Not the full picture. Built from public records, which leave things out.Older reportDetails

This is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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
An older report. We have no 2024 report for Hamilton in the Province's latest release, so these pages use its 2022 report. It may simply be filed late.
Read by hand. We read Hamilton'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 · 2022

How Hamilton's money works

A city 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 2022, the latest year the city has reported to the Province.

Why 2022 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: $2.2B

Where the city's money came from in 2022.

47%

23%

18%

Property taxes$1.0B47%
Grants for specific projects$496M23%
Fees people pay$386M18%
Licences and rent$75.6M3%
Other$166M8%
Everything else$48.1M2%

Show as a table

Category	Amount	Share
Property taxes	$1,023,181,301	46.6%
Grants for specific projects	$496,296,770	22.6%
Fees people pay	$385,731,742	17.6%
Licences and rent	$75,643,281	3.4%
Other	$165,521,705	7.5%
Everything else	$48,093,451	2.2%
Total	$2,194,468,250	100%

What each source means

Property taxes: What home and business owners pay each year, based on what their property is worth.
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.
Licences and rent: Dog tags, licences, and rent from city-owned property.
Other: Interest earned, donations, sales of land and equipment.

Money out: $1.8B on services

Day-to-day spending in 2022, by service. On top of this, the city recorded $228M of "wear and tear" on things it owns. That is an accounting cost, not cash out the door, so it is left out here.

19%

14%

12%

19%

Running the city office$167M9%
Police, fire and safety$343M19%
Roads and snow$246M14%
Water, sewers and garbage$219M12%
Health$138M8%
Social services$347M19%
Housing$120M7%
Parks, arena and library$143M8%
Planning and business$66.9M4%

Show as a table

Category	Amount	Share
Running the city office	$167,010,180	9.3%
Police, fire and safety	$342,656,000	19.1%
Roads and snow	$245,837,176	13.7%
Water, sewers and garbage	$219,068,774	12.2%
Health	$138,359,505	7.7%
Social services	$346,853,272	19.4%
Housing	$119,951,335	6.7%
Parks, arena and library	$142,877,150	8.0%
Planning and business	$66,856,013	3.7%
Total	$1,789,469,405	100%

Social services

$347M

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

+16% since 2019 (prices rose 11%)

Income support$179M+10%
Help for people with very low income.
Child care$107M+20%
Daycare and early learning.
Seniors$61.6M+26%
Long-term care and seniors programs.
Other social$9,861−80%
Other social services.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Income support	$178,656,471	+10.4%
Child care	$106,597,679	+20.5%
Seniors	$61,589,261	+25.6%
Other social	$9,861	−79.8%

Police, fire and safety

$343M

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

+10% since 2019 (prices rose 11%)

Police (OPP contract)$187M+12%
What the city pays for policing.
Fire department$102M+11%
Firefighters, trucks and fire halls.
By-law and animal control$17.6M+3%
Enforcing city rules, like noise, parking and dogs.
Building permits$13.7M0%
Checking that new buildings are safe.
Conservation authority$8.0M−14%
A regional group that manages rivers, flooding and wetlands.
Court security$6.9M−5%
Security at the courthouse.
Traffic court$5.6M+44%
Handling tickets and fines.
Emergency planning$1.7M0%
Getting ready for floods, storms and other emergencies.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Police (OPP contract)	$186,872,596	+11.8%
Fire department	$102,368,155	+11.1%
By-law and animal control	$17,558,541	+2.7%
Building permits	$13,716,129	−0.4%
Conservation authority	$7,968,211	−14.2%
Court security	$6,866,177	−5.0%
Traffic court	$5,648,892	+43.9%
Emergency planning	$1,657,299	−0.5%

Roads and snow

$246M

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

+9% since 2019 (prices rose 11%)

Public transit$111M+7%
Buses.
Paved roads$38.5M+63%
Fixing and repaving paved roads.
Snow ploughing$32.4M+20%
Ploughing, salting and sanding roads in winter.
Roadsides and signs$22.9M+5%
Ditches, signs, line painting and roadside brush.
Accessible transit$20.1M−22%
Rides for people who cannot use regular buses.
Parking$10.2M+3%
City parking lots and meters.
Street lights$5.0M−3%
Power and repairs for street lights.
Sidewalk snow$3.3M−6%
Clearing sidewalks and parking lots.
Bridges and culverts$2.1M−55%
Keeping bridges and the pipes under roads safe.
Gravel roads$596K−7%
Grading and fixing gravel roads.
Airport$151K+119%
A local airport or airstrip.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Public transit	$110,593,917	+6.5%
Paved roads	$38,505,405	+62.9%
Snow ploughing	$32,395,694	+19.8%
Roadsides and signs	$22,902,698	+4.8%
Accessible transit	$20,118,497	−22.3%
Parking	$10,226,848	+2.6%
Street lights	$4,982,365	−2.7%
Sidewalk snow	$3,271,780	−5.6%
Bridges and culverts	$2,092,965	−54.9%
Gravel roads	$595,566	−7.0%
Airport	$151,441	+119.1%

Water, sewers and garbage

$219M

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

+19% since 2019 (prices rose 11%)

Water pipes$51.6M+9%
The pipes that bring water to homes.
Recycling$36.1M+26%
Recycling and composting.
Sewage treatment$33.9M+30%
Cleaning sewage before it goes back into nature (Tweed uses lagoons).
Sewer pipes$25.3M+3%
The pipes that carry sewage away from homes.
Water treatment$16.7M+28%
Making lake or well water safe to drink.
The dump (landfill)$15.8M+35%
Running the landfill, and saving up to close it safely one day.
Garbage pickup$15.3M+28%
Trucks that collect garbage.
Storm drains$15.2M+11%
Drains that carry away rain water.
Other environment$4.9M+69%
Other environmental costs.
Rural drainage$4.2M−6%
Ditches and drains in the countryside.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Water pipes	$51,638,665	+8.9%
Recycling	$36,144,801	+25.8%
Sewage treatment	$33,943,163	+29.7%
Sewer pipes	$25,302,002	+3.3%
Water treatment	$16,686,824	+28.3%
The dump (landfill)	$15,794,934	+35.5%
Garbage pickup	$15,278,252	+28.0%
Storm drains	$15,180,619	+11.2%
Other environment	$4,887,734	+69.0%
Rural drainage	$4,211,780	−6.1%

Running the city office

$167M

Council, managers, the clerk, accounting, computers, insurance and the city hall itself. Every city needs some of this, but it does not fix a road or put out a fire.

+22% since 2019 (prices rose 11%)

Office and administration$91M+21%
Office staff, finance, IT, insurance, legal and the city hall. Places share this cost out across other services.
Senior management$67.2M+21%
The top managers who run the city day to day.
Council$8.8M+52%
Pay and expenses for the mayor and councillors, and council meetings.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Office and administration	$91,011,826	+20.6%
Senior management	$67,208,651	+21.4%
Council	$8,789,703	+52.4%

Parks, arena and library

$143M

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

+5% since 2019 (prices rose 11%)

Parks$37.7M+20%
Parks, beaches, trails and green spaces.
Programs$30.1M+4%
Classes, camps and activities.
Library$28.3M+1%
The public library.
Arena and buildings$23.4M−13%
The arena, pool, community centre and halls.
Arts and culture$11.9M+21%
Festivals, arts and heritage.
Other recreation$4.4M+27%
Other recreation costs.
Museums$3.9M−4%
Local museums.
Golf, marina, ski hill$3.2M+2%
City-owned golf course, marina or ski hill.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Parks	$37,697,734	+20.0%
Programs	$30,099,543	+3.5%
Library	$28,347,136	+1.2%
Arena and buildings	$23,350,334	−13.1%
Arts and culture	$11,917,517	+20.9%
Other recreation	$4,351,809	+26.8%
Museums	$3,905,949	−3.6%
Golf, marina, ski hill	$3,207,128	+1.8%

Health

$138M

Public health, ambulances and cemeteries.

+45% since 2019 (prices rose 11%)

Public health$69.5M+60%
Health inspections and programs.
Ambulance$64.5M+34%
Paramedics and ambulances.
Cemeteries$4.4M+8%
Looking after city cemeteries.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Public health	$69,451,551	+60.1%
Ambulance	$64,467,615	+34.3%
Cemeteries	$4,440,339	+7.8%

Housing

$120M

Affordable and social housing.

+34% since 2019 (prices rose 11%)

Non-profit housing$56M+4,219%
Homes run by non-profits and co-ops.
Public housing$41.2M+8%
Homes owned by government.
Other housing$15.9M−63%
Other housing costs.
Rent help$6.9M+5%
Help paying rent.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Non-profit housing	$55,998,160	+4,218.5%
Public housing	$41,216,718	+7.9%
Other housing	$15,872,745	−63.5%
Rent help	$6,863,712	+4.9%

Planning and business

$66.9M

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

+51% since 2019 (prices rose 11%)

Planning and zoning$33M+120%
Deciding what can be built where.
Farms and forests$17.5M+14%
Programs for farms and forests.
Business and tourism$13.6M+16%
Attracting businesses and visitors, and helping local shops.
New housing$2.7M+32%
Helping new homes get built.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Planning and zoning	$33,019,894	+120.4%
Farms and forests	$17,491,243	+14.2%
Business and tourism	$13,632,738	+15.6%
New housing	$2,712,138	+31.8%

What the money bought

The same 2022 spending, sorted by what it paid for rather than which service.

Staff pay and benefits$902M
Wages, benefits and pensions for city workers.
Outside companies$347M
Work the city pays other companies to do, like policing, paving or consultants.
Supplies and utilities$292M
Gravel, salt, fuel, electricity, heating, office supplies and repairs.
Money given to others$196M
Grants and payments to other groups, like the conservation authority.
Rent and money costs$42.8M
Renting equipment or space, bank fees, and some accounting costs.
Interest on loans$10M
The extra money paid to lenders for money the city borrowed.

Show as a table

Item	Amount
Staff pay and benefits	$902,088,904
Outside companies	$346,784,326
Supplies and utilities	$291,768,896
Money given to others	$195,997,644
Rent and money costs	$42,824,355
Interest on loans	$10,005,280

Staff

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

Year	Full-time	Part-time	Seasonal
2019	6840.66	835.73	148.81
2020	6918.67	822.33	158.12
2021	6889.96	823.25	198.45
2022	7067.26	822.14	168.25

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 city 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.

$2.2B

Show as a table

Year	Money in	Day-to-day spending
2019	$2.0B	$1.5B
2020	$2.0B	$1.5B
2021	$2.1B	$1.7B
2022	$2.2B	$1.8B

City property tax

Up 12% since 2019. Prices rose 11%.

$1.0B

Show as a table

Year	City property tax
2019	$912M
2020	$951M
2021	$971M
2022	$1.0B

Savings (reserves)

Money set aside for repairs, equipment and emergencies.

$643M

Show as a table

Year	Savings
2019	$665M
2020	$682M
2021	$676M
2022	$643M

What the city owes

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

$353M

Show as a table

Year	Long-term loans	Temporary loans
2019	$433M	$0
2020	$436M	$0
2021	$401M	$0
2022	$353M	$0

Building new things

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

$361M

Show as a table

Year	Built or bought	Wore out (amortization)
2019	$399M	$205M
2020	$316M	$214M
2021	$359M	$216M
2022	$361M	$228M

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.