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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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

Your town, in plain words

How Machin uses the money we share.

A clear, checkable guide to Machin's budget, taxes and council decisions. A small municipality on Eagle Lake in the Kenora District, in northwestern Ontario, with a mayor and four councillors. It takes in Vermilion Bay, Eagle River and Minnitaki. Every figure links back to the public record.

Property tax raised in 2025$2.9Mall property in Machin78% Town22% SchoolsSee where your tax bill goes →
Town spending, 2025$3.3MAbout $4,896 per household, up 8.3% from 2024.See the money →
Property tax change+3.7%Machin's own property tax came to $2.3M in 2025, against $2.2M in 2024.What changed →

Where it goes

Most of every dollar supports the everyday town.

Explore every service →
Running the town office$655K · 20%
Water, sewers and garbage$599K · 18%
Parks, arena and library$434K · 13%
Roads and snow$433K · 13%
Show all 9 servicesShow fewer
Police, fire and safety$366K · 11%
Health$279K · 8%
Social services$273K · 8%
Housing$136K · 4%
Planning and business$135K · 4%

Day-to-day spending in 2025, from Machin's report to the Province.

A fair comparisonHow does Machin compare?Among 32 similar Ontario towns, Machin's day-to-day spending per household is near the middle.Machin is here · 13 of 32, lowest to highestCompare Machin →

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 askingOpenness

Why were Machin's 2023 and 2024 audited statements finished so long after each year ended?

21 monthsfrom the end of 2023 to council's approval of the draft 2023 statements (worked out by us)

An audit is a check of the year's books by an outside accountant. Machin's council approved the draft 2023 statements on September 22, 2025, about 21 months after that year ended. The 2024 audit report is dated January 13, 2026, about 12 months after its year ended (both worked out by us). A draft of the 2025 statements went to council on June 22, 2026, which is faster.

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

Worth askingMoney health

How will Machin pay its $176,812 share of the new Woodland Arena ice plant, and who covers any extra cost?

$176,812Machin's share of a $676,812 ice plant project, plus any overruns

Council agreed to replace the arena's ice plant (the machine that makes the ice). The total project is $676,812. A provincial agency, the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation, is paying $500,000. Machin pays $176,812 and "any cost overruns". On March 23, 2026 council accepted a $671,733.00 proposal to buy the plant, which is within $5,079 of the project total (worked out by us).

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

Worth askingOpenness

Why does Machin adopt its yearly budget in the spring, and where can residents read it?

April 27, 2026date council passed the 2026 budget, about four months into the year

Council adopted the 2024 budget on May 13, 2024, the 2025 budget on April 14, 2025 and the 2026 budget on April 27, 2026. Each is a year that was already months old. We found no budget document on the website. The minutes record only a total and a tax-increase percentage.

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

Show 4 more questionsShow fewer
Worth askingMoney health

Why did $528,574 of Ministry of Infrastructure money and $145,991 of Northern Development money sit unspent at the end of 2024?

$528,574Ministry of Infrastructure money unspent at December 31, 2024, up from $404,186

Money given for a stated purpose is held as "deferred revenue" until it is spent. In 2024 the town received $124,388 from the Ministry of Infrastructure and $71,358 from the Ministry of Northern Development and used none of either. The year-end balances were $528,574 and $145,991. The same two amounts were moved to reserves again in the 2025 books, per the April 2026 minutes.

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

Good to knowHow decisions are made

Why did council raise its own yearly pay rates in March 2026, and what were the old rates?

$37,900a year at the new rates for a mayor, a deputy mayor and three councillors, worked out by us (11,000 + 7,400 + 3 x 6,500)

On February 23, 2026 council discussed council wages and the minutes say other councils in the area were raising them. On March 9, 2026 council changed its pay policy, with new yearly rates from April 1, 2026. We did not find the old rates or a yearly pay statement on the website.

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

Good to knowSpending level

Did the water system cost far more than budgeted in 2024?

$820,941water system cost in 2024 statements, against a 2024 budget column of $446,927 that leaves out amortization

The statement of operations shows Environmental Services (the water system) at 820,941 for 2024 against a budget of 446,927, and 855,808 in 2023. The town's note says the budget left out amortization (the yearly wear on buildings and equipment), so the two columns are not alike. We cannot show how much of the gap is amortization, so we do not call it overspending.

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

Where your tax bill goes

A property tax bill in Machin pays for the town and schools. Only part of it goes to the town, and that part is what Machin council controls.

Tax bill split: Machin 78%, Schools 22%
$2.9Mraised in 2025
  • Machin78%
  • Schools22%

  • 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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