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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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 Marmora and Lake'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 / Marmora and LakeUpdated Oct 1, 2026

Your town, in plain words

How Marmora and Lake uses the money we share.

A clear, checkable guide to Marmora and Lake's budget, taxes and council decisions. A municipality of about 4,300 people in Eastern Ontario. Every figure links back to the public record.

Your typical 2024 property tax bill$3,142on a $220K home66% Town24% County11% SchoolsSee your tax bill explained →
Town spending, 2024$8.8MAbout $3,124 per household, up 3.3% from 2023.See the money →
Property tax change+16.9%Marmora and Lake's own property tax came to $6.3M in 2024, against $5.4M in 2023.What changed →

Where it goes

Most of every dollar supports the everyday town.

Explore every service →
Roads and snow$2.7M · 30%
Water, sewers and garbage$2.0M · 23%
Police, fire and safety$1.7M · 20%
Running the town office$1.2M · 13%
Show all 7 servicesShow fewer
Parks, arena and library$898K · 10%
Planning and business$153K · 2%
Health$130K · 1%

Day-to-day spending in 2024, from Marmora and Lake's report to the Province.

A fair comparisonHow does Marmora and Lake compare?Among 51 similar Ontario towns, Marmora and Lake's day-to-day spending per household is near the middle.Marmora and Lake is here · 24 of 51, lowest to highestCompare Marmora and Lake →

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 7 questions
Worth askingHow decisions are made

What is council deciding behind closed doors?

80 of 109council meetings since November 2022 had a closed session

Ontario lets councils meet privately for a few reasons, like staff matters, lawsuits or buying land. By our count, Marmora and Lake’s council went behind closed doors at 80 of the 109 meetings whose minutes we read, from November 15, 2022 to September 1, 2026. At 57 of them it then voted in public that “staff follow the direction of Council made in closed session”, without saying what that direction was. Sometimes it says more: in July 2025 it announced a land sale.

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

Worth askingRising costs

Why did Marmora and Lake's property tax go up 17% in 2024?

+17%town property tax, 2023 to 2024

In 2024, Marmora and Lake collected $909K more in its own property tax than in 2023. That is a 17% jump, while prices went up about 2.4%. Only 3 of 50 similar towns raised theirs by more. Almost all of it came from a higher tax rate (up 14% for homes); the value of homes on the tax roll grew only 0.9%.

Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 10 sources

Good to knowMoney health

What are the town’s lawsuits and union talks, and what do they cost?

$100,000set aside in the 2024 budget for legal costs about the union

The town’s audited statements say it “has been named in several lawsuits”, with no amounts counted because the outcomes are not known. The closed-meeting topics in the minutes mention litigation at 10 meetings and union talks at 15 meetings. The 2024 budget set aside $100,000 for legal costs about the union, half of it from a reserve (savings kept for a purpose). The 2025 budget then lowered legal fees by $50,000. The town has not said, in public, how much it has spent or what the matters are.

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

Good to knowConflicts of interest

How was the price set for the town’s industrial land, when a councillor owns land in the same park?

$50,000an acre, for 4 acres sold in August 2025

On August 5, 2025 council sold 4.0 acres in the town’s industrial park to a company for $200,000, or $50,000 an acre. Councillor Eric Daoust declared that he owns property in the Industrial Park and stayed out. Council gave public notice before the vote. He has declared the same interest on industrial land items five times since May 2024. The town has not said how the price was set.

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

Show 3 more questionsShow fewer
Good to knowHow decisions are made

Why has the town changed its top administrator so often since 2024?

The chief administrative officer (CAO) is the top staff member, who runs the town day to day for council. The CAO resigned in July 2024, an interim CAO served from October 2024, and a new CAO started in November 2024. In August 2026 council went into closed session on a “CAO Resignation”, then named the treasurer as Acting CAO from August 29 to October 26, 2026, and an interim CAO from October 27 until a permanent one is hired. The treasurer’s job was also held by an acting person from late 2023 into 2024.

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

Good to knowMoney health

Why did the town end 2025 with a $2.1 million surplus when it planned for $617,000?

$2,110,513draft 2025 surplus, against a budget of $616,677

These are draft numbers from the auditor’s package for the October 6, 2026 council meeting, not yet approved. The town’s revenue came in at $13.0 million against $12.0 million planned, and spending at $10.9 million against $11.4 million planned. Most of the surplus was moved into reserves: $1.7 million, against $88,520 planned. Reserves (savings kept for a purpose) rose from $4.3 million to $6.0 million in one year.

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

Good to knowRising costs

Why did the cost of roads and snow grow 49% in 5 years?

+49%roads and snow, 2019 to 2024

Marmora and Lake spent $1.8M on roads and snow in 2019 and $2.7M in 2024. Prices only went up about 18% in that time. Only 8 of 50 similar towns had faster growth here.

Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 9 sources

2024 tax year · Marmora and Lake, 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 Marmora and Lake'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 Marmora and Lake.

Source

a year in property tax, at 2024 rates

  • Marmora and Lake
  • County or region
  • Schools

Marmora and Lake council sets only its own share. County or region sets its share, the Province sets the school rate.

See what your Marmora and Lake share pays forHide the breakdown

Roughly what your Marmora and Lake share pays for

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

An estimate. It uses the residential tax rate, and splits Marmora and Lake'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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