Not the full picture. Built from public records, which leave things out.Read by hand, Oct 2026Details

This is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 Brant County'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.

The money · 2025

How Brant County's money works

A town is a bit like a household. Money comes in (mostly taxes and grants), and money goes out to pay for services like roads, fire trucks and the arena. Here is what that looked like in 2025, the latest year the town has reported to the Province.

Why 2025 and not this year? A budget is a plan. These figures are what actually happened, checked by an auditor and reported to Ontario.

Money in: $181M

Where the town's money came from in 2025.

49%

14%

12%

16%

Property taxes$88M49%
Grants for specific projects$25.1M14%
Other towns and the county$8.0M4%
Fees people pay$21.9M12%
Other$29.9M16%
Everything else$8.1M4%

Show as a table

Category	Amount	Share
Property taxes	$87,992,380	48.6%
Grants for specific projects	$25,109,690	13.9%
Other towns and the county	$8,044,994	4.4%
Fees people pay	$21,916,203	12.1%
Other	$29,865,680	16.5%
Everything else	$8,122,435	4.5%
Total	$181,051,382	100%

What each source means

Property taxes: What home and business owners pay each year, based on what their property is worth.
Grants for specific projects: Money from Ontario or Canada that must be spent on a certain thing, often a road or building.
Other towns and the county: Payments from neighbours for shared services.
Fees people pay: Water and sewer bills, dump fees, arena rentals, permits and similar charges.
Other: Interest earned, donations, sales of land and equipment.

Money out: $121M on services

Day-to-day spending in 2025, by service. On top of this, the town recorded $22.3M of "wear and tear" on things it owns. That is an accounting cost, not cash out the door, so it is left out here.

13%

16%

11%

19%

12%

Running the town office$15.3M13%
Police, fire and safety$16M13%
Roads and snow$19M16%
Water, sewers and garbage$13.8M11%
Health$23M19%
Social services$9.1M8%
Housing$3.7M3%
Parks, arena and library$15M12%
Planning and business$5.9M5%

Show as a table

Category	Amount	Share
Running the town office	$15,348,486	12.7%
Police, fire and safety	$15,951,815	13.2%
Roads and snow	$18,988,481	15.7%
Water, sewers and garbage	$13,808,323	11.4%
Health	$23,024,695	19.1%
Social services	$9,100,447	7.5%
Housing	$3,687,142	3.1%
Parks, arena and library	$14,992,984	12.4%
Planning and business	$5,917,305	4.9%
Total	$120,819,678	100%

Health

$23M

Public health, ambulances and cemeteries.

+62% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Ambulance$20.6M+66%
Paramedics and ambulances.
Public health$1.4M+53%
Health inspections and programs.
Cemeteries$1.1M+16%
Looking after town cemeteries.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Ambulance	$20,566,116	+65.7%
Public health	$1,400,207	+52.6%
Cemeteries	$1,058,372	+15.7%

Roads and snow

$19M

Fixing and paving roads, bridges and culverts, ploughing snow, and street lights.

+44% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Paved roads$8.2M+34%
Fixing and repaving paved roads.
Snow ploughing$3.4M+23%
Ploughing, salting and sanding roads in winter.
Roadsides and signs$3.1M+63%
Ditches, signs, line painting and roadside brush.
Bridges and culverts$1.3M+270%
Keeping bridges and the pipes under roads safe.
Public transit$1.2M
Buses.
Gravel roads$972K−6%
Grading and fixing gravel roads.
Street lights$515K+24%
Power and repairs for street lights.
Sidewalk snow$102K−43%
Clearing sidewalks and parking lots.
Accessible transit$96,618−76%
Rides for people who cannot use regular buses.
Parking$66,910
Town parking lots and meters.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Paved roads	$8,174,980	+34.0%
Snow ploughing	$3,408,397	+22.6%
Roadsides and signs	$3,142,807	+63.2%
Bridges and culverts	$1,264,978	+269.8%
Public transit	$1,244,595	–
Gravel roads	$971,579	−5.7%
Street lights	$515,206	+24.4%
Sidewalk snow	$102,411	−42.6%
Accessible transit	$96,618	−75.8%
Parking	$66,910	–

Police, fire and safety

$16M

Paying for police, the fire department, building inspectors and by-law officers.

+40% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Police (OPP contract)$6.9M+24%
What the town pays for policing.
Fire department$4.3M+34%
Firefighters, trucks and fire halls.
By-law and animal control$2.2M+179%
Enforcing town rules, like noise, parking and dogs.
Building permits$1.9M+38%
Checking that new buildings are safe.
Conservation authority$591K+31%
A regional group that manages rivers, flooding and wetlands.
Emergency planning$83,131+32%
Getting ready for floods, storms and other emergencies.
Traffic court$38,129
Handling tickets and fines.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Police (OPP contract)	$6,905,896	+24.2%
Fire department	$4,250,635	+33.9%
By-law and animal control	$2,222,519	+179.4%
Building permits	$1,860,039	+38.3%
Conservation authority	$591,466	+31.2%
Emergency planning	$83,131	+31.5%
Traffic court	$38,129	–

Running the town office

$15.3M

Council, managers, the clerk, accounting, computers, insurance and the town hall itself. Every town needs some of this, but it does not fix a road or put out a fire.

+70% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Office and administration$8.6M+68%
Office staff, finance, IT, insurance, legal and the town hall. Towns share this cost out across other services.
Senior management$5.2M+90%
The top managers who run the town day to day.
Council$1.5M+35%
Pay and expenses for the mayor and councillors, and council meetings.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Office and administration	$8,591,639	+67.6%
Senior management	$5,236,886	+90.2%
Council	$1,519,961	+34.9%

Parks, arena and library

$15M

Parks, the arena, the pool, sports fields, programs and the library.

+44% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Arena and buildings$7.0M+38%
The arena, pool, community centre and halls.
Library$3.4M+76%
The public library.
Parks$2.4M+103%
Parks, beaches, trails and green spaces.
Programs$1.7M+9%
Classes, camps and activities.
Arts and culture$479K−27%
Festivals, arts and heritage.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Arena and buildings	$7,006,591	+37.8%
Library	$3,399,716	+76.1%
Parks	$2,379,436	+103.5%
Programs	$1,728,256	+8.6%
Arts and culture	$478,985	−27.0%

Water, sewers and garbage

$13.8M

Clean tap water, the sewer system, garbage pickup, the dump and recycling.

+4% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Water pipes$3.6M+33%
The pipes that bring water to homes.
Garbage pickup$2.6M+171%
Trucks that collect garbage.
Sewage treatment$2.5M+16%
Cleaning sewage before it goes back into nature (Tweed uses lagoons).
Water treatment$2.2M+16%
Making lake or well water safe to drink.
The dump (landfill)$788K−78%
Running the landfill, and saving up to close it safely one day.
Sewer pipes$709K+40%
The pipes that carry sewage away from homes.
Recycling$648K−41%
Recycling and composting.
Storm drains$576K+158%
Drains that carry away rain water.
Other environment$115K+69%
Other environmental costs.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Water pipes	$3,634,518	+32.6%
Garbage pickup	$2,621,397	+170.6%
Sewage treatment	$2,517,203	+16.3%
Water treatment	$2,199,616	+16.4%
The dump (landfill)	$788,221	−78.0%
Sewer pipes	$708,735	+39.8%
Recycling	$648,023	−40.7%
Storm drains	$576,102	+158.3%
Other environment	$114,508	+69.4%

Social services

$9.1M

Help for people and families who need it, and child care.

+92% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Seniors$7.2M+69%
Long-term care and seniors programs.
Income support$1.2M+313%
Help for people with very low income.
Child care$702K+312%
Daycare and early learning.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Seniors	$7,206,536	+68.8%
Income support	$1,192,318	+313.4%
Child care	$701,593	+312.2%

Planning and business

$5.9M

Deciding what can be built where, and trying to bring businesses and visitors to town.

+62% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Planning and zoning$2.1M+177%
Deciding what can be built where.
Business and tourism$2.0M+26%
Attracting businesses and visitors, and helping local shops.
New housing$1.5M+43%
Helping new homes get built.
Farms and forests$301K+46%
Programs for farms and forests.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Planning and zoning	$2,063,579	+177.4%
Business and tourism	$2,005,521	+26.0%
New housing	$1,546,866	+43.0%
Farms and forests	$301,339	+45.8%

Housing

$3.7M

Affordable and social housing.

+110% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Public housing$3.7M
Homes owned by government.
Non-profit housing$13,290−99%
Homes run by non-profits and co-ops.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Public housing	$3,673,852	–
Non-profit housing	$13,290	−99.2%

What the money bought

The same 2025 spending, sorted by what it paid for rather than which service.

Staff pay and benefits$61.2M
Wages, benefits and pensions for town workers.
Supplies and utilities$23.6M
Gravel, salt, fuel, electricity, heating, office supplies and repairs.
Outside companies$23.3M
Work the town pays other companies to do, like policing, paving or consultants.
Money given to others$8.6M
Grants and payments to other groups, like the conservation authority.
Interest on loans$2.1M
The extra money paid to lenders for money the town borrowed.
Rent and money costs$2.1M
Renting equipment or space, bank fees, and some accounting costs.

Show as a table

Item	Amount
Staff pay and benefits	$61,194,672
Supplies and utilities	$23,578,590
Outside companies	$23,261,603
Money given to others	$8,646,441
Interest on loans	$2,072,088
Rent and money costs	$2,066,284

Staff

People on the town's payroll at the end of each year, as reported to the Province.

Year	Full-time	Part-time	Seasonal
2019	300	294	0
2020	312	228	0
2021	324	250	0
2022	400	388	0
2023	413.4	370.88	0
2024	419.36	402.64	0
2025	447	282	132

How things have changed since 2019

Money in compared with day-to-day spending, each year. When the orange line is above the blue one, the town spent more than it took in and made up the difference from savings or loans. Grants for big projects arrive in some years and not others, which makes "money in" jump around.

$181M

Show as a table

Year	Money in	Day-to-day spending
2019	$108M	$81.6M
2020	$119M	$80.8M
2021	$128M	$87.4M
2022	$140M	$97.8M
2023	$148M	$105M
2024	$158M	$112M
2025	$181M	$121M

Town property tax

Up 61% since 2019. Prices rose 21%.

$88M

Show as a table

Year	Town property tax
2019	$54.8M
2020	$58.8M
2021	$61.3M
2022	$65.1M
2023	$71.7M
2024	$80.7M
2025	$88M

Savings (reserves)

Money set aside for repairs, equipment and emergencies.

$80.1M

Show as a table

Year	Savings
2019	$65.2M
2020	$67.7M
2021	$74.3M
2022	$79.9M
2023	$68.5M
2024	$72.5M
2025	$80.1M

What the town owes

Long-term loans plus short-term (temporary) loans at year end.

$53.3M

Show as a table

Year	Long-term loans	Temporary loans
2019	$56.3M	$0
2020	$52.7M	$0
2021	$48.9M	$0
2022	$45.2M	$0
2023	$61.6M	$0
2024	$57.5M	$0
2025	$53.3M	$0

Building new things

Spending on new or rebuilt roads, pipes, buildings and equipment, compared with how fast existing ones wear out.

$63.5M

Show as a table

Year	Built or bought	Wore out (amortization)
2019	$17.5M	$14.3M
2020	$40.5M	$15M
2021	$59.7M	$16.2M
2022	$26.7M	$17.6M
2023	$63.3M	$19.1M
2024	$45.2M	$20.6M
2025	$63.5M	$22.3M

Source: Ontario Financial Information Return (FIR), Schedules 10, 40, 51, 60, 70, 74 and 80 (archived copy). Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Retrieved 2026-10-01. Figures are what the municipality reported to the Province for each year, prepared on the same basis as its audited financial statements.