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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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

Questions · 2 so far

Things worth asking about

We read Killarney's financial reports and meeting minutes, and compared its numbers with 22 similar Ontario towns. These are the things that stood out.

What these are, and what they are not. A question here means a number or practice is unusual, or harder to see than it should be. It does not mean anyone did anything wrong. Most unusual numbers turn out to have ordinary explanations, and every question lists some. The only way to know is to ask.
Needs an answer

Needs an answer

These are unusual enough that residents deserve a clear answer from council.

Needs an answerMoney health

Why are so many property taxes unpaid?

$909Kowed in unpaid property tax, end of 2024

At the end of 2024, $909K of property tax had been billed but not paid. That is 36% of everything billed. Only 1 of 22 similar towns had a higher share. A year earlier it was $922K.

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

Worth asking

Worth asking

There may well be a good reason. It is still worth asking what it is.

Worth askingOpenness

Why doesn't Killarney post its audited financial statements online?

On October 10, 2026 we looked at the Municipality's home page, its Reports - Financial page, its Budget page, its Reports - Miscellaneous page, its meeting agendas and minutes page and its by-laws and policies page. None of them links to audited financial statements, a budget document or a council pay statement. The Reports - Financial page says the statements are available on request from the Municipal Office.

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

Each question in full

Needs an answerFound automatically from financial reports

Why are so many property taxes unpaid?

$909Kowed in unpaid property tax, end of 2024

At the end of 2024, $909K of property tax had been billed but not paid. That is 36% of everything billed. Only 1 of 22 similar towns had a higher share. A year earlier it was $922K.

Why are so many property taxes unpaid?
$909K
Show as a table
YearUnpaid property tax at year end
2019$291K
2020$815K
2021$789K
2022$923K
2023$922K
2024$909K

Why it matters

When taxes go unpaid, everyone else carries the cost, and the town may borrow to cover the gap. The Province's financial indicators treat 10% to 15% as a moderate risk and more than 15% as a high risk. Collection is the town's job, so a rising number is worth asking about.

It could be because…

  • The final tax bill was due late in the year, so some payments simply arrived in January.
  • A few large properties are in dispute or being sold for back taxes.
  • Hard times for residents, which the town may be handling with payment plans.

Questions you could ask

  1. How much is more than one year overdue, and from how many properties?
  2. Are the rules for chasing unpaid taxes applied the same way to everyone?
  3. Has the town registered tax arrears certificates on properties about two years behind? If still unpaid a year after that, Ontario law lets the town sell the property.

You can ask during the public part of a council meeting, by writing to the clerk, or by contacting your councillors. How to reach council.

Speak for Killarney? Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.

The evidence

  1. Taxes receivable: 2019 $291K, 2020 $815K, 2021 $789K, 2022 $923K, 2023 $922K, 2024 $909K. Of the 2024 total, $19,010 was from earlier years.

    Ontario Financial Information Return (FIR), 2019 to 2024 · Schedule 70, lines 0610 to 0699 · archived copy

  2. Typical among similar towns: 11.4% of taxes billed.

    Ontario Financial Information Return (FIR), 2024, 22 similar municipalities · Schedules 26 and 70 · archived copy

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Worth askingFound by reading the town's documents

Why doesn't Killarney post its audited financial statements online?

On October 10, 2026 we looked at the Municipality's home page, its Reports - Financial page, its Budget page, its Reports - Miscellaneous page, its meeting agendas and minutes page and its by-laws and policies page. None of them links to audited financial statements, a budget document or a council pay statement. The Reports - Financial page says the statements are available on request from the Municipal Office.

Why it matters

Residents can only judge spending they can see. Without the statements and the budget in front of them, they have to ask the office before they can check how their tax and water money was spent.

It could be because…

  • Copies are available at the Municipal Office or on request, as the Reports - Financial page says, and some residents may prefer to ask.
  • The Municipality has a small staff, and posting documents online may be a task that has not been reached.
  • The documents may have been shared another way, such as a newspaper notice, a mailing with the tax bill or a newsletter.
  • The website may be reorganized later, and the documents may be added then.

Questions you could ask

  1. Where can residents read the latest audited financial statements and the budget without visiting the office?
  2. Will council post the statements and the budget on the Municipality's website?
  3. When was the yearly statement of council pay and expenses for 2025 presented to council, and where can residents read it?

You can ask during the public part of a council meeting, by writing to the clerk, or by contacting your councillors. How to reach council.

Speak for Killarney? Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.

The evidence

  1. The home page menu links to a Budget page, a Reports - Financial page and a Reports - Miscellaneous page. It does not link to a financial statement, a budget document or a council pay statement.

    Home page (Municipality of Killarney website) · Menu, checked October 10, 2026

  2. The page says: "Consolidated Financial Statements are available upon request. Please contact the Municipal Office to obtain a copy." No document is posted on it.

    Reports - Financial page (Municipality of Killarney website) · Whole page, checked October 10, 2026

  3. The page lists what the budget pays for in words (general government, protection, transportation, waste, health and social services, recreation, planning, and water and sewer). It posts no budget document and no budget figures.

    Budget page (Municipality of Killarney website) · Whole page, checked October 10, 2026

  4. The page lists three reports: the Ontario Municipal Board decision on wards (November 2013), a Conservation and Demand Management Plan (2019) and a Municipal Modernization Report (2022). It lists no financial statements, budget or council pay statement.

    Reports - Miscellaneous page (Municipality of Killarney website) · Whole page, checked October 10, 2026

  5. The page links to agendas and minutes of regular, public and special meetings. These include public meeting agendas about the budget and water and sewer rates. It links to no budget document, no financial statements and no council pay statement.

    Meeting agendas and minutes page (Municipality of Killarney website) · Whole page, checked October 10, 2026

  6. The page lists by-laws and policies, including the tax rate by-laws and water and sewer rate by-laws. It links to no budget document, no financial statements and no council pay statement.

    By-laws and policies page (Municipality of Killarney website) · Whole page, checked October 10, 2026

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