenance ($266k) and vehicle and equipment repair ($172k), insurance ($61k), and amounts owed to outside service partners ($249k). It also reports savings: professional fees down $134k and fuel down $186k at the airports. We include this as context because the Municipality has already explained it.

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

Where your tax bill goes

A property tax bill in Greenstone pays for the town and schools. Only part of it goes to the town, and that part is what Greenstone council controls.

Tax bill split: Greenstone 88%, Schools 12%
$23.2Mraised in 2025
  • Greenstone88%
  • Schools12%

  • 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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