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This is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 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.

The money · 2025

How Markham'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: $859M

Where the city's money came from in 2025.

24%

44%

Property taxes$201M24%
Fees people pay$196M24%
Licences and rent$32.3M4%
Other$359M44%
Everything else$36M4%

Show as a table

Category	Amount	Share
Property taxes	$200,555,958	24.4%
Fees people pay	$195,869,268	23.8%
Licences and rent	$32,288,075	3.9%
Other	$358,906,367	43.6%
Everything else	$35,995,715	4.4%
Total	$823,615,383	100%

What each source means

Property taxes: What home and business owners pay each year, based on what their property is worth.
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: $468M on services

Day-to-day spending in 2025, by service. On top of this, the city recorded $87.4M of "wear and tear" on things it owns. That is an accounting cost, not cash out the door, so it is left out here.

15%

14%

36%

19%

Running the city office$71.3M15%
Police, fire and safety$65.7M14%
Roads and snow$46.3M10%
Water, sewers and garbage$167M36%
Health$30,4170%
Parks, arena and library$89.7M19%
Planning and business$27.9M6%

Show as a table

Category	Amount	Share
Running the city office	$71,313,556	15.2%
Police, fire and safety	$65,748,036	14.0%
Roads and snow	$46,285,162	9.9%
Water, sewers and garbage	$167,110,935	35.7%
Health	$30,417	0.0%
Parks, arena and library	$89,671,596	19.2%
Planning and business	$27,935,038	6.0%
Total	$468,094,740	100%

Water, sewers and garbage

$167M

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

+23% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Sewage treatment$68.9M+15%
Cleaning sewage before it goes back into nature (Tweed uses lagoons).
Water pipes$68.6M+351%
The pipes that bring water to homes.
Recycling$12.5M+44%
Recycling and composting.
Storm drains$9.8M+321%
Drains that carry away rain water.
Garbage pickup$4.0M+107%
Trucks that collect garbage.
Sewer pipes$2.1M−41%
The pipes that carry sewage away from homes.
Other environment$966K−78%
Other environmental costs.
Water treatment$226K−99%
Making lake or well water safe to drink.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Sewage treatment	$68,857,703	+14.8%
Water pipes	$68,644,980	+350.7%
Recycling	$12,498,278	+44.0%
Storm drains	$9,843,056	+321.4%
Garbage pickup	$3,985,895	+106.6%
Sewer pipes	$2,088,849	−40.6%
Other environment	$965,903	−77.8%
Water treatment	$226,271	−99.4%

Parks, arena and library

$89.7M

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

+23% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Arena and buildings$34.4M+183%
The arena, pool, community centre and halls.
Library$17.9M+15%
The public library.
Parks$15.6M+36%
Parks, beaches, trails and green spaces.
Programs$13M−50%
Classes, camps and activities.
Arts and culture$6.3M+7%
Festivals, arts and heritage.
Museums$2.4M+23%
Local museums.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Arena and buildings	$34,373,772	+183.0%
Library	$17,927,742	+15.3%
Parks	$15,596,884	+36.1%
Programs	$13,048,479	−49.9%
Arts and culture	$6,282,163	+6.6%
Museums	$2,442,556	+22.6%

Running the city office

$71.3M

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.

+43% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Senior management$41.8M+143%
The top managers who run the city day to day.
Office and administration$25.3M+22%
Office staff, finance, IT, insurance, legal and the city hall. Places share this cost out across other services.
Council$4.2M−65%
Pay and expenses for the mayor and councillors, and council meetings.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Senior management	$41,811,333	+143.2%
Office and administration	$25,326,468	+22.4%
Council	$4,175,755	−64.9%

Police, fire and safety

$65.7M

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

+31% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Fire department$49.7M+21%
Firefighters, trucks and fire halls.
Building permits$9.8M+46%
Checking that new buildings are safe.
By-law and animal control$6.2M+139%
Enforcing city rules, like noise, parking and dogs.
Emergency planning$3,849
Getting ready for floods, storms and other emergencies.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Fire department	$49,730,974	+21.4%
Building permits	$9,799,060	+45.8%
By-law and animal control	$6,214,153	+139.5%
Emergency planning	$3,849	–

Roads and snow

$46.3M

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

+20% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Paved roads$21.9M+70%
Fixing and repaving paved roads.
Snow ploughing$10.6M−11%
Ploughing, salting and sanding roads in winter.
Street lights$5.6M+49%
Power and repairs for street lights.
Roadsides and signs$4.5M−13%
Ditches, signs, line painting and roadside brush.
Parking$2.2M+9%
City parking lots and meters.
Other transportation$690K+88%
Other transportation costs.
Sidewalk snow$683K−62%
Clearing sidewalks and parking lots.
Bridges and culverts$108K−83%
Keeping bridges and the pipes under roads safe.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Paved roads	$21,944,787	+69.5%
Snow ploughing	$10,574,169	−11.3%
Street lights	$5,570,023	+48.9%
Roadsides and signs	$4,524,672	−13.0%
Parking	$2,191,006	+8.5%
Other transportation	$689,702	+88.1%
Sidewalk snow	$683,206	−62.5%
Bridges and culverts	$107,597	−83.1%

Planning and business

$27.9M

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

+154% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Planning and zoning$27.2M+161%
Deciding what can be built where.
Business and tourism$756K+31%
Attracting businesses and visitors, and helping local shops.
Other planning$420
Other planning costs.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Planning and zoning	$27,178,191	+161.1%
Business and tourism	$756,427	+31.0%
Other planning	$420	–

Health

$30,417

Public health, ambulances and cemeteries.

+26% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Cemeteries$30,417
Looking after city cemeteries.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Cemeteries	$30,417	–

What the money bought

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

Outside companies$211M
Work the city pays other companies to do, like policing, paving or consultants.
Staff pay and benefits$210M
Wages, benefits and pensions for city workers.
Supplies and utilities$43.6M
Gravel, salt, fuel, electricity, heating, office supplies and repairs.
Rent and money costs$3.1M
Renting equipment or space, bank fees, and some accounting costs.
Money given to others$463K
Grants and payments to other groups, like the conservation authority.
Interest on loans$213K
The extra money paid to lenders for money the city borrowed.

Show as a table

Item	Amount
Outside companies	$210,941,528
Staff pay and benefits	$209,742,769
Supplies and utilities	$43,588,297
Rent and money costs	$3,146,231
Money given to others	$462,500
Interest on loans	$213,415

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	1121	289	2478
2020	1139	62	121
2021	1139	172	808
2022	1143	353	1796
2023	1189	224	2212
2024	1208	348	2525
2025	1257	377	2623

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.

$859M

Show as a table

Year	Money in	Day-to-day spending
2019	$529M	$359M
2020	$475M	$329M
2021	$856M	$322M
2022	$697M	$376M
2023	$769M	$400M
2024	$1.2B	$419M
2025	$859M	$468M

City property tax

Up 23% since 2019. Prices rose 21%.

$201M

Show as a table

Year	City property tax
2019	$163M
2020	$167M
2021	$168M
2022	$175M
2023	$184M
2024	$192M
2025	$201M

Savings (reserves)

Money set aside for repairs, equipment and emergencies.

$304M

Show as a table

Year	Savings
2019	$132M
2020	$129M
2021	$184M
2022	$196M
2023	$245M
2024	$284M
2025	$304M

What the city owes

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

$5.8M

Show as a table

Year	Long-term loans	Temporary loans
2019	$10.8M	$0
2020	$10M	$0
2021	$9.3M	$0
2022	$8.4M	$0
2023	$7.6M	$0
2024	$6.7M	$0
2025	$5.8M	$0

Building new things

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

$297M

Show as a table

Year	Built or bought	Wore out (amortization)
2019	$186M	$78.2M
2020	$110M	$79.3M
2021	$485M	$80.1M
2022	$215M	$81M
2023	$504M	$84.1M
2024	$716M	$85.4M
2025	$297M	$87.4M

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.