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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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 Cambridge'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 / CambridgeUpdated Oct 5, 2026

Your city, in plain words

How Cambridge uses the money we share.

A clear, checkable guide to Cambridge's budget, taxes and council decisions. A city in Waterloo Region made of Galt, Preston, Hespeler and Blair, with a mayor and eight ward councillors. Under Ontario’s strong-mayor rules, the Mayor proposes the budget and Council can amend it. Every figure links back to the public record.

Property tax raised in 2025$387Mall property in Cambridge33% City52% County16% SchoolsSee where your tax bill goes →
City spending, 2025$218MAbout $3,955 per household, up 10.4% from 2024.See the money →
Property tax change+5.7%Cambridge's own property tax came to $126M in 2025, against $119M in 2024.What changed →

Where it goes

Most of every dollar supports the everyday city.

Explore every service →
Water, sewers and garbage$61.3M · 28%
Running the city office$48.5M · 22%
Police, fire and safety$38.1M · 17%
Parks, arena and library$37.5M · 17%
Show all 8 servicesShow fewer
Roads and snow$19M · 9%
Planning and business$9.4M · 4%
Social services$2.2M · 1%
Health$2.1M · 1%

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

A fair comparisonHow does Cambridge compare?Among 10 similar Ontario cities, Cambridge's day-to-day spending per household is near the middle.Cambridge is here · 6 of 10, lowest to highestCompare Cambridge →

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 askingMoney health

Cambridge took on $25,010,000 of debt in 2025 and has $87.6 million more approved, while it holds $379,823,909 in investments. Why borrow at all?

$25,010,000of new debt taken on in 2025, bringing total debt to $79,188,919, with $87.6 million more approved but not yet borrowed

Debt is money the city has to pay back with interest. In 2025 the city took over $25,010,000 of debt that the Region of Waterloo had issued for it, which raised its total debt from $60,629,680 to $79,188,919. The 2026 budget says another $87.6 million of debt is approved but not yet borrowed. At the same time, the audited statements show $379,823,909 in investments, which include the city’s share of its energy company and its savings.

Found by reading the city's own documents · 4 sources

Worth askingRising costs

The 2026 budget carries $2,585,300 to run the new Recreation Complex for part of a year. What will a full year cost?

$2,585,300operating costs for the Recreation Complex in the 2026 budget, which the city says is only part of a full year

The new Recreation Complex in the city’s south end is due to open in 2026. The 2026 budget includes only part of its running costs and says the bigger cost arrives in 2027. The budget also adds staff: the city’s total goes from 814.66 to 929.11 full-time equivalents (one full-time job, or the hours that add up to one), mostly to run the complex. Salaries and benefits in the operating budget go up 11.37 per cent, while the tax levy rises 2.44 per cent.

Found by reading the city's own documents · 4 sources

Worth askingMoney health

One-time items cut the 2026 tax increase by 0.72 per cent, including $2,150,000 from a reserve. What happens to the tax increase in 2027?

$2,150,000drawn from the Rate Stabilization reserve in 2026, projected to leave $13,643,950 against a target range of $6,000,000 - $17,900,000

A reserve is money set aside in earlier years. The 2026 budget lowers the tax levy with one-time items worth $891,900, which is 0.72 per cent. The biggest is a one-time $2,241,900 saving in the city’s corporate expenses, which includes a draw from the Rate Stabilization reserve. The budget shows that reserve falling by $2,150,000 in 2026. Without the one-time items the base budget would raise the levy by 1.43 per cent, not 0.71 per cent.

Found by reading the city's own documents · 4 sources

Worth askingMoney health

Cambridge says it is $169.4 million short of what it needs to maintain its roads, pipes and buildings over ten years. Is the 1 per cent yearly levy enough?

$169.4 millionthe city’s own estimate of the ten-year gap between what it needs and what it has planned to pay for its assets

The city says it needs $925.3 million over ten years to keep its assets at today’s service levels. Its plan funds $679.6 million and borrows $76.2 million, leaving a gap of $169.4 million. For the tax-supported part, the gap is $108.6 million, and the city says fully closing it would take a 9 per cent increase in the tax levy. The 2026 budget adds another 1 per cent for this, about $17 per household.

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

Show 4 more questionsShow fewer
Worth askingMoney health

Unpaid property taxes owed to Cambridge rose from $23,429,879 to $32,157,772 in 2025. Why did arrears grow by more than a third?

$32,157,772in property taxes billed but not yet paid at the end of 2025, up from $23,429,879 a year earlier

Taxes receivable is the amount of property tax that bills have charged but residents have not yet paid. It grew by $8,727,893 in one year, while the city’s tax revenue was $126,258,830. The city also collected $4,922,898 in penalties and interest on late taxes, against a budget of $3,000,000.

Found by reading the city's own documents · 4 sources

Worth askingRecord-keeping

The budget shows the Waived Development Charges reserve unchanged at $11,841,506, but the audited year-end figure is $7,490,633. Which is right?

$7,490,633left in the Waived Development Charges reserve at the end of 2025, down from $11,841,506 a year earlier

Development charges are fees builders pay to help cover the cost of growth. For years the city has waived them in its core areas (such as downtown) and paid the cost from this reserve. The 2026 budget says it has stopped adding money to the reserve and will use it for future waived charges. The budget’s reserve table shows the balance at $11,841,506 with no change in 2026. The audited statements show it at $11,841,506 at the end of 2024 and $7,490,633 at the end of 2025.

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

Worth askingOpenness

Cambridge says its Treasurer reports council pay and expenses every year, but residents must email to see them. Why are they not posted?

0 postedcouncil pay and expense statements we found on the city’s website on October 5, 2026

Ontario law requires each municipality to report every year what it paid each council member and each person on its local boards. Cambridge’s page says the Treasurer gives Council the statement by March 31 each year, but we found no posted copies. The page asks residents to email the Clerk. In the same way, the city’s statements page says the 2024 consolidated statements must be requested by email, and the Agenda & Minutes page says agendas and minutes may not be available online while the website is updated.

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

Good to knowRising costs

General government costs rose from $33,273,139 to $40,353,943 in 2025, and planning costs came in at $9,429,005 against a budget of $7,919,075. What drove both?

$40,353,943spent on general government in 2025, against $33,273,139 in 2024

General government is the cost of running the city itself, such as finance, legal and technology, before any service to residents. It rose by about a fifth in one year. Planning and development spent more than its budget, and it is the only service area the city’s segment note shows running at a loss. Total spending was $248,799,278 against a budget of $246,301,115.

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

Where your tax bill goes

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

Tax bill split: Cambridge 33%, County or region 52%, Schools 16%
$387Mraised in 2025
  • Cambridge33%
  • County or region52%
  • Schools16%

  • 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

    Places are only compared with places of a similar size and kind, from the same yearly reports.

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