Council BooksMorris-TurnberryOntarioSign inSubscribe
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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 Morris-Turnberry'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 / Morris-TurnberryUpdated Oct 7, 2026

Your town, in plain words

How Morris-Turnberry uses the money we share.

A clear, checkable guide to Morris-Turnberry's budget, taxes and council decisions. A rural municipality in the north of Huron County, southeast of Wingham, with a mayor, a deputy mayor and three councillors. Every figure links back to the public record.

Property tax raised in 2025$10Mall property in Morris-Turnberry57% Town30% County12% SchoolsSee where your tax bill goes →
Town spending, 2025$5.9MAbout $4,342 per household, down 8.0% from 2024.See the money →
Property tax change+4.7%Morris-Turnberry's own property tax came to $5.7M in 2025, against $5.5M in 2024.What changed →

Where it goes

Most of every dollar supports the everyday town.

Explore every service →
Roads and snow$2.3M · 38%
Police, fire and safety$1.4M · 24%
Running the town office$707K · 12%
Water, sewers and garbage$630K · 11%
Show all 7 servicesShow fewer
Planning and business$619K · 10%
Parks, arena and library$283K · 5%
Health$15,659 · 0%

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

A fair comparisonHow does Morris-Turnberry compare?Among 32 similar Ontario towns, Morris-Turnberry's day-to-day spending per household is on the high side.Morris-Turnberry is here · 23 of 32, lowest to highestCompare Morris-Turnberry →

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 askingSpending level

Why does the 2026 municipal levy go up by 5.95% when the average home's bill goes up 3.75%?

$317,455more in municipal property tax for 2026, a 5.95% levy increase

The levy is the total amount of property tax the municipality asks its own residents to pay for its own services. The 2026 budget raises it from $5,338,641 to $5,656,096. The same budget page says the average home's total tax bill, which also includes county and school taxes, rises by 3.75%, or $140.25.

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

Worth askingMoney health

Why did the estimated future cost of closing the Morris landfill go up by more than a third in a year?

$1,945,000estimated future cost for the Morris landfill, up from $1,417,000

Under accounting rules, the municipality has to estimate what it will cost to close and look after its two old landfills, the Morris and the Turnberry. In the 2025 statements the estimate for the Morris landfill is $1,945,000, up from $1,417,000 in the 2024 statements. The expected time frame also changed, and the 2025 statements show a different 2024 figure for the Turnberry landfill than the 2024 statements did.

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

Good to knowRecord-keeping

Why do the budget book and the audited statements show different reserve totals for the end of 2025?

$104,546gap between the two reserve totals (worked out by us)

A reserve is money the municipality sets aside now to pay for something later. The 2026 budget book lists total reserves at the end of 2025 as $6,568,844.52. The audited statements, signed three months later, show reserves of $6,464,298. The gap is $104,546, worked out by us.

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

Good to knowOpenness

Was the 2026 budget set before the 2025 books were audited?

July 7, 2026date of the auditor's report on the 2025 statements, three months after the 2026 budget meeting

The 2026 budget had its public meeting on April 7, 2026. The auditor's report on the 2025 books is dated July 7, 2026. So the "2025 actual" columns in the budget book were not yet audited when council adopted the budget. The audit opinion is clean.

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

Show 4 more questionsShow fewer
Good to knowHow decisions are made

Is council told about the claims and lawsuits that the audited statements say may exist?

The statements say various claims and lawsuits are brought against the municipality, and that no money has been set aside for them because the amounts cannot be known or are expected to be covered by insurance. The statements do not say how many claims there are or what they are about.

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

Good to knowOpenness

Why is the Bluevale Community Committee's money only compiled, not audited?

The municipality's consolidated statements include the Bluevale Community Committee. The committee's own pages at the back of the statements come with a "Notice to Reader" from the accountants. It says the accountants compiled the figures from information supplied by management and did not audit or review them.

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

Good to knowOpenness

Where is the yearly statement of what council members were paid?

Ontario municipalities must publish each year what they paid each member of council, and their expenses. We did not find this statement on the Treasury, Council Members, Accountability and Transparency or Bylaws pages of the municipality's website. We did not fill in council pay for this reason.

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

Where your tax bill goes

A property tax bill in Morris-Turnberry pays for three governments. Only part of it goes to the town, and that part is what Morris-Turnberry council controls.

Tax bill split: Morris-Turnberry 57%, County or region 30%, Schools 12%
$10Mraised in 2025
  • Morris-Turnberry57%
  • County or region30%
  • Schools12%

  • 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.

Council meetings are open to the public, and councillors answer to you. How to reach Morris-Turnberry's council · Council Books is free and paid for by readers: support this work.