Not the full picture. Built from public records, which leave things out.Read by hand, Oct 2026Details

This is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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
Read by hand. We read Kingston'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 · 2025

How Kingston'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 2025, the latest year the city has reported to the Province.

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

Money in: $747M

Where the city's money came from in 2025.

44%

21%

26%

Property taxes$329M44%
Grants for specific projects$155M21%
Fees people pay$191M26%
Other$47.8M6%
Everything else$22.6M3%

Show as a table

Category	Amount	Share
Property taxes	$329,274,157	44.2%
Grants for specific projects	$155,026,441	20.8%
Fees people pay	$190,567,261	25.6%
Other	$47,769,500	6.4%
Everything else	$22,639,546	3.0%
Total	$745,276,905	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.
Other: Interest earned, donations, sales of land and equipment.

Money out: $585M on services

Day-to-day spending in 2025, by service. On top of this, the city recorded $94.1M of "wear and tear" on things it owns. That is an accounting cost, not cash out the door, so it is left out here.

12%

19%

14%

12%

18%

Running the city office$65.6M12%
Police, fire and safety$109M19%
Roads and snow$80.8M14%
Water, sewers and garbage$66.6M12%
Health$36.5M6%
Social services$104M18%
Housing$37.9M7%
Parks, arena and library$51.2M9%
Planning and business$11.7M2%

Show as a table

Category	Amount	Share
Running the city office	$65,598,640	11.7%
Police, fire and safety	$109,127,513	19.4%
Roads and snow	$80,768,000	14.3%
Water, sewers and garbage	$66,603,771	11.8%
Health	$36,525,438	6.5%
Social services	$103,667,227	18.4%
Housing	$37,855,789	6.7%
Parks, arena and library	$51,163,680	9.1%
Planning and business	$11,697,839	2.1%
Total	$563,007,897	100%

Police, fire and safety

$109M

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

+41% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Police (OPP contract)$59M+39%
What the city pays for policing.
Fire department$38.6M+43%
Firefighters, trucks and fire halls.
Building permits$3.6M+33%
Checking that new buildings are safe.
Conservation authority$2.0M+29%
A regional group that manages rivers, flooding and wetlands.
Prisoner transport$2.0M+100%
Moving people held by police.
By-law and animal control$1.8M+37%
Enforcing city rules, like noise, parking and dogs.
Traffic court$1.3M+56%
Handling tickets and fines.
Court security$732K0%
Security at the courthouse.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Police (OPP contract)	$59,037,657	+38.8%
Fire department	$38,625,220	+43.4%
Building permits	$3,626,295	+33.0%
Conservation authority	$2,039,075	+28.7%
Prisoner transport	$1,959,804	+99.6%
By-law and animal control	$1,787,211	+36.5%
Traffic court	$1,320,364	+56.4%
Court security	$731,887	−0.4%

Social services

$104M

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

+47% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Income support$36.8M+12%
Help for people with very low income.
Child care$35.6M+109%
Daycare and early learning.
Seniors$31.3M+54%
Long-term care and seniors programs.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Income support	$36,823,320	+11.8%
Child care	$35,550,733	+108.6%
Seniors	$31,293,174	+53.8%

Roads and snow

$80.8M

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

+26% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Public transit$33.7M+90%
Buses.
Paved roads$11.3M+11%
Fixing and repaving paved roads.
Snow ploughing$8.0M+37%
Ploughing, salting and sanding roads in winter.
Other transportation$7.5M−46%
Other transportation costs.
Parking$6.5M+54%
City parking lots and meters.
Roadsides and signs$4.8M+6%
Ditches, signs, line painting and roadside brush.
Accessible transit$3.8M+29%
Rides for people who cannot use regular buses.
Airport$2.0M+10%
A local airport or airstrip.
Street lights$1.5M+42%
Power and repairs for street lights.
Sidewalk snow$1.3M+35%
Clearing sidewalks and parking lots.
Gravel roads$132K+5%
Grading and fixing gravel roads.
Bridges and culverts$93,006−81%
Keeping bridges and the pipes under roads safe.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Public transit	$33,722,793	+90.1%
Paved roads	$11,287,271	+10.7%
Snow ploughing	$8,032,238	+37.4%
Other transportation	$7,513,041	−46.5%
Parking	$6,518,307	+54.5%
Roadsides and signs	$4,832,918	+5.7%
Accessible transit	$3,827,656	+28.6%
Airport	$1,986,064	+10.0%
Street lights	$1,478,455	+42.4%
Sidewalk snow	$1,343,839	+35.4%
Gravel roads	$132,412	+4.9%
Bridges and culverts	$93,006	−80.9%

Water, sewers and garbage

$66.6M

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

+47% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Sewer pipes$21.7M+41%
The pipes that carry sewage away from homes.
Water pipes$18.2M+29%
The pipes that bring water to homes.
Garbage pickup$4.9M+57%
Trucks that collect garbage.
Sewage treatment$4.8M+80%
Cleaning sewage before it goes back into nature (Tweed uses lagoons).
Recycling$4.7M−4%
Recycling and composting.
Other environment$4.3M+85%
Other environmental costs.
The dump (landfill)$4.3M+396%
Running the landfill, and saving up to close it safely one day.
Storm drains$3.2M+272%
Drains that carry away rain water.
Rural drainage$267K−46%
Ditches and drains in the countryside.
Water treatment$14,810−97%
Making lake or well water safe to drink.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Sewer pipes	$21,700,265	+41.1%
Water pipes	$18,214,409	+28.7%
Garbage pickup	$4,942,774	+57.1%
Sewage treatment	$4,848,203	+79.9%
Recycling	$4,712,061	−3.5%
Other environment	$4,345,284	+85.2%
The dump (landfill)	$4,326,509	+395.7%
Storm drains	$3,232,366	+271.8%
Rural drainage	$267,090	−45.9%
Water treatment	$14,810	−96.7%

Running the city office

$65.6M

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.

+53% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Office and administration$35.4M+70%
Office staff, finance, IT, insurance, legal and the city hall. Places share this cost out across other services.
Senior management$27.8M+40%
The top managers who run the city day to day.
Council$2.4M+13%
Pay and expenses for the mayor and councillors, and council meetings.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Office and administration	$35,407,192	+70.4%
Senior management	$27,803,210	+39.8%
Council	$2,388,238	+12.5%

Parks, arena and library

$51.2M

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

+26% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Arena and buildings$25.3M+91%
The arena, pool, community centre and halls.
Arts and culture$8.3M+11%
Festivals, arts and heritage.
Parks$8.1M+18%
Parks, beaches, trails and green spaces.
Library$6.7M−11%
The public library.
Golf, marina, ski hill$1.5M−2%
City-owned golf course, marina or ski hill.
Programs$1.0M−73%
Classes, camps and activities.
Museums$229K+23%
Local museums.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Arena and buildings	$25,297,101	+91.5%
Arts and culture	$8,323,332	+11.1%
Parks	$8,138,968	+17.9%
Library	$6,651,866	−11.0%
Golf, marina, ski hill	$1,502,686	−1.9%
Programs	$1,020,234	−73.3%
Museums	$229,493	+22.5%

Housing

$37.9M

Affordable and social housing.

+25% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Non-profit housing$15.1M+129%
Homes run by non-profits and co-ops.
Public housing$13.7M−20%
Homes owned by government.
Rent help$9.1M+38%
Help paying rent.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Non-profit housing	$15,074,801	+128.7%
Public housing	$13,683,755	−20.1%
Rent help	$9,097,233	+38.0%

Health

$36.5M

Public health, ambulances and cemeteries.

+48% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Public health$21.8M+39%
Health inspections and programs.
Ambulance$14.7M+89%
Paramedics and ambulances.
Cemeteries$42,678
Looking after city cemeteries.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Public health	$21,770,487	+38.9%
Ambulance	$14,712,273	+89.2%
Cemeteries	$42,678	–

Planning and business

$11.7M

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

+39% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Business and tourism$7.0M+66%
Attracting businesses and visitors, and helping local shops.
Planning and zoning$4.7M+13%
Deciding what can be built where.
Farm drainage loans$1,368
Loans to farmers for field drainage.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Business and tourism	$6,972,134	+66.2%
Planning and zoning	$4,724,337	+12.5%
Farm drainage loans	$1,368	–

What the money bought

The same 2025 spending, sorted by what it paid for rather than which service.

Staff pay and benefits$253M
Wages, benefits and pensions for city workers.
Money given to others$128M
Grants and payments to other groups, like the conservation authority.
Outside companies$125M
Work the city pays other companies to do, like policing, paving or consultants.
Supplies and utilities$53.6M
Gravel, salt, fuel, electricity, heating, office supplies and repairs.
Interest on loans$17.8M
The extra money paid to lenders for money the city borrowed.
Rent and money costs$6.9M
Renting equipment or space, bank fees, and some accounting costs.

Show as a table

Item	Amount
Staff pay and benefits	$253,303,961
Money given to others	$127,877,116
Outside companies	$124,994,562
Supplies and utilities	$53,586,601
Interest on loans	$17,841,997
Rent and money costs	$6,940,848

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	1544.3	730	0
2020	1567.5	735	0
2021	1629.4	740	0
2022	1606	840	3
2023	1924	900	3
2024	1885	782	0
2025	2100	774	32

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.

$747M

Show as a table

Year	Money in	Day-to-day spending
2019	$577M	$425M
2020	$593M	$408M
2021	$621M	$429M
2022	$629M	$475M
2023	$675M	$516M
2024	$710M	$547M
2025	$747M	$585M

City property tax

Up 33% since 2019. Prices rose 21%.

$329M

Show as a table

Year	City property tax
2019	$248M
2020	$256M
2021	$268M
2022	$281M
2023	$294M
2024	$309M
2025	$329M

Savings (reserves)

Money set aside for repairs, equipment and emergencies.

$315M

Show as a table

Year	Savings
2019	$274M
2020	$306M
2021	$323M
2022	$348M
2023	$353M
2024	$347M
2025	$315M

What the city owes

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

$451M

Show as a table

Year	Long-term loans	Temporary loans
2019	$355M	$95.7M
2020	$394M	$73.9M
2021	$378M	$102M
2022	$500M	$0
2023	$481M	$0
2024	$465M	$0
2025	$451M	$0

Building new things

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

$189M

Show as a table

Year	Built or bought	Wore out (amortization)
2019	$124M	$68.8M
2020	$101M	$69.6M
2021	$248M	$74.6M
2022	$260M	$77.5M
2023	$132M	$82.7M
2024	$128M	$88.5M
2025	$189M	$94.1M

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.