Your town, in plain words
A clear, checkable guide to Lake of Bays' budget, taxes and council decisions. A township of about 3,800 people in Central Ontario. Every figure links back to the public record.
Follow Lake of Bays 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.
+74%running the town office, 2019 to 2024
Lake of Bays spent $1.4M on running the town office in 2019 and $2.5M in 2024. Prices only went up about 18% in that time. Only 4 of 51 similar towns had faster growth here.
Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 3 sources
9.06%tax rate increase approved for 2024, against a ten-year average of 2.99% a year
In March 2023 the Township said its tax rate had risen "on average 2.99 per cent annually over the past 10 years". Its own releases then give 6 per cent for the 2023 levy, 9.06% for the 2024 tax rate and 4.27% for the 2026 tax rate. These are different measures (levy against rate), and we did not find the 2025 figure on the pages we could read. All three are above 2.99%.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
+11%town property tax, 2023 to 2024
In 2024, Lake of Bays collected $719K more in its own property tax than in 2023. That is a 11% jump, while prices went up about 2.4%. Only 9 of 51 similar towns raised theirs by more. Almost all of it came from a higher tax rate (up 9% for homes); the value of homes on the tax roll grew only 1.5%.
Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 4 sources
+74%police, fire and safety, 2019 to 2024
Lake of Bays spent $1.2M on police, fire and safety in 2019 and $2.1M in 2024. Prices only went up about 18% in that time.
Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 2 sources
$4.1Min savings at the end of 2024
Towns keep savings (called reserves) to pay for new trucks, roof repairs and surprises. Lake of Bays had $4.1M saved at the end of 2024, up from $2.1M in 2019. That is 40% of one year's spending. Only 10 of 51 similar towns had less, compared with what they spend.
Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 2 sources
4.27%municipal tax rate increase in the adopted 2026 budget, against 5.56% for the levy in the draft
In October 2025 the Township said its draft 2026 budget "includes a 5.56% tax levy increase". On December 9, 2025 council adopted a revised budget that, in the Township's words, lowers "the municipal tax rate increase to 4.27 percent". The budget summary image also shows 2.5% assessment growth. A levy is the total tax money raised, and a rate is applied to every property's value. By our own rough arithmetic (worked out by us), a 4.27% rate increase on 2.5% more assessment would raise the dollar levy by about 6.9% (worked out by us: 1.0427 x 1.025 = 1.0688). If so, the adopted levy increase is not lower than the draft's 5.56%. We cannot tell, because the draft and the adopted budget documents are on the portal we could not read.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
The Township's 2026 budget release says the budget includes new fire service staffing "to support the Township's transition to an independent fire department". The budget summary image says the Township spends 11% of its share of tax dollars on fire. We did not find the cost of the transition, or what it replaces, in any page we could read.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
Council approved a Municipal Accommodation Tax of 4% on stays in hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts and short-term rentals, starting January 1, 2026. Half of the money goes to a new independent destination marketing organization and half stays with the Township. The first payment from accommodation providers was due April 30, 2026. We did not find a report of how much was collected.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 1 source
2024 tax year · Lake of Bays, Ontario
Enter your home's assessed value to see roughly what you pay in property tax each year, who gets it, and what Lake of Bays'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 Lake of Bays.
a year in property tax, at 2024 rates
Lake of Bays council sets only its own share. County or region sets its share, the Province sets the school rate.
An estimate. It uses the residential tax rate, and splits Lake of Bays'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.
Council meetings are open to the public, and councillors answer to you. How to reach Lake of Bays' council · Council Books is free and paid for by readers: support this work.