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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 Tillsonburg'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.
A clear, checkable guide to Tillsonburg's budget, taxes and council decisions. A town in Oxford County, in southwestern Ontario, with a mayor, a deputy mayor and five councillors. It owns its own electricity company, Tillsonburg Hydro. Every figure links back to the public record.
19.34%planned rise in the levy requirement for 2028, in the Town's own multi-year table
The levy is the part of the budget that property taxes must pay. The 2026 budget book has a multi-year table. It shows the levy requirement at $22,322,832 in 2025, $23,840,051 in 2026, $28,075,407 in 2027, $33,504,731 in 2028 and $36,957,609 in 2029. The 2025 budget had already risen 7.53% over 2024. Much of the later jump is in the capital plan (money for roads, bridges and buildings), which the same table shows rising from $3,747,146 in 2026 to $12,996,072 in 2029. Another page in the same book, the Summary Capital Levy, shows $4,936,164 for 2029. The Town has explained part of the current increase: a police (OPP) contract that rose by $424K, and a plan to put a set share of the levy into capital each year.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 5 sources
$(21,999,586)facilities reserve balance shown for 2034 in the Town's 10-year table
The 10-year facilities table in the 2026 budget book lists five large projects under "New projects - from growth": a gymnasium and multi-use space at $7,529,730, a fire station renovation and expansion at $3,000,000, a new third ice pad at $28,939,127, a new public works yard at $14,000,000 and the Town Hall renovation at $6,000,000. Together they come to $59,468,857 (worked out by us). The same table shows the facilities reserve balance going negative in 2028 at $(1,452,081) and reaching $(21,999,586) in 2034. The grants rows in the table are blank. The development charge reserve (fees collected from builders to pay for growth) held $6,464,229 at the end of 2025, and the table plans to draw $1,568,736, $2,519,476, $5,428,043 and $18,313,271 from it. The Town's own strategic plan lists a long-term financing plan for growth as a goal, and its finance department plans to update its debt policy in 2026.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 5 sources
$6,000,000construction cost on the Town Hall project sheet. The project listing in the same book says $5,672,102
The budget book describes turning the Customer Service Centre into a Town Hall. The project sheet shows construction of $6,000,000, paid by $2,550,000 from reserves and $3,450,000 of debt. The 2026 project listing in the same book shows $5,672,102, with $3,122,102 of debt and the same $2,550,000 from reserves. The Economic Development business plan lists "Town Hall Project Support" with a project cost of "$5.5 M". The Town says Council discussed the project in closed session on August 11, 2025 and, on December 8, 2025, asked staff for a report with detailed costing and design. The Town Hall reserve, set up in 2025, held $2,618,429 at the end of 2025 (nothing a year earlier).
Found by reading the town's own documents · 5 sources
$16,723,433unfinanced capital at the end of 2025, up from $6,938,393 at the end of 2023
The Town's accumulated surplus note shows "unfinanced capital", which is what the Town has spent on buildings, roads and other assets but has not yet paid for with grants, reserves or borrowing. It was $6,938,393 at the end of 2023, $15,832,451 at the end of 2024 and $16,723,433 at the end of 2025. The 2025 budget planned $10,505,700 of new debenture debt (a debenture is a long-term loan). The cash flow statement shows no new borrowing in 2025: the net change in long-term debt was $(1,367,651), and long-term liabilities fell to $9,867,267. The Town explains that it approved an application for $10,900,000 of debt during the year and, after year end, obtained $4,119,800. At year end the Province owed the Town $4,158,845, against $222,064 a year before.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 6 sources
$2,671,669"Donations and miscellaneous income" in 2025, against a budget of $95,500
Note 20 of the 2025 statements lists "Other income". One line, "Donations and miscellaneous income", was budgeted at $95,500 and came in at $2,671,669. The same line was $242,822 in 2024 (budget $1,295,919) and $1,183,719 in 2023. The statements do not say what is in it. The note on assets says that assets given to the Town are recorded at their fair value, with an equal amount recorded as revenue. The by-service table puts $2,023,320 of other income under "Other services" (the group that holds environment, health, planning and development) and $1,574,266 under recreation and cultural services.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 4 sources
$13,569,103the Town's investment in Tillsonburg Hydro Inc. at the end of 2025
The Town owns all of Tillsonburg Hydro Inc. The 2025 statements say Council approved, after year end, a deal in which the Town will buy shares in ERTH Corporation and Tillsonburg Hydro will join ERTH Power Corporation. It still needs the approval of the Ontario Energy Board, and the statements record no amounts for it. The Town's own web page says Tillsonburg Hydro would need at least $29 million to deal with its problems alone, including $25 million for a new transformer station, and that it has not been able to meet its regulatory return targets. The Town's budget counts on $340,000 a year of revenue from its enterprise (Hydro) every year from 2025 to 2029. The statements show Hydro paid dividends to the Town of $290,000 in 2025 and $200,000 in 2024, and that the Town's share of Hydro's earnings was $867,109 in 2025. At the end of 2025 the Town owed Hydro $1,881,044, where a year earlier Hydro had owed the Town $1,708,274.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 5 sources
$8,096,000of land sale and debt revenues planned to offset $9,312,000 of park construction
The Economic Development business plan lists construction of the Van Norman Innovation Park at $9,312,000, "offset by $8,096,000 in land sale and debt revenues". It also lists the Progress Drive extension at $600,000, offset by $600,000 in land sale revenues. The Town names the risk itself: that "any slowdown in the economy could affect timing and revenue forecasts" for land sales. The Economic Development reserve shows the strain. It held $2,400,423 at the end of 2024 and $738,430 at the end of 2025 in the audited statements. The budget book projected it at $(612,311) at the end of 2025 before land sales.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 5 sources
$841,162of the $1,429,949 cut from the 2026 levy increase came from reserves
A reserve is money the Town has set aside from earlier years. When the 2026 budget was first put together the levy was set to rise 11.66%. The Mayor's review cut it to a 5.25% rise, then the police contract was added back, giving 7.15%. The Town's list of cuts shows $1,429,949 of reductions in all, and $841,162 of that came from reserves (about 59%, worked out by us). One percent of the levy is $223,228, so the reserve money is worth about 3.8 percentage points of tax increase (worked out by us). The Town labels some of these items one-time or "year 2 of 2". The Tax Rate Stabilization reserve, which pays for the largest item, is shown falling from $1,679,570 to a projected $418,059.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
Where your tax bill goes
A property tax bill in Tillsonburg pays for three governments. Only part of it goes to the town, and that part is what Tillsonburg council controls.
Tax bill split: Tillsonburg 57%, County or region 30%, Schools 13%
$40.2Mraised in 2025
Tillsonburg57%
County or region30%
Schools13%
How Tillsonburg's share of the bill compares with similar towns
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