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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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 Cochrane'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 · 2024

How Cochrane'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 2024, the latest year the town has reported to the Province.

Why 2024 and not this year? A budget is a plan. These figures are what actually happened, checked by an auditor and reported to Ontario. The 2025 report is not out yet.

Money in: $24.5M

Where the town's money came from in 2024.

Cochrane revenue by source, 2024
  • Property taxes$9.3M38%
  • Money from Ontario (no strings)$2.2M9%
  • Grants for specific projects$3.7M15%
  • Fees people pay$6.8M28%
  • Other$2.1M9%
  • Everything else$442K2%
Show as a table
CategoryAmountShare
Property taxes$9,287,38137.7%
Money from Ontario (no strings)$2,217,3009.0%
Grants for specific projects$3,710,43615.1%
Fees people pay$6,838,98827.8%
Other$2,146,8688.7%
Everything else$442,3371.8%
Total$24,643,310100%

What each source means

Property taxes
What home and business owners pay each year, based on what their property is worth.
Money from Ontario (no strings)
A yearly grant from the Province that the town can spend on anything. Small rural towns get more.
Grants for specific projects
Money from Ontario or Canada that must be spent on a certain thing, often a road or building.
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: $18.7M on services

Day-to-day spending in 2024, by service. On top of this, the town recorded $3.7M of "wear and tear" on things it owns. That is an accounting cost, not cash out the door, so it is left out here.

Cochrane spending by service, 2024
  • Running the town office$2.7M14%
  • Police, fire and safety$2.3M12%
  • Roads and snow$3.3M18%
  • Water, sewers and garbage$2.8M15%
  • Health$798K4%
  • Social services$2.8M15%
  • Parks, arena and library$3.4M18%
  • Planning and business$531K3%
Show as a table
CategoryAmountShare
Running the town office$2,687,94114.4%
Police, fire and safety$2,250,53812.1%
Roads and snow$3,306,93817.7%
Water, sewers and garbage$2,790,71315.0%
Health$797,5124.3%
Social services$2,833,31215.2%
Parks, arena and library$3,447,61618.5%
Planning and business$530,6012.8%
Total$18,645,171100%

Parks, arena and library

$3.4M

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

−7% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)

Parks, arena and library broken down
  1. Arena and buildings$1.8M−16%

    The arena, pool, community centre and halls.

  2. Other recreation$929K−3%

    Other recreation costs.

  3. Library$397K−7%

    The public library.

  4. Programs$244K+196%

    Classes, camps and activities.

  5. Parks$52,252−30%

    Parks, beaches, trails and green spaces.

Show as a table
ItemAmountChange
Arena and buildings$1,825,640−16.4%
Other recreation$929,322−2.6%
Library$396,774−6.7%
Programs$243,628+195.6%
Parks$52,252−30.3%

Roads and snow

$3.3M

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

+14% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)

Roads and snow broken down
  1. Roadsides and signs$1.6M+58%

    Ditches, signs, line painting and roadside brush.

  2. Airport$632K+75%

    A local airport or airstrip.

  3. Paved roads$464K−8%

    Fixing and repaving paved roads.

  4. Snow ploughing$392K−43%

    Ploughing, salting and sanding roads in winter.

  5. Accessible transit$115K+20%

    Rides for people who cannot use regular buses.

  6. Street lights$68,181−14%

    Power and repairs for street lights.

  7. Gravel roads$52,559−67%

    Grading and fixing gravel roads.

  8. Bridges and culverts$2,900

    Keeping bridges and the pipes under roads safe.

Show as a table
ItemAmountChange
Roadsides and signs$1,580,072+58.0%
Airport$632,251+75.2%
Paved roads$463,858−7.7%
Snow ploughing$392,356−43.4%
Accessible transit$114,761+20.5%
Street lights$68,181−13.9%
Gravel roads$52,559−66.7%
Bridges and culverts$2,900–

Social services

$2.8M

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

+22% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)

Social services broken down
  1. Child care$1.9M+38%

    Daycare and early learning.

  2. Income support$959K+24%

    Help for people with very low income.

  3. Seniors$3,933

    Long-term care and seniors programs.

Show as a table
ItemAmountChange
Child care$1,870,444+38.3%
Income support$958,935+24.3%
Seniors$3,933–

Water, sewers and garbage

$2.8M

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

+8% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)

Water, sewers and garbage broken down
  1. Water treatment$925K+24%

    Making lake or well water safe to drink.

  2. Sewage treatment$658K+30%

    Cleaning sewage before it goes back into nature (Tweed uses lagoons).

  3. Water pipes$391K−18%

    The pipes that bring water to homes.

  4. Garbage pickup$333K+20%

    Trucks that collect garbage.

  5. The dump (landfill)$289K−31%

    Running the landfill, and saving up to close it safely one day.

  6. Sewer pipes$103K+44%

    The pipes that carry sewage away from homes.

  7. Recycling$75,101−6%

    Recycling and composting.

  8. Rural drainage$14,993

    Ditches and drains in the countryside.

  9. Storm drains$2,181

    Drains that carry away rain water.

Show as a table
ItemAmountChange
Water treatment$924,837+24.0%
Sewage treatment$658,454+30.2%
Water pipes$391,086−18.3%
Garbage pickup$332,505+19.6%
The dump (landfill)$288,611−30.9%
Sewer pipes$102,945+44.0%
Recycling$75,101−6.4%
Rural drainage$14,993–
Storm drains$2,181–

Running the town office

$2.7M

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.

+44% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)

Running the town office broken down
  1. Senior management$2.4M+39%

    The top managers who run the town day to day.

  2. Council$305K+99%

    Pay and expenses for the mayor and councillors, and council meetings.

Show as a table
ItemAmountChange
Senior management$2,383,406+38.7%
Council$304,535+98.9%

Police, fire and safety

$2.3M

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

+21% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)

Police, fire and safety broken down
  1. Police (OPP contract)$1.4M+10%

    What the town pays for policing.

  2. Fire department$422K+19%

    Firefighters, trucks and fire halls.

  3. Building permits$230K

    Checking that new buildings are safe.

  4. Emergency planning$129K

    Getting ready for floods, storms and other emergencies.

  5. By-law and animal control$86,940−56%

    Enforcing town rules, like noise, parking and dogs.

  6. Court security$2,920−93%

    Security at the courthouse.

  7. Prisoner transport$792

    Moving people held by police.

Show as a table
ItemAmountChange
Police (OPP contract)$1,391,503+10.5%
Fire department$422,202+19.1%
Building permits$230,270–
Emergency planning$128,550–
By-law and animal control$86,940−55.8%
Court security$2,920−93.2%
Prisoner transport$792–

Health

$798K

Public health, ambulances and cemeteries.

+29% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)

Health broken down
  1. Ambulance$468K+12%

    Paramedics and ambulances.

  2. Public health$286K+70%

    Health inspections and programs.

  3. Cemeteries$43,907+21%

    Looking after town cemeteries.

Show as a table
ItemAmountChange
Ambulance$467,801+12.4%
Public health$285,804+69.7%
Cemeteries$43,907+21.4%

Planning and business

$531K

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

+49% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)

Planning and business broken down
  1. Planning and zoning$288K+222%

    Deciding what can be built where.

  2. Business and tourism$239K+27%

    Attracting businesses and visitors, and helping local shops.

  3. Farms and forests$2,638

    Programs for farms and forests.

Show as a table
ItemAmountChange
Planning and zoning$288,470+222.0%
Business and tourism$239,493+26.6%
Farms and forests$2,638–

What the money bought

The same 2024 spending, sorted by what it paid for rather than which service.

Spending by type
  1. Staff pay and benefits$8.0M

    Wages, benefits and pensions for town workers.

  2. Supplies and utilities$6.9M

    Gravel, salt, fuel, electricity, heating, office supplies and repairs.

  3. Money given to others$1.8M

    Grants and payments to other groups, like the conservation authority.

  4. Outside companies$1.4M

    Work the town pays other companies to do, like policing, paving or consultants.

  5. Interest on loans$513K

    The extra money paid to lenders for money the town borrowed.

  6. Rent and money costs$106K

    Renting equipment or space, bank fees, and some accounting costs.

Show as a table
ItemAmount
Staff pay and benefits$7,978,209
Supplies and utilities$6,876,253
Money given to others$1,762,967
Outside companies$1,437,279
Interest on loans$513,008
Rent and money costs$106,233

Staff

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

YearFull-timePart-timeSeasonal
2019667826
2020663115
2021725315
2022805113
2023905719
2024895719

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.

Money in and day-to-day spending by year
$24.5M
Show as a table
YearMoney inDay-to-day spending
2019$23.4M$19.1M
2020$21M$16.6M
2021$21.8M$16.4M
2022$21.7M$18.2M
2023$25.6M$18.1M
2024$24.5M$18.7M

Town property tax

Up 30% since 2019. Prices rose 18%.

Town property tax by year
$9.3M
Show as a table
YearTown property tax
2019$7.1M
2020$7.1M
2021$7.8M
2022$8.3M
2023$8.7M
2024$9.3M

Savings (reserves)

Money set aside for repairs, equipment and emergencies.

Reserves by year
$8.9M
Show as a table
YearSavings
2019$4.3M
2020$4.9M
2021$7.1M
2022$7.2M
2023$9.0M
2024$8.9M

What the town owes

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

Debt by year
$10.6M
Show as a table
YearLong-term loansTemporary loans
2019$14M$0
2020$15M$0
2021$12.2M$0
2022$11.9M$52,745
2023$11.7M$0
2024$10.6M$0

Building new things

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

Capital spending and wear by year
$3.5M
Show as a table
YearBuilt or boughtWore out (amortization)
2019$4.4M$4.8M
2020$3.5M$5.1M
2021$2.2M$3.7M
2022$6.4M$3.4M
2023$3.2M$3.6M
2024$3.5M$3.7M

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.