Municipalities | Ombudsman Ontario

We can help solve problems with city, town and municipal services in Ontario. Our services are confidential and free.

We can help you with problems like:

Access to public housing
Complaints about by-law enforcement
Council meetings that are closed to the public (learn more)
Mistakes in electricity or water bills
Problems with Ontario Works benefits
Services like garbage collection or snow removal

You can complain to us about:

Local or regional councils, committees and local boards
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Municipal housing providers
Municipal integrity commissioners or ombudsmen
Municipal utility companies
Ontario Works

Make a complaint

There are some things we can’t do. We can’t:

Reverse decisions made by elected officials
Take complaints about:
- The conduct of elected officials
- Library boards
- Municipal police services and police service boards
- Matters handled by the Toronto Ombudsman

If we can’t help, we’ll tell you who can.

Still have questions?

See the full list of organizations you can complain about
Read our Frequently Asked Questions
Contact us with your questions

How we’ve helped

Discover how our team has helped people deal with their concerns about municipal issues in Ontario:

Snow problem

A man told our Office he had tried for 10 years to find out why the municipality removed the snow from the sidewalk in front of his neighbours’ homes, but not his.

Bad signs

A man who received a ticket for stopping in a “no stopping” zone complained that only a “no parking” sign was visible from the spot.

Woman with open laptop speaking on phone

Triple trouble

A woman complained to us that she had no idea why her water bill had tripled in a few months with no change to her consumption, and the municipal billing department would not help.

See more examples of results we’ve achieved in the municipal sector.

Ready to make a complaint?

Start here

Learn more about our work in this area

Municipal trends and cases (2024-2025 Annual Report)
Investigations
Complaints about closed council meetings: Case digest
Find your closed meeting investigator
More resources about municipalities