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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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

Council

Who decides, and how you can hold them to account

Muskoka Lakes is run by an elected council of 10 people. They set the budget, approve big purchases and hire the senior staff who run the town day to day.

Current council

  • MayorPeter Kelley
  • District and Township Councillor, Ward ARuth-Ellen Nishikawa
  • Township Councillor, Ward AMary Ellen McIntyre
  • Township Councillor, Ward A (Acting Deputy Mayor)Glenn Zavitz
  • District and Township Councillor, Ward BAllen Edwards
  • Township Councillor, Ward B (Deputy Mayor)Susan Mazan
  • Township Councillor, Ward BGordon Roberts
  • District and Township Councillor, Ward CGuy Burry
  • Township Councillor, Ward CRob Bosomworth
  • Township Councillor, Ward CSally Moyer Kent

Names and official email addresses from the town's council page. None of the members lists a public social media account there.

How open is Muskoka Lakes?

What a resident can find online without asking, as of October 5, 2026.

  • Yes
    Budgets posted online

    The approved budgets for 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 are posted as PDFs on one page, with the final tax rates for each year. The 2025 budget book prints most of its tables as pictures, so we used it only for text. Source

  • Partly
    Audited financial statements

    The 2024 statements carry a clean opinion ("present fairly") from BDO Canada LLP dated July 17, 2025. The 2025 statements are linked only on the Township's CivicWeb portal, which asks automated tools to stay out, so we did not open them. The 2023 statements are posted as a PDF with no readable text, so we could not read them. We used the 2023 column printed in the 2024 statements instead. Source

  • Partly
    Council pay and expenses (s. 284)

    The 2025 statement is posted as a PDF. We did not enter it, because its table came out of the text layer in scrambled order and at least one member's figures did not add up from the text. We could not tell which numbers belonged to which row, so none are published here. Source

  • Unknown
    Meeting agendas and minutes

    Agendas and minutes are on a CivicWeb portal whose robots.txt asks all automated tools to stay out, so we did not read any. Monthly "Committee and Council Highlights" are posted on the Township's own site. Source

  • Yes
    Budget under strong-mayor powers

    The 2026 budget was the first presented as the Mayor's Budget. A signed Mayoral Decision dated November 27, 2025 says the Mayor would not veto the amendment Council approved on November 3, 2025. The approved budget was announced November 28, 2025. We did not find a page listing what Council amended. Source

  • Unknown
    Integrity Commissioner and closed meeting reports

    We did not find reports on the pages we read. The Code of Conduct is on the CivicWeb portal, which we could not read. Source

Where the town speaks for itself

Muskoka Lakes' official channels, as linked from its own website. Council members may also post on their own pages; we link only to official municipal channels.

Ask for the records

Anyone can ask the town for its records under Ontario's Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA). You do not have to say why. Here is how it works, and the wording for the records that would answer the questions on this site.

  1. Send the request in writing to the town clerk (the freedom of information coordinator), on the town’s form or in a letter, with the $5 application fee.
  2. Describe the records, not the answer you want. Dates, departments and the kind of record (a list, invoices, emails) make a request quicker and cheaper.
  3. The town has 45 business days to answer (the law changed in 2026; older guides say 30 days). It can charge for search time and copies, but must send an estimate first if the fees will be over $25.
  4. Some parts can be held back, such as legal advice or personal information about other people. The town must say which part of the law it relied on.
  5. If you are refused, or the fees seem too high, you can appeal to the Information and Privacy Commissioner within 30 business days of the town’s decision.

The town's request form (on its Forms page) · The law · Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario

  • By-law licence and fine revenue, 2024 to 2026

    The 2026 budget book shows licence, permit and rental revenue of 7,600 forecast for 2025 against 532,500 budgeted. A breakdown shows which licences make up the line. Related question: Is by-law enforcement now planned to nearly pay for itself, and why is the licence money budgeted for 2025 forecast far lower?.

    Show the request wordingHide the wording
    Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request a breakdown by licence type and by fine type of the By-Law Enforcement revenue lines (Licence, Permits and Rentals; Fines and Penalties) for 2024 actual, 2025 budget, 2025 forecast and 2026 budget, with the number of licences issued and tickets paid in each year.

  • Funding plan for the 2026 to 2035 capital forecast

    The capital plan totals 197,488,600 over ten years. A funding schedule shows how much is expected from reserves, grants, development charges and debt. Related question: How will the Township pay for a ten-year capital plan of $197,488,600?.

    Show the request wordingHide the wording
    Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request the schedule showing the funding sources (reserves, development charges, grants, debt and other) for each year of the 2026 to 2035 capital forecast, and any long-term financial plan or debt projection prepared by staff for Council in 2025.

The wording is a starting point, not legal advice. Narrow the dates if the town says a request is too broad or too costly.

How to raise a concern

From the gentlest step to the most serious. Start at the top.

  1. Closed meeting investigator

    The Township's accountability page says closed meeting complaints go to an investigator through Local Authority Services, and links a request form. We did not find any investigator reports about the Township on the pages we read.

  2. Code of Conduct for Members of Council

    The Township links its Code of Conduct. It sits on the CivicWeb portal, which we could not read (see openness). We did not find an Integrity Commissioner or any report from one on the pages we read.