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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 Markham'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 Markham's budget, taxes and council decisions. A city of more than 370,000 people (as the city's 2025 budget book prints it) in York Region, with a mayor, four regional councillors and eight ward councillors. Every figure links back to the public record.
$439.6Mthe plan's funding gap for repairs and replacement from 2026 to 2051, about $16.9 million a year (in 2025 dollars, without inflation)
The city's 2025 Asset Management Plan is its own study of what it owns (roads, water pipes, buildings, parks) and what it costs to keep it working. The plan's model says the money now planned for repairs and replacement from 2026 to 2051 is $439.6 million short of what is needed just to hold today's condition, an average of $16.9 million a year. If nothing changed, the model says about 30.6% of the city's assets would slide from a "Fair or better" state to "Poor or Very Poor" by 2051. The city's 2026 budget says it is raising its yearly infrastructure top-up to 1% of the tax rate and that this "will need to be increased further". We did not find a published plan that says how the whole gap will be closed.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 6 sources
($418,533,000)balance of the Land Acquisition Reserve Fund at the end of 2025, a deficit; it was ($398,622,000) a year earlier
A reserve fund is money set aside for a purpose. The city's Land Acquisition Reserve Fund is meant for land the city buys for strategic reasons that development charges cannot pay for. Its balance is not savings: it is a deficit of (418,533) thousand dollars at the end of 2025, deeper than (398,622) a year earlier and (359,556) at the end of 2023. The city explains that land bought before its purpose is settled is first paid for from this fund, and the fund is then topped up from the right source (for example development charges). That explains how a deficit can arise. We did not find a schedule that says how fast the refill is expected.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 5 sources
$222,244,000fair value of principal protected notes at the end of 2025, against $137,500,000 printed as their carrying value
The city invests spare cash. Its holdings include "principal protected notes" (PPNs), which the city's statements describe as a financial instrument with an embedded derivative. At the end of 2025 they were worth $222,244 thousand at fair value, up from $159,752 thousand a year earlier. Investment income was 50,437 thousand against a budget of 23,872 thousand, and the city says "higher gains on principal protected notes" were a main reason. The city also says its exposure to market price changes "is limited to its investments in PPN". We did not find a published limit on how much of the portfolio may be in these notes.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 6 sources
$47,823,000left in the Development Fee reserve at the end of 2025, down from $62,238,000; the 2026 budget plans draws of $7.74M and $3.44M
Planning and Urban Design and Engineering are paid for mainly by fees from developers, not by property tax. When fees fall short, the city covers the gap from a savings account called the Development Fee reserve. That reserve fell from 62,238 thousand dollars to 47,823 thousand in 2025. The 2026 budget plans to draw $7.74 million for Planning and Urban Design (its revenue is budgeted to fall 29.2%) and $3.44 million for Engineering. The city says the reserve exists to cover "years of downturn in the industry". We did not find a forecast of how many such years it can pay for.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 5 sources
$102,733City salary of each ward councillor in 2025, up from $84,961 in 2023
The city's required yearly statement of council pay shows each ward councillor's City salary at $84,961 for 2023, $93,882 for 2024 and $102,733 for 2025, a rise of about 10.5% and then 9.4%. Several members also receive fees from companies the city owns. In 2025 the Mayor's total was $308,179, which includes $63,750 from Alectra Inc. (the electric utility in which the city holds a 15% share), $15,500 from Markham District Energy Inc. and $63,623 from the Region of York, on top of a City salary of $165,306. Some ward councillors receive $21,500 or $23,500 from Markham District Energy. We did not find a council report in the documents we could open that explains the pay increases or sets the company fees.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 4 sources
$58.8Mfederal Housing Accelerator Fund agreement announced March 12, 2024; the veto covers one of its initiatives
On March 11, 2026 the Mayor used a new Ontario "strong mayor" power to veto two by-laws that council had passed on February 25, 2026. Both were part of "Housing Accelerator Fund Initiative 2", about extra residential units and incentives. The Housing Accelerator Fund is a federal program; in March 2024 the city announced a $58.8 million agreement under it, with "seven local initiatives". The Mayor's letter says that allowing up to four units on certain city properties "could potentially interfere with provincial and City priorities". We did not find a city document that says whether the veto changes the money, or whether council tried to override it (which takes two-thirds of members); council's minutes are on an agenda site that would not open to our reader, so we could not check them.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 3 sources
$677.9Mthe 2026 total budget, tabled by the Mayor on October 1, 2025
Since Ontario's 2022 and 2023 changes, Markham's Mayor writes and tables the budget. Council then has a short time to propose changes; if it proposes none, the budget is "deemed" adopted. For the 2025 budget the city's annual report says: "As there were no amendments to be considered, the 2025 Budget was deemed to be adopted on November 27, 2024". For 2026 the Mayor tabled the budget on October 1, 2025 and the city announced it as adopted on October 31, 2025. The city's own diagram still shows a "Council Vote" step. We did not find whether council took a recorded vote on either budget.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 3 sources
86%of the 2025 waterworks operating budget (before reserve transfer) is water bought from York Region, $117.6M
Markham buys its water from York Region in bulk and sells it to residents. In the 2025 waterworks operating budget, water and wastewater purchases were $117.6 million, 86% of the $136.5 million of spending (before a transfer to reserve). The approved 2025 rate was $5.1147 per cubic metre, and the 2026 budget adds 4.98%, or $52.99 for the average home. The city says water rate increases "are subject to a variety of unavoidable factors including the cost of purchasing water". The Region, not the city, sets the price it charges. We did not find a city report that splits the 2026 increase between the Region's price and the city's own costs.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 4 sources
$50 millionthe city's anticipated economic impact of the 2026 race; we found no published cost to the city
The Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham was scheduled for August 14 to 16, 2026, under a "multi-year agreement" with the event organizer. The city's 2025 annual report anticipates a "$50 million economic impact" and its 2026 budget book says "over $50 million in economic activity". The city's September 2025 release says only "tens of millions". The same release says "The City of Markham has begun early works on the track and festival site". We did not find the agreement, a cost to the city, or the method behind the economic estimate in the budget, the capital exhibits or the news releases.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 4 sources
0Code of Conduct or conflict-of-interest complaints reported by the Integrity Commissioner for July 2024 to June 2025
Markham has an Integrity Commissioner (ADR Chambers Inc.) and an Auditor General (MNP LLP), plus the Ontario Ombudsman. The Integrity Commissioner's three latest yearly reports show few complaints: one in 2022-23 (no breach), three code complaints in 2023-24 (two no breach, one withdrawn) plus one conflict-of-interest complaint dismissed, and none in 2024-25. Billings for the Commissioner's work were $30,189.04 (2022-23, to the date of the report), $32,403.84 and $28,274.82. The Auditor General's asset management audit of 2019 and the city's 2020 progress report are posted. We did not find the Auditor General's later reports, or a list of them, on the markham.ca pages we could open, and the city's agenda site would not open to our reader.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 5 sources
51.4%printed beside 2025 developer contributions of $236,704 thousand, which are 27.6% of 2025 revenue
On page 19 of the 2025 Annual Report, the "Revenues by Source" and "Expenses by Function" charts print 2025 dollar amounts next to percentages that do not match them. For example, contributions from developers is printed as "51.4%" with $236,704 (thousand dollars), but 236,704 is 27.6% of 2025 revenue of 858,653, as the city's own text on page 18 says. The 51.4% matches 2024 (612,277 of 1,192,270). The same holds for the expenses chart. The audited statements on page 27 are not affected.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 3 sources
Where your tax bill goes
A property tax bill in Markham pays for three governments. Only part of it goes to the city, and that part is what Markham council controls.
Tax bill split: Markham 22%, York Region 48%, Schools 29%
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