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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 Espanola'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 Espanola's budget, taxes and council decisions. A town in the Sudbury District of Northern Ontario with a mayor and six councillors, all elected at large. Every figure links back to the public record.
$4,701,101surplus in 2025, against a budget of $316,291
A surplus is what is left when a year's revenue is more than its spending. The 2025 budget in the audited statements planned for a surplus of $316,291. The actual surplus was $4,701,101. Most of the gap is in one line: government transfers (grants from other levels of government) were budgeted at $2,125,794 and came in at $6,754,303. The statements break that line down by service, and $4,092,196 of it sits under transportation services. The Town's 2024 budget lists a road project with a large grant.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 4 sources
$3,124,326gap between the forecast and the audited 2024 reserves (worked out by us)
A reserve is money set aside for later, like a savings account for roads or snow plowing. The 2025 budget papers (February 2025) said reserves were $9,707,464 at the end of 2023 and were forecast at around $9,986,000 at the end of 2024. They also said infrastructure reserves were "completely depleted" once commitments were counted. The 2025 audited statements show total reserves of $6,861,674 at the end of 2024 and $7,674,587 at the end of 2025. The gap between the forecast and the 2024 figure is $3,124,326 (worked out by us).
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
$597,501Water and Sewer reserve at the end of 2025, up from (89,912) a year earlier
The statements list each reserve. At the end of 2024, the "Building" reserve was (94,003) and the "Water and Sewer" reserve was (89,912), which means the Town had spent more from them than it had put in. At the end of 2025 they were 882,500 and 597,501. The 2025 budget says water and sewer fees had a "one-time increase to close the gap of subsidizing sewer and water services from reserves."
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
68%of the $3,455,000 yearly need was funded in the 2025 budget
The Town's asset management plan says it needs about $3,455,000 a year for repairs and replacement. The 2025 budget set aside $2,355,722, or 68% of that. In 2025 the Town spent $6,203,827 on new and replaced assets, and the statements show $2,401,108 of amortization, which is the yearly wearing-out of what the Town owns. The budget papers say the Town plans to "increase capital funding as part of the operating budget" over time.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
2.02%of the 4.99% 2025 tax increase was due to assessment at risk, per the budget
The 2025 budget set a 4.99% tax increase for a typical home. It says 2.02% of that came from "assessment at risk": a shift from industrial to residential property worth about $163,000 of lost levy from a large industrial property. The 2024 budget papers refer to the "uncertainty pertaining to the future of the Town's large industrial ratepayer" and to "Domtar Idle". Property tax revenue in the statements was $9,928,489 in 2025 against $9,176,458 in 2024.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
In 2025, Espanola collected $752K more in its own property tax than in 2024. That is a 8% jump, while prices went up about 2.1%. None of the 8 similar towns raised theirs by more.
Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 3 sources
The Town's long-term debt was $4,715,726 at the end of 2025, in two loans. It paid $346,477 of principal and $189,759 of interest in 2025. The 2025 budget papers say the Town's yearly borrowing limit (the Annual Repayment Limit, the most it can pay each year on debt without provincial approval) was $2,966,121 and that its payments were around $540,000, "so there is still room for $12-30 million of debt."
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
$687,538yearly base rate in the water plant agreement that ends December 31, 2026
The statements say the Town has a ten-year agreement with the Ontario Clean Water Agency to run its water treatment plant and pipes, at a base rate of $687,538 a year plus adjustments, and that it ends on December 31, 2026. The 2025 budget says contracted costs for the water and sewer plants include a 2.9% increase.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
$164,054budgeted for Members of Council in 2024 (a group total, not by person)
We did not find a yearly statement of council pay and expenses on the Town's Financial Reports page, which lists budgets, financial statements, tax rates and a process review. The 2024 budget shows a line "Members of Council" of $164,054, down from $177,950, but that is a budget for the group, not what each member received. We did not search the council meeting portal, where a staff report may exist.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
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