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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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

Your town, in plain words

How Macdonald Meredith et al uses the money we share.

A clear, checkable guide to Macdonald Meredith et al's budget, taxes and council decisions. A township of about 1,500 people near Echo Bay in Algoma District, with a mayor and four councillors. Every figure links back to the public record.

Your typical 2024 property tax bill$2,959on a $180K home91% Town9% SchoolsSee your tax bill explained →
Town spending, 2024$3.3MAbout $3,987 per household, down 6.6% from 2023.See the money →
Property tax change+1.2%Macdonald Meredith et al's own property tax came to $2.4M in 2024, against $2.4M in 2023.What changed →

Where it goes

Most of every dollar supports the everyday town.

Explore every service →
Running the town office$702K · 21%
Roads and snow$596K · 18%
Social services$588K · 18%
Water, sewers and garbage$499K · 15%
Show all 8 servicesShow fewer
Police, fire and safety$456K · 14%
Parks, arena and library$380K · 11%
Health$97,551 · 3%
Planning and business$18,667 · 1%

Day-to-day spending in 2024, from Macdonald Meredith et al's report to the Province.

A fair comparisonHow does Macdonald Meredith et al compare?Among 38 similar Ontario towns, Macdonald Meredith et al's day-to-day spending per household is on the low side.Macdonald Meredith et al is here · 12 of 38, lowest to highestCompare Macdonald Meredith et al →

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 askingMoney health

Why have the auditors given a qualified opinion on the township's statements for the second year running?

2 of 2audit reports we read (2023 and 2024) carry the same qualified opinion

An audit ends with an opinion on whether the statements are fair. A qualified opinion means the auditors are satisfied except for one stated problem. Here the problem is money taken in at the recreation programs and from small sales and fundraising: the auditors say they cannot check that all of it was recorded, and that they could only check what the township's own records show. The audit reports for both 2023 and 2024 say this.

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

Worth askingMoney health

How will the township pay for a landfill closure bill that grew from $115,754 to $1,097,893 in one year?

$1,097,893landfill closure obligation at December 31, 2024, up from $115,754

When a landfill closes, the owner must cap it and watch the site for years. Accounting rules now make the township record that future bill as a debt. The township's own engineering update raised the estimate sharply in 2024, which added $942,392 to the debt. The township says a new engineering assessment found that both the closure cost and the number of years of monitoring had grown. At December 31, 2024 the township had set aside $110,000 in a landfill reserve.

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

Worth askingSpending level

How is the township paying for a fire truck of $820,748 and a water tower job of $534,970 in the same year?

$820,748accepted bid for a new pumper truck, plus HST

In 2025 council accepted a bid of $820,748.00 plus HST for a new pumper fire truck and a quote of $534,970.00 plus taxes to reline and paint the water tower. At the end of 2024 the township's reserves for fire were $325,000 plus $68,391 in a fire capital fund. The township has said part of the water tower is covered by a provincial northern funding grant that it moved over from the Echo Lake Road bridge project, and that a fire agreement with a neighbouring township is renewed with a clause for a proportional buyout of the new truck.

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

Show 4 more questionsShow fewer
Good to knowHow decisions are made

Why has the same lawsuit item been on council's closed-session list at five meetings in a row without a public report?

5meetings in a row (August to December 2025) with the same closed-session lawsuit item

Council may meet in private to talk about a lawsuit. The minutes for August, September, October, November and December 2025 each list "Litigation Matter - Statement of Claim" as a closed-session topic. A statement of claim is the paper that starts a lawsuit. In the minutes we read we did not find any public report on what the claim is about, who is involved, or what it may cost.

Found by reading the town's own documents · 5 sources

Good to knowOpenness

Why was the 2025 budget adopted on May 20, 2025, nearly five months into the year?

May 20, 2025date council adopted its 2025 budget

On April 29, 2025 council let staff buy a photocopier and sign a three-year contract for eSCRIBE meeting software before the budget was final. The 2025 budget was adopted on May 20, 2025, with the tax set on $2,475,000.00. We did not find in the minutes the date the 2026 budget was adopted.

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

Good to knowRising costs

Why did the township's 2026 policing bill rise by 11%?

$262,0392026 policing billing statement, up $25,968 (11%)

The Police Detachment Board's 2026 billing statement to the township is $262,039.00, an increase of $25,968.00 (11%) over the year before, as council's own minutes record it. The township does not set this bill.

Found by reading the town's own documents · 1 source

Good to knowOpenness

Where can residents find the township's yearly council pay and expenses statement?

0%council remuneration increase approved for January 1, 2026

Ontario councils must publish each year what each member was paid and what expenses were reimbursed. We did not find that statement on the township's budget and financial statements page or its council page. Council's minutes of December 16, 2025 do record a decision to raise council remuneration by 0% from January 1, 2026.

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

2024 tax year · Macdonald Meredith et al, Ontario

Your tax bill, worked out.

Enter your home's assessed value to see roughly what you pay in property tax each year, who gets it, and what Macdonald Meredith et al'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 Macdonald Meredith et al.

Source

a year in property tax, at 2024 rates

  • Macdonald Meredith et al
  • Schools

Macdonald Meredith et al council sets only its own share. the Province sets the school rate.

See what your Macdonald Meredith et al share pays forHide the breakdown

Roughly what your Macdonald Meredith et al share pays for

Source
  • Roads and snow
  • Social services
  • Running the town office
  • Police, fire and safety
  • Parks, arena and library
  • Water, sewers and garbage
  • Health
  • Planning and business

An estimate. It uses the residential tax rate, and splits Macdonald Meredith et al'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.

  • 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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