Council BooksHilliardOntarioSign inSubscribe
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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 Hilliard'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 Hilliard'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: $3.0M

Where the town's money came from in 2024.

Hilliard revenue by source, 2024
  • Property taxes$342K11%
  • Money from Ontario (no strings)$158K5%
  • Grants for specific projects$2.4M80%
  • Everything else$92,6603%
Show as a table
CategoryAmountShare
Property taxes$341,50911.4%
Money from Ontario (no strings)$158,1005.3%
Grants for specific projects$2,415,56480.3%
Everything else$92,6603.1%
Total$3,007,833100%

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: $3.0M on services

Day-to-day spending in 2024, by service. On top of this, the town recorded $101K of "wear and tear" on things it owns. That is an accounting cost, not cash out the door, so it is left out here.

Hilliard spending by service, 2024
  • Running the town office$171K6%
  • Police, fire and safety$61,4452%
  • Roads and snow$2.6M87%
  • Water, sewers and garbage$39,4521%
  • Health$38,2911%
  • Social services$7,8790%
  • Housing$14,8391%
  • Parks, arena and library$10,6660%
  • Planning and business$33,9721%
Show as a table
CategoryAmountShare
Running the town office$170,8985.8%
Police, fire and safety$61,4452.1%
Roads and snow$2,582,02387.2%
Water, sewers and garbage$39,4521.3%
Health$38,2911.3%
Social services$7,8790.3%
Housing$14,8390.5%
Parks, arena and library$10,6660.4%
Planning and business$33,9721.1%
Total$2,959,465100%

Roads and snow

$2.6M

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

+727% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)

Roads and snow broken down
  1. Other transportation$2.2M

    Other transportation costs.

  2. Gravel roads$409K+32%

    Grading and fixing gravel roads.

  3. Bridges and culverts$4,264

    Keeping bridges and the pipes under roads safe.

  4. Airport$2,107

    A local airport or airstrip.

Show as a table
ItemAmountChange
Other transportation$2,166,471–
Gravel roads$409,181+32.0%
Bridges and culverts$4,264–
Airport$2,107–

Running the town office

$171K

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.

+41% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)

Running the town office broken down
  1. Senior management$159K+42%

    The top managers who run the town day to day.

  2. Council$12,341

    Pay and expenses for the mayor and councillors, and council meetings.

Show as a table
ItemAmountChange
Senior management$158,557+42.2%
Council$12,341–

Police, fire and safety

$61,445

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

+22% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)

Police, fire and safety broken down
  1. Police (OPP contract)$29,007+6%

    What the town pays for policing.

  2. Fire department$25,046

    Firefighters, trucks and fire halls.

  3. Building permits$5,785

    Checking that new buildings are safe.

  4. Emergency planning$1,313

    Getting ready for floods, storms and other emergencies.

  5. By-law and animal control$294

    Enforcing town rules, like noise, parking and dogs.

Show as a table
ItemAmountChange
Police (OPP contract)$29,007+5.6%
Fire department$25,046–
Building permits$5,785–
Emergency planning$1,313–
By-law and animal control$294–

Water, sewers and garbage

$39,452

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

+58% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)

Water, sewers and garbage broken down
  1. The dump (landfill)$19,829

    Running the landfill, and saving up to close it safely one day.

  2. Recycling$19,623

    Recycling and composting.

Show as a table
ItemAmountChange
The dump (landfill)$19,829–
Recycling$19,623–

Health

$38,291

Public health, ambulances and cemeteries.

+35% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)

Health broken down
  1. Ambulance$26,556

    Paramedics and ambulances.

  2. Public health$11,510

    Health inspections and programs.

  3. Cemeteries$225

    Looking after town cemeteries.

Show as a table
ItemAmountChange
Ambulance$26,556–
Public health$11,510–
Cemeteries$225–

Planning and business

$33,972

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

−20% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)

Planning and business broken down
  1. Farms and forests$30,367−19%

    Programs for farms and forests.

  2. Planning and zoning$3,605

    Deciding what can be built where.

Show as a table
ItemAmountChange
Farms and forests$30,367−19.5%
Planning and zoning$3,605–

Housing

$14,839

Affordable and social housing.

−18% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)

Housing broken down
  1. Public housing$14,839

    Homes owned by government.

Show as a table
ItemAmountChange
Public housing$14,839–

Parks, arena and library

$10,666

Parks, the arena, the pool, sports fields, programs and the library.

+53% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)

Parks, arena and library broken down
  1. Parks$9,296

    Parks, beaches, trails and green spaces.

  2. Programs$1,005

    Classes, camps and activities.

  3. Arena and buildings$365

    The arena, pool, community centre and halls.

Show as a table
ItemAmountChange
Parks$9,296–
Programs$1,005–
Arena and buildings$365–

Social services

$7,879

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

−10% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)

Social services broken down
  1. Income support$5,735

    Help for people with very low income.

  2. Child care$2,144

    Daycare and early learning.

Show as a table
ItemAmountChange
Income support$5,735–
Child care$2,144–

What the money bought

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

Spending by type
  1. Outside companies$2.4M

    Work the town pays other companies to do, like policing, paving or consultants.

  2. Supplies and utilities$260K

    Gravel, salt, fuel, electricity, heating, office supplies and repairs.

  3. Staff pay and benefits$213K

    Wages, benefits and pensions for town workers.

  4. Money given to others$63,116

    Grants and payments to other groups, like the conservation authority.

  5. Interest on loans$20,020

    The extra money paid to lenders for money the town borrowed.

  6. Rent and money costs$11,808

    Renting equipment or space, bank fees, and some accounting costs.

Show as a table
ItemAmount
Outside companies$2,391,629
Supplies and utilities$260,370
Staff pay and benefits$212,522
Money given to others$63,116
Interest on loans$20,020
Rent and money costs$11,808

Staff

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

YearFull-timePart-timeSeasonal
2019120
2020130
2021220
2022220
2023120
2024130

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.

Money in and day-to-day spending by year
$3.0M
Show as a table
YearMoney inDay-to-day spending
2019$778K$613K
2020$731K$564K
2021$715K$639K
2022$976K$887K
2023$1.3M$1.3M
2024$3.0M$3.0M

Town property tax

Up 23% since 2019. Prices rose 18%.

Town property tax by year
$342K
Show as a table
YearTown property tax
2019$277K
2020$306K
2021$312K
2022$315K
2023$323K
2024$342K

Savings (reserves)

Money set aside for repairs, equipment and emergencies.

Reserves by year
$111K
Show as a table
YearSavings
2019$53,335
2020$78,335
2021$106K
2022$111K
2023$111K
2024$111K

What the town owes

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

Debt by year
$270K
Show as a table
YearLong-term loansTemporary loans
2019$30,978$29,590
2020$26,240$0
2021$0$0
2022$291K$0
2023$269K$405K
2024$270K$350K

Building new things

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

Capital spending and wear by year
$208K
Show as a table
YearBuilt or boughtWore out (amortization)
2019$53,715$70,852
2020$55,280$69,622
2021$0$73,427
2022$387K$73,236
2023$53,000$103K
2024$208K$101K

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.