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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 Greater Sudbury'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.
Questions · 7 so far
Things worth asking about
We read Greater Sudbury's financial reports and meeting minutes, and compared its numbers with 4 similar Ontario places. These are the things that stood out.
What these are, and what they are not. A question here means a number or practice is unusual, or harder to see than it should be. It does not mean anyone did anything wrong. Most unusual numbers turn out to have ordinary explanations, and every question lists some. The only way to know is to ask.
Worth asking
Worth asking
There may well be a good reason. It is still worth asking what it is.
$592 millionplanned outstanding external debt at the end of 2027, up from $340 million today, per the City’s own debt table
Debt is money the City borrows and pays back, with interest, from later budgets. The City’s own debt table shows what it owes now and what it plans to owe. The biggest new piece is the downtown event centre, a $200 million project that uses $135 million of new borrowing. The City says the payments will come from three sources: a special capital levy (an extra yearly charge on the property tax bill for roads and buildings), water fees and the hotel tax. The budget for 2027 was not adopted, so the next council will decide how to pay.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 5 sources
$500,000budget change listed only as "Closed Meeting Item" in the City’s adopted 2026 budget
Staff proposed a 2026 property tax increase of 5.7%. Council adopted 3.9% on December 3, 2025. The City’s list of changes shows where about $6.9 million came out of the draft: a smaller contribution to the capital levy, a cancelled funding plan for the College Street underpass, and one line called "Closed Meeting Item" for $500,000 with no description. Council also adopted only 2026, not the two-year operating budget staff had drafted.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 4 sources
$106,498,000the City’s estimate, at December 31, 2025, of the cost of removing asbestos from several of its buildings
An asset retirement obligation is a bill the City knows it will have to pay when it closes or tears down something it owns. At the end of 2025 the City recorded $134.6 million of these, of which $106.5 million is for removing asbestos from several of its buildings and $28.1 million is for closing landfill sites. The same statements list the whole amount as "unfunded". The City also says its reserves (savings kept for later) are lower than those of similar cities.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 4 sources
33%of audit action plans fully or substantially done at May 31, 2025 (25 of 75); the other 67% were partly done
The City has its own Auditor General, who audits City services and reports to council. When an audit finds a problem, management writes an action plan. At May 31, 2025, 75 plans were being tracked, and 25 were substantially done. The other 50 were only partly done, including one from a 2016 audit. The same budget document says that 88 per cent of the hotline complaints (reports of wrongdoing) still open at the end of 2024 were investigated by staff in Human Resources. It also cuts the Auditor General’s part-time hours from 3,654 to 1,827 by 2027, with more audit work going to contractors.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 4 sources
$16.6 millionby which the one bid for the Pioneer Manor redevelopment, $80.5 million, exceeded the City’s estimate of $63.9 million
In March 2025 the Auditor General audited how the City runs big building projects and buys for them. The audit found most projects well managed. It also said the rules for the biggest ones (housing projects, the Pioneer Manor long-term care home and others) were "not as well defined" and that changes from the plan "may not be identified to senior management and Council on a timely basis". Pioneer Manor drew only one bid, $16.6 million over the City’s estimate. Management agreed with the recommendations.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 4 sources
$8.4 millionloss reported for 2025 by the City’s wholly owned electricity company, after a $4.4 million profit in 2024
Greater Sudbury Utilities Inc. is owned 100% by the City. The City’s statements show its share was a loss of $8,447,000 in 2025 against a budgeted profit of $3,832,000. The company’s own statements show the loss came from an accounting entry for rates set by the Ontario Energy Board. Before that entry the company made a profit of $9.7 million. The Board approved paying back only part of the company’s employee-benefit balances through customer rates. The City also holds a $52,340,000 promissory note (a written promise to repay a loan) from the company at 7.25% a year.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 4 sources
$82,718.83paid to the Integrity Commissioner in 2024, of which $64,386.00 was for complaint investigation and reporting
The Integrity Commissioner looks into complaints that a council member broke the Code of Conduct or the conflict of interest law. The City posts what it pays each year, split into investigation, advice and training. The 2024 bill was more than three times 2023, most of it for complaint investigation. The City’s page does not say which complaints were investigated or what was found. A new firm took over on May 13, 2025.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 2 sources
$592 millionplanned outstanding external debt at the end of 2027, up from $340 million today, per the City’s own debt table
Debt is money the City borrows and pays back, with interest, from later budgets. The City’s own debt table shows what it owes now and what it plans to owe. The biggest new piece is the downtown event centre, a $200 million project that uses $135 million of new borrowing. The City says the payments will come from three sources: a special capital levy (an extra yearly charge on the property tax bill for roads and buildings), water fees and the hotel tax. The budget for 2027 was not adopted, so the next council will decide how to pay.
Why it matters
Debt payments come ahead of other spending every year for decades. The City’s debt repayment line grows by 78.8% between 2025 and 2027 in the budget document. The council elected on October 26, 2026 inherits those payments.
It could be because…
The City says it is well inside its own debt limit and the provincial one, so the borrowing may be affordable.
Borrowing can make sense when building costs keep rising, because a fixed price now can avoid larger costs later. The City says this itself.
Large projects such as the event centre, a long-term care home and fire stations are things residents asked for, and they last longer than the loans.
Questions you could ask
What is the total cost of the downtown event centre to taxpayers, counting the debt interest, the arena demolition and the parking changes?
Of the $36 million due in 2027, how much comes from the special capital levy, how much from water fees and how much from the hotel tax?
What happens to those payments if the next council chooses a smaller tax increase for 2027?
You can ask during the public part of a council meeting, by writing to the clerk, or by contacting your councillors. How to reach council.
Speak for Greater Sudbury?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The City’s debt section says its Debt Management Policy "limits its annual debt repayment to no more than 10 per cent of own-source revenue" and that "Currently, less than four per cent of own-source revenue is required to fund debt repayments." It then says: "These obligations are currently $340 million and peak in 2027 at $592 million. The required payments are $28 million and $36 million for 2026 and 2027, respectively, including principal and interest. The new debt payments are funded from a combination of the special capital levy, water user fees and the municipal accommodation tax."
The table lists "Arena/Event Centre" (2020 to 2050) at 90,000 borrowed, with a 2026 payment of 4,066, and "Arena/Event Centre - Additional Funding" (2027 to 2057) at 135,000, with a 2027 payment of 7,807 (all in thousands of dollars). The totals row reads 630,314 borrowed or committed, 339,851 outstanding at December 31, 2025, 28,342 paid in 2026, 36,149 paid in 2027 and 591,928 outstanding at December 31, 2027.
The event centre project page says: "In April 2024, Council approved the Downtown Event Centre project with a total project budget of $200 million. To fund this project, $65 million was reallocated from the Kingsway arena project and additional debt financing of $135 million was approved."
In answer to a councillor’s question about the $5 million budgeted for demolishing the Sudbury Community Arena in 2028, staff wrote: "the cost of demolition is anticipated to be funded from the tax levy and not the parking reserve. The demolition of the Sudbury Community Arena is a separate decision of Council and therefore will not form part of the project cost to construct the Event Centre."
$500,000budget change listed only as "Closed Meeting Item" in the City’s adopted 2026 budget
Staff proposed a 2026 property tax increase of 5.7%. Council adopted 3.9% on December 3, 2025. The City’s list of changes shows where about $6.9 million came out of the draft: a smaller contribution to the capital levy, a cancelled funding plan for the College Street underpass, and one line called "Closed Meeting Item" for $500,000 with no description. Council also adopted only 2026, not the two-year operating budget staff had drafted.
Why it matters
Residents can see the amount but not what it is. Cuts made now can come back as larger increases later, and the first budget of the new council (2027) starts from here.
It could be because…
Council may close a meeting for reasons the law allows, such as a property deal, a lawsuit or labour talks. Naming the item could weaken the City’s position.
The vote on the budget itself is public, and the closed item may be explained in the public minutes of December 3, 2025, which we did not read.
Lowering a tax increase in an election year is a choice council is allowed to make. The City says the 2026 budget keeps municipal operations to 0.5%.
Questions you could ask
What was the $500,000 "Closed Meeting Item", and will the public minutes say what it was once the reason for closing the meeting no longer applies?
How much of the reduced capital levy contribution and the cancelled College Street underpass funding plan has to be found again in 2027?
What will the 2027 tax increase be if the draft figure of 5.9 per cent is restored?
You can ask during the public part of a council meeting, by writing to the clerk, or by contacting your councillors. How to reach council.
Speak for Greater Sudbury?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The proposed budget says: "The proposed 2026-2027 budget represents an overall property tax increase net of assessment growth of 5.7 per cent for 2026 and 5.9 per cent for 2027."
The adopted budget’s table shows "Total Municipal Levy Change 1.30% $5,234,737", "Greater Sudbury Police Service 2.30% $8,520,877" and "Total Proposed Levy Change 3.90% $14,868,527".
The list of changes between the draft and the adopted budget shows these net budget impacts: Cancel College St. Underpass Funding Plan ($1,644,900); Eliminate Internal Repayment ($350,000); Reduce Contribution to Capital Levy ($1,850,000); and a line named only "Closed Meeting Item" at ($500,000). The total of base budget adjustments is ($6,856,990).
The City’s news release says council approved the budget on December 3, 2025, "achieving a reduction of nearly 2 per cent from the tax levy increase originally tabled on November 4." It adds: "Originally presented as a two-year budget, Council opted to approve funding for 2026 only due to recent organizational changes and upcoming elections. However, the capital budget was readopted for 2026-2027."
$106,498,000the City’s estimate, at December 31, 2025, of the cost of removing asbestos from several of its buildings
An asset retirement obligation is a bill the City knows it will have to pay when it closes or tears down something it owns. At the end of 2025 the City recorded $134.6 million of these, of which $106.5 million is for removing asbestos from several of its buildings and $28.1 million is for closing landfill sites. The same statements list the whole amount as "unfunded". The City also says its reserves (savings kept for later) are lower than those of similar cities.
Why it matters
The estimate grew by $6.4 million in 2025 (it was unchanged in 2024). Money for it has to come from taxes, fees or savings. The City says it needs to strengthen its reserves, and its 2026 and 2027 capital plans will draw them down.
It could be because…
The accounting standard requires the City to record the cost now even if no building is scheduled for demolition. The bill may fall due slowly over many decades.
The estimate changes as buildings are assessed and may fall as well as rise.
Many Ontario cities with older buildings carry large obligations of this kind, and the City already pays for part of its building work through its yearly capital budget.
Questions you could ask
When does the City expect to spend the $106.5 million, and how much of it falls in the next ten years?
Will the City’s long-term financial plan set money aside each year for it, or will it be paid from future borrowing?
Which buildings does the estimate cover, and does it include the buildings the City plans to demolish, such as the Sudbury Community Arena?
You can ask during the public part of a council meeting, by writing to the clerk, or by contacting your councillors. How to reach council.
Speak for Greater Sudbury?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The note says: "The City owns and operates several buildings that are known to have asbestos, which represents a health hazard upon demolition of the building and there is a legal obligation to remove it."
The table shows the asbestos removal obligation at 100,125 at the start of 2025 and 106,498 at the end, after a "Change in estimate" of 6,373. The landfill closure obligation is 28,128, for a total closing balance of 134,626. In 2024 the asbestos line shows no change in estimate.
The note lists, under "Unfunded:", "Asset retirement obligations (134,626)" and "Employee benefits (107,286)". It lists "Reserves 41,105" and "Reserve funds 238,355" (2024: 42,068 and 205,648).
The budget says: "Our reserves are lower than comparator municipalities." It adds that the corporation "must strengthen reserve balances" and that "In 2026 and 2027, reserves will fund $37 million in capital projects. The net impact of the 2026 and 2027 capital budget results in a reduction of City reserves and reserve funds."
33%of audit action plans fully or substantially done at May 31, 2025 (25 of 75); the other 67% were partly done
The City has its own Auditor General, who audits City services and reports to council. When an audit finds a problem, management writes an action plan. At May 31, 2025, 75 plans were being tracked, and 25 were substantially done. The other 50 were only partly done, including one from a 2016 audit. The same budget document says that 88 per cent of the hotline complaints (reports of wrongdoing) still open at the end of 2024 were investigated by staff in Human Resources. It also cuts the Auditor General’s part-time hours from 3,654 to 1,827 by 2027, with more audit work going to contractors.
Why it matters
An audit only helps if its fixes happen. The Auditor General is the one official whose job is to check, so changes to that office matter. Council decides each year whether to protect it.
It could be because…
A plan that is "partially implemented" may be a long project that is moving. Some of the work, such as long-term planning, never ends.
Using contractors can bring in specialists, such as IT auditors, and the City says the hours cut are being replaced this way.
The 2027 figures come from a draft budget. Council adopted only 2026, so the 2027 cut is not decided.
Questions you could ask
Which of the 50 partly done plans are the oldest, and what is the date by which each will be finished?
Who investigates hotline complaints about senior staff, and why were 88 per cent of the open complaints at the end of 2024 handled by Human Resources?
Will the next council keep the Auditor General’s in-house hours at the 2025 level?
You can ask during the public part of a council meeting, by writing to the clerk, or by contacting your councillors. How to reach council.
Speak for Greater Sudbury?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
The summary table has a Totals row of 75 plans, 25 "Substantially Implemented", 50 "Partially Implemented" and 0 "Little Action". The report concludes: "33 percent of the action plans have been fully or substantially completed, 67 percent have been partially implemented." The table lists "Long Term Financial Planning 2016" among the reports with a plan still carried forward.
The performance table shows the share of audit action items implemented as "33% Full 67% Partial" for 2024 and "23% Full 75% Partial" for 2023. The notes under it say: "Approximately 88 per cent of the outstanding Wrongdoing Hotline complaints at the end of 2024 were subject to investigation by Human Resources staff as compared to 50 per cent for 2023."
The Auditor General’s budget shows Salaries and Benefits of 405,617 (2025 budget), 321,137 (2026) and 253,296 (2027), and Purchased/Contract Services of 42,937, 63,048 and 150,118. Total expenditures are 496,674, 435,472 and 456,293. Part-Time Hours fall from 3,654 to 2,632 to 1,827.
$16.6 millionby which the one bid for the Pioneer Manor redevelopment, $80.5 million, exceeded the City’s estimate of $63.9 million
In March 2025 the Auditor General audited how the City runs big building projects and buys for them. The audit found most projects well managed. It also said the rules for the biggest ones (housing projects, the Pioneer Manor long-term care home and others) were "not as well defined" and that changes from the plan "may not be identified to senior management and Council on a timely basis". Pioneer Manor drew only one bid, $16.6 million over the City’s estimate. Management agreed with the recommendations.
Why it matters
Council approves capital budgets of hundreds of millions of dollars, and the event centre and the cultural hub are being built in the same years. The audited statements show $102,919,000 of capital contracts still in progress at the end of 2025.
It could be because…
Costs on all large Ontario construction jobs rose sharply after the pandemic, and the audit gives that as the reason for the high bid.
The Province paid 82% of the Pioneer Manor cost, according to the report to Finance Committee that the audit cites.
A capital budget covers several years. A year’s spending is naturally lower than the total approved, so the gap in the statements is not by itself a problem.
Questions you could ask
How often does council receive a report comparing the budget and the forecast cost of each large project, and where is it posted?
Has the City put in place the project management practices it agreed to in March 2025, and who checked?
Why was actual capital spending in 2025 about $142 million below the budget printed in the statements, and which projects moved to later years?
You can ask during the public part of a council meeting, by writing to the clerk, or by contacting your councillors. How to reach council.
Speak for Greater Sudbury?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
The audit says: "However, the City still only received one bid on this complex project. Staff advised us that significant increases to construction materials and labour during the pandemic as well as technical risks caused the successful bidder to submit a bid of $80.5 million which exceeded the City’s cost estimate of $63.9 million by $16.6 million."
The audit says that processes for "other large capital projects such as the housing projects on Sparks Street and Lorraine Street as well as the Pioneer Manor Redevelopment project are not as well defined, however. As a result, variances from project plans may not be identified to senior management and Council on a timely basis." Management’s response is "Agreed".
The note says: "The balance of capital works uncompleted under contracts in progress at December 31, 2025 amounts to approximately $102,919 (2024 - $118,779). The proposed financing of these obligations is $88,768 (2024 - $98,719) from surplus funds and $14,151 (2024 - $20,060) from external sources." Amounts are in thousands of dollars.
$8.4 millionloss reported for 2025 by the City’s wholly owned electricity company, after a $4.4 million profit in 2024
Greater Sudbury Utilities Inc. is owned 100% by the City. The City’s statements show its share was a loss of $8,447,000 in 2025 against a budgeted profit of $3,832,000. The company’s own statements show the loss came from an accounting entry for rates set by the Ontario Energy Board. Before that entry the company made a profit of $9.7 million. The Board approved paying back only part of the company’s employee-benefit balances through customer rates. The City also holds a $52,340,000 promissory note (a written promise to repay a loan) from the company at 7.25% a year.
Why it matters
The City counts the company as an investment of $141.6 million (with the airport company) and receives $3.8 million a year in interest on the note. A loss on the books can change what the investment is worth.
It could be because…
Utility rate accounting often shifts income between years. The company’s own statements show a profit before this entry and a clean audit opinion.
The Energy Board approved part of the amount and left another account open, so some of the balance may still be recovered later.
The City’s statements say its dealings with the company are at fair market value.
Questions you could ask
Does the City expect the company to recover the rest of the benefit balance in later rates, and when?
Does the promissory note interest of $3.8 million a year depend on the company’s results?
You can ask during the public part of a council meeting, by writing to the clerk, or by contacting your councillors. How to reach council.
Speak for Greater Sudbury?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
Note 4(a) says: "The investment of $130,540 in GSU includes a promissory note receivable of $52,340 (2024 - $52,340) which is unsecured and bears interest at a rate of 7.25% per annum. The note is repayable in full upon six months written notice from the City." Note 4(b) shows GSU comprehensive income (loss) of $ (8,447) in 2025 against "Budgeted comprehensive income (loss)" of $ 3,832 (thousands of dollars).
The company’s statement shows "Profit for the period 9,685,428" (2024: 4,602,313), "Net movement in regulatory balances, net of tax (note 7) (18,226,342)" (2024: 50,022), and "Total comprehensive income (loss) for the period $ (8,446,676) $ 4,360,429".
The company explains: "In 2025, the OEB approved disposition of only a portion of the cash-to-accrual transitional amount and directed that the actuarial gains and losses account remain open as a tracking account with no disposition at that time." Its regulatory assets fell from $20,593,350 to $7,002,341 (note 7).
Consolidated Statement of Financial Position (in thousands of dollars): "Investment in Government Business Enterprises (note 4 (a)) 141,617 150,631" (2025, 2024).
$82,718.83paid to the Integrity Commissioner in 2024, of which $64,386.00 was for complaint investigation and reporting
The Integrity Commissioner looks into complaints that a council member broke the Code of Conduct or the conflict of interest law. The City posts what it pays each year, split into investigation, advice and training. The 2024 bill was more than three times 2023, most of it for complaint investigation. The City’s page does not say which complaints were investigated or what was found. A new firm took over on May 13, 2025.
Why it matters
Residents pay the bill and rely on this office to deal with complaints about council members. A posted cost without the result leaves them unable to tell whether it was money well spent.
It could be because…
Cost follows the number and size of complaints, and a single long investigation can account for the jump.
The City says the Code was recently changed to require a sworn statement (affidavit) with a complaint, which may reduce the number of complaints.
Reports may be posted elsewhere, for example in the council meeting portal, which we did not search.
Questions you could ask
How many complaints were investigated in 2023 and 2024, and where are the reports posted?
Why did the investigation cost fall by 90% in 2025?
You can ask during the public part of a council meeting, by writing to the clerk, or by contacting your councillors. How to reach council.
Speak for Greater Sudbury?Send us your answer and we will publish it with this question.
The evidence
The City’s table lists a 2023 total of 25,778.69 (complaint investigation and reporting $21,450.00), a 2024 total of $82,718.83 (complaint investigation and reporting $64,386.00) and a 2025 total of $12,680.53 (without retainer). The page also says: "Please note that the Code of Conduct has been recently amended to require that a person making a complaint submit an affidavit."
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