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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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.
Questions · 8 so far
Things worth asking about
We read Macdonald Meredith et al's financial reports and meeting minutes, and compared its numbers with 37 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.
Worth asking
Worth asking
There may well be a good reason. It is still worth asking what it is.
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
$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
$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
November 18, 2025date of the 2024 audit report, against August 20, 2024 for the year before
The auditors signed the 2023 report on August 20, 2024. They signed the 2024 report on November 18, 2025, nearly three months later in the year. We did not find 2025 statements on the township's page.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
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
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
$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
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
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.
Why it matters
Cash from recreation and fundraising is easy to handle in many hands and hard to prove complete. The auditors are not saying anything is missing. They are saying they cannot tell. Residents cannot tell either unless the township shows how this cash is counted and banked.
It could be because…
Small volunteer-run programs often collect cash with no receipts that an auditor can match to a count, and this is common in small towns.
The township may already have tightened cash handling in 2025 and 2026, which the 2024 audit would not show.
Questions you could ask
How is cash taken in at recreation programs, rentals and fundraisers counted, receipted and banked?
Has council asked the auditors what would remove the qualification, and what has been changed since?
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 Macdonald Meredith et al?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
The 2024 audit report says the township "derives revenue from recreation cash receipts, miscellaneous sales and fundraising activities, the completeness of which is not susceptible to satisfactory audit verification."
The 2023 audit report, dated August 20, 2024, says the township "derives revenue from recreation cash receipts, miscellaneous sales and fundraising activities, the completeness of which is not susceptible to satisfactory audit verification."
$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.
Why it matters
The bill is not due yet, because the landfill is expected to run for decades, but a debt this size against a reserve this small means future councils or taxpayers will have to find the difference. The township has explained why the number moved. It has not shown how it plans to fund it.
It could be because…
The obligation is spread over a long period and discounted to today's money, so the cash needed in any year is much smaller.
The township may plan to fund it from its working-capital reserve, which was far larger, rather than the landfill reserve.
Questions you could ask
What is the plan and timetable for building the landfill reserve towards the closure cost?
Will council publish the engineering report behind the $942,392 change?
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 Macdonald Meredith et al?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
The reconciliation of the landfill closure obligation shows "Opening balance $ 115,754", "Change in estimate 942,392", "Accretion expense 39,747" and "Closing balance $ 1,097,893".
Note 10 says the township "obtained a new engineering assessment" in 2024 showing "both the estimated cost of closure and the duration of required monitoring had increased significantly".
Council resolved to "accept the Echo Bay Waste Disposal Liability Report from Kresin Engineering Corporation for the year ended December 31, 2024, as presented."
$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.
Why it matters
Together these are more than $1.35 million (worked out by us, before taxes) for a township whose whole 2024 spending was $4,133,457. Residents deserve to know how much comes from grants, reserves, the neighbouring township and borrowing or tax.
It could be because…
Fire trucks are commonly bought over several years, with reserves, grants and a cost-sharing partner, and the township's working-capital reserve was $4,552,335 at the end of 2024.
Some of the cost is grant money the township could not spend elsewhere.
Questions you could ask
What share of the truck and the tower is paid by grants, reserves, the neighbouring township and new debt?
Will the township publish a one-page funding plan for both projects?
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 Macdonald Meredith et al?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Council accepted the tender from Fort Garry Fire Trucks "in the total amount of $820,748.00 plus HST", with the chassis payment of "$240,500.00 plus HST" due on delivery of the chassis.
Council renewed its fire agreement with a neighbouring township with a clause "requiring a proportional buyout of the new pumper truck in the event of a breakdown in the relationship".
The township was "approved to reallocate the 3 years of NORDS funding originally set aside for the Echo Lake Road Bridge replacement to the Water Tower Rehabilitation project".
November 18, 2025date of the 2024 audit report, against August 20, 2024 for the year before
The auditors signed the 2023 report on August 20, 2024. They signed the 2024 report on November 18, 2025, nearly three months later in the year. We did not find 2025 statements on the township's page.
Why it matters
Residents and lenders use audited statements to judge the township's finances. The later they arrive, the less useful they are for budget decisions and for the October 26, 2026 election.
It could be because…
The 2024 landfill cost estimate changed a lot during the year and may have taken the auditors extra time.
Small auditing firms in Northern Ontario are often stretched, and a later date does not by itself mean a problem.
Questions you could ask
What caused the later signing date, and when does the township expect the 2025 audit to be done?
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 Macdonald Meredith et al?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
The 2024 auditors' report is dated "November 18, 2025".
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.
Why it matters
A lawsuit can cost a small township real money, and the cost is paid by taxpayers. The law lets council talk privately about legal advice. It does not stop council from saying, once it is able, how much has been spent.
It could be because…
Council may be hearing updates from its insurer or lawyer, which can be kept private while a case is open.
The claim may be one that the township's insurance covers, with little cost to taxpayers.
The minutes may not record a public vote because no decision was needed at those meetings.
Questions you could ask
Once the matter allows it, will council say what the claim is about and what it has cost to date?
Is the cost covered by the township's insurance, and has any deductible been paid?
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 Macdonald Meredith et al?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
The closed-session list for the regular meeting of August 19, 2025 names "Litigation Matter - Statement of Claim", under the section of the Municipal Act that allows a closed session for "litigation or potential litigation".
The closed-session list for the regular meeting of September 16, 2025 names "Litigation Matter - Statement of Claim", under the section of the Municipal Act that allows a closed session for "litigation or potential litigation".
The closed-session list for the regular meeting of October 21, 2025 names "Litigation Matter - Statement of Claim", under the section of the Municipal Act that allows a closed session for "litigation or potential litigation".
The closed-session list for the regular meeting of November 18, 2025 names "Litigation Matter - Statement of Claim", under the section of the Municipal Act that allows a closed session for "litigation or potential litigation".
The closed-session list for the regular meeting of December 16, 2025 names "Litigation Matter - Statement of Claim", under the section of the Municipal Act that allows a closed session for "litigation or potential litigation".
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.
Why it matters
Until a budget passes, a township can only spend what council allows item by item, and tax bills go out later. A late budget means less public time to ask questions before the money is spent.
It could be because…
Small northern townships often wait for provincial grant amounts before they finalize a budget.
The delay may have been a choice to review the previous year's final numbers first, which council did at a February 18, 2025 special meeting.
Questions you could ask
What is the township's target date for adopting each year's budget, and what held up 2025?
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 Macdonald Meredith et al?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Council resolved to "adopt the 2025 Budget and set tax rate on $2,475,000.00".
$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.
Why it matters
Policing is one of the township's larger single costs, and an 11% rise in one year is faster than most other lines.
It could be because…
The bill is set by the detachment board using provincial costing rules, and a rise can come from wages and the number of properties billed.
Other townships on the same detachment may have seen similar increases.
Questions you could ask
What drove the 11% increase, and has council asked the detachment board for a breakdown?
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 Macdonald Meredith et al?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
The minutes record the Police Detachment Board's "2026 Annual Billing Statement - $262,039.00 increase of $25,968.00 (11%)."
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.
Why it matters
Public pay reports are how residents see what council costs. A decision in the minutes shows the rate stayed flat, but not what was paid or claimed.
It could be because…
The statement may be published somewhere we did not look, such as the eSCRIBE portal, or may only be posted on request.
The township may not have prepared it yet for the last year.
Questions you could ask
Where is the yearly statement of council pay and expenses posted, and can the past three years be added to the budget page?
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 Macdonald Meredith et al?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Council resolved to "authorize a Council Remuneration increase of 0% (zero) effective January 1, 2026."
The township's "Budget and Financial Statements" page lists financial statements for 2021 to 2024 and budgets for 2024 to 2026, with no council pay and expenses statement among them.
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