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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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

Your town, in plain words

How Essex uses the money we share.

A clear, checkable guide to Essex's budget, taxes and council decisions. A town in Essex County, in southwestern Ontario, with a mayor, a deputy mayor and six councillors elected from four wards. Every figure links back to the public record.

Property tax raised in 2025$38.9Mall property in Essex56% Town32% County12% SchoolsSee where your tax bill goes →
Town spending, 2025$36.4MAbout $4,339 per household, up 3.5% from 2024.See the money →
Property tax change+6.3%Essex's own property tax came to $21.9M in 2025, against $20.6M in 2024.What changed →

Where it goes

Most of every dollar supports the everyday town.

Explore every service →
Parks, arena and library$8.1M · 22%
Water, sewers and garbage$7.3M · 20%
Police, fire and safety$6.5M · 18%
Running the town office$5.9M · 16%
Show all 7 servicesShow fewer
Roads and snow$5.6M · 15%
Planning and business$2.6M · 7%
Health$358K · 1%

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

A fair comparisonHow does Essex compare?Among 30 similar Ontario towns, Essex's day-to-day spending per household is on the high side.Essex is here · 21 of 30, lowest to highestCompare Essex →

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 9 questions
Worth askingRising costs

Why was interest income budgeted at $470,672 for 2025 when the Town has earned several million a year?

$3,530,337interest and penalties earned in 2025, against a budget of $470,672

The Town holds a lot of cash. At December 31, 2025 it had $100,300,497 in cash and cash equivalents. The statements show a line called "Interest and penalties". For 2025 the budget was $470,672 and the actual was $3,530,337. For 2024 the budget was $532,964 and the actual was $4,821,340. For 2023 the actual was $4,562,177. So the budget has been a small fraction of the result three years running. The Town's budget slides say interest income can swing and that the Bank of Canada's rate fell from 3.75% in October 2024 to 2.25% in October 2025.

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

Worth askingMoney health

Why does the Town plan to borrow $5,235,000 for 2026 capital work when it holds about $105 million in reserves?

$5,235,000new long-term debt financing proposed for 2026 capital work

A reserve is money set aside for a purpose. At December 31, 2025 the Town's reserves and reserve funds were $104,942,054, and it had $100,300,497 in cash. It also owes $19,500,269 in long-term debt, and in 2025 it issued $1,892,070 of new debt while repaying $2,527,494. The proposed 2026 capital budget plans $5,235,000 of new long-term debt financing, up from $2,670,488 in the 2025 budget. Some of the planned debt is new, such as $1,137,051 for the Town Hall consolidation. The Town says its debt stays within the provincial limit, and the walkthrough shows reserve balances falling over 2026 as projects are paid for.

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

Worth askingRising costs

Why did planning and development spending jump from $1,508,977 in 2024 to $2,654,673 in 2025, against a budget of $1,925,884?

$2,654,673planning and development spending in 2025, against a budget of $1,925,884

Planning and development covers planning applications, development review and related work. The statements show spending of $2,989,955 in 2023, $1,508,977 in 2024 (budget $1,498,963) and $2,654,673 in 2025 (budget $1,925,884). So 2025 was $728,789 over budget (worked out by us). Inside the 2025 numbers, salaries and benefits were $1,241,082 (2024: $811,567) and materials and supplies $1,267,342 (2024: $558,610). The Town's slides mention an organizational review whose critical changes were approved in 2025, but we did not find a line that explains this department's increase.

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

Worth askingRising costs

Why are several 2026 capital contracts coming in above the budgets Council approved?

$803,003.31extra funding approved on June 15, 2026 for a project budgeted at $3,000,000

The 2026 capital budget put $3,000,000 toward the Maidstone Avenue and Talbot Street intersection. On June 15, 2026 Council awarded the construction for $3,402,282.31 and approved $803,003.31 of extra funding above that $3,000,000. On August 10, 2026 Council awarded the Inspiration Industrial Park servicing tender for $3,016,166.40 and approved $751,362.40 in funding above the approved 2026 capital budget, and a snowplow purchase needed $5,732 more. The Town's summaries say where the extra money comes from: reserves and development charges, and for the industrial park, water and wastewater charges that will be adjusted afterward. We looked only at the summaries for June to September 2026.

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

Show 5 more questionsShow fewer
Good to knowHow decisions are made

How did the $22,791,716 sale price for E.L.K. Energy turn into the money the Town now holds, and where is it going?

$22,791,716price received for E.L.K. Energy Inc., November 28, 2025

The Town owned all of E.L.K. Energy Inc., the electricity company that served part of Essex. It sold the company to ENWIN Utilities on November 28, 2025. The audited statements say the Town received $22,791,716 and booked a one-time gain of $11,045,225. The Town's own news post says that after debt, legal fees and transaction costs it expects about $21.9 million, that Council put about $6.9 million toward projects (a new sports field, Fire Station 3 and a Town Hall expansion), and that the remaining estimated $15 million goes into a new E.L.K. Legacy Reserve that keeps the principal and spends only the yearly investment income. At December 31, 2025 the statements show $22,125,888 in a reserve fund called "E.L.K. Energy". The difference between the price and that reserve is $665,828 (worked out by us). The Town has explained the plan. We could not find the dollar breakdown of the costs.

Found by reading the town's own documents · 5 sources

Good to knowMoney health

Why did the Town finish 2025 with a surplus of $20,960,015 when its budget planned for $9,359,970?

$20,960,015surplus in 2025, against a budgeted $9,359,970

A surplus is what is left when a year's revenue is more than its spending. The audited statements show a surplus of $20,960,015 for 2025 against a budgeted $9,359,970. One item explains most of it: the one-time $11,045,225 gain on the sale of E.L.K. Energy. Take that out and the surplus is $9,914,790 (worked out by us), close to the plan. The year before, the budget planned $11,360,196 and the result was $12,958,566. The Town also says its budget is built on a different basis from the statements.

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

Good to knowRising costs

What is behind the proposed 4.92% increase in the Town's 2026 tax levy?

$103.58proposed 2026 increase in the Town's levy on a home assessed at $192,000

The Town's budget slides propose an average increase of 4.92% in the Town's share of the property tax bill for 2026, or $103.58 a year on a home assessed at $192,000 (from $2,104.90 to $2,208.48). Across the Town, County and school boards the average bill goes up $132.08, or 3.80%. The Town explains the rise in detail: keeping services as they are would cost a minimum of $807,031.89, or 4.01% on taxes; the slides then list 1.00% for the asset management levy, 1.33% for proposed new positions, 1.86% for salaries and benefits, 0.41% for the police contract, and a 0.45% saving because the E.L.K. amortization was removed. These are the proposed figures from November 24, 2025. We could not read the adopted 2026 budget book, so we did not check the final rate.

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

Good to knowHow decisions are made

Who has the last word on the Town's budget now that the Mayor holds strong-mayor powers?

34mayoral decisions listed for 2025 and 2026 on the Town's Mayoral Powers page (counted by us)

In 2022 the Province gave some mayors extra powers, including proposing the budget and vetoing parts of it. The Town says those powers came to Essex on May 1, 2025. Its own 2026 budget slides say the Mayor, Sherry Bondy, directed staff to prepare the 2026 budget (SMP-25-003) and shortened the 10-day veto period for it to zero days (SMP-25-004). The Council deliberation slides ask Council to reduce the time periods for budget amendments and veto under the Ontario regulation. The Town's page lists 18 written mayoral decisions for 2025 and 16 for 2026. We could not read what they say: the ones we opened are scanned images.

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

Where your tax bill goes

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

Tax bill split: Essex 56%, County or region 32%, Schools 12%
$38.9Mraised in 2025
  • Essex56%
  • County or region32%
  • Schools12%

  • 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

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

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