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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 Milton'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 Milton's budget, taxes and council decisions. A town in Halton Region with a nine-member council: a mayor, and for each of four wards one Town Councillor and one Regional Councillor, who also sits on Halton Regional Council. The mayor has strong-mayor powers. Every figure links back to the public record.
$33.9 millionof landowner cash flow assistance drawn in 2024, to be repaid no later than June 30, 2028
Development charges are fees builders pay so that growth pays for the roads, parks and other things new neighbourhoods need. A letter of credit is a bank promise a developer lodges as security. The Town's audited 2024 statements (printed in thousands of dollars) show cash rising from 56,425 to 157,223, which is $56.4 million to $157.2 million. The Town says the rise came from development charges collected ahead of spending and from 'roads cash flow assistance' from landowners. Note 7 says the Town drew on those letters of credit in 2024 for 33,926 (about $33.9 million) and must repay the landowners no later than June 2028. In June 2026 the Treasurer reported that the development charge funds held $58.5 million before commitments, but after counting spending already promised and exemptions the Town funds, the net balance is a deficit of $16.6 million, covered for now by that interim money. The Town has said when it must repay. We did not find a plan for how.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 4 sources
9.83%forecast local tax rate pressure for 2028 (7.82% for 2027), after 6.94% in 2026
The local part of a property tax bill pays for Town services; Halton Region and the school boards charge their own parts. The Town's final local increase was 9.89% in 2025 and is 6.94% in 2026, when its levy (the amount raised from property taxes) is $123,723,070, up from $111,340,110. In December 2025 the Treasurer forecast local tax rate pressure of 7.82% in 2027 and 9.83% in 2028, largely from the cost of serving new neighbourhoods, saving for new roads and buildings, transit and firefighters. The Town's multi-year plan aims for total yearly increases (Town, Region and schools together) of 4.5% to 7.0%, and the 2026 total is 4.74%. That forecast was built on a 7.94% increase for 2026, before council settled on 6.94%. The Town says it will look for ways to reduce future pressure.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 5 sources
$64.7 millionforecast at the end of 2026 in the roads, structures and traffic renewal reserve, against a target of $331.5 million
A reserve is money set aside for later costs. The 2026 budget (figures in thousands of dollars) forecasts the roads, structures and traffic renewal reserve at 64,726 at the end of 2026 against a target of 331,452, and the recreation and facilities renewal reserve at 26,594 against 152,735. That is about $64.7 million against $331.5 million, and $26.6 million against $152.7 million. In April 2026 the Treasurer wrote that the infrastructure renewal reserves "continue to be well below target". To hold the 2026 tax increase down, the Town cut its planned extra funding to close this gap; the budget still adds $0.75 million a year. The Tax Rate Stabilization reserve (a cushion for tax shocks) is forecast at 5,486 against a target of 10,503.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 4 sources
December 14, 2026date the 2025 Financial Report is scheduled for council, against June 3, 2025 for the 2024 auditor's report
Audited statements are the yearly accounts checked by an outside auditor. For 2024, the auditor's report is dated June 3, 2025 and the Treasurer's approval May 26, 2025. For 2025 the Treasurer told council in April 2026 that, because of the timing of the Town's new financial software, the audit is scheduled for early fall 2026 and the 2025 Financial Report is scheduled for council on December 14, 2026. The Town did publish an unaudited 2025 estimate in April 2026: an operating surplus of $4,129,919.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
94.8%of 2025 property tax paid as of January 5, 2026, against 96.0% a year earlier and 97.1% two years earlier
The Town collects property tax for itself, Halton Region and the school boards. The Treasurer's April 2026 report shows, as of January 5 each year, the share of that year's tax paid: 97.1% for 2023, 96.0% for 2024 and 94.8% for 2025. The unpaid part grew from $7,889,510 to $10,076,270 to $12,848,885, and properties with arrears grew from 3,752 to 4,631 to 6,273. These figures include the Region's and schools' shares. The report lists $1.4 million more penalties and interest on taxes receivable than budgeted among the reasons for the 2025 surplus. We did not find the Town explaining why more bills are late. The audited statements show taxes receivable of 13,986 (thousand) at the end of 2024 against 10,804 a year earlier.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
$5,001raise per councillor, from $48,892 to $53,893 a year, starting November 15, 2026
On July 13, 2026 a staff report recommended raising the base yearly salary of a Councillor by $5,001, from $48,892 to $53,893, effective November 15, 2026, when the new term begins, and keeping the Mayor's salary at $136,447. That adds $40,008 a year across eight councillors. Under a 2014 policy, council pay is reviewed in the last year of each term and set at the middle (50th percentile) of nine comparison municipalities that answered. The report also raises each Town Councillor's expense allowance from $1,200 to $1,500. The expense policy attached to the report shows an approval date of July 13, 2026; we did not read the minutes to confirm the vote. In 2025 Councillors Colin Best, Richard Malboeuf and George Minakakis also received pay for sitting on Milton Hydro boards, shown in the same yearly statement. Councillor Adil Khalqi's 2025 row prints a total of $64,571, but its columns add to $64,473.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
$32,079,975of $65,344,316 in 2024 contract awards made under the four limited tendering categories (our total of the report's rows)
The Town's year-end procurement report lists 306 contract awards in 2024 worth $65,344,316. Four rows are called limited tendering: contract renewal (57 awards, $8,100,904), contract increase (34, $8,958,716), legacy, compatibility, EAS and other (82, $14,763,430) and low value (17, $256,925). Added together that is 190 awards and $32,079,975, about half the value. Limited tendering usually means buying from a chosen supplier instead of asking for open bids; the report does not define the term. Open tenders were 57 awards worth $24,319,779. The report says the Town also posts procurement results on its website, and that tenders drew an average of 6.2 responses. We did not find a 2025 year-end summary among the council reports listed for 2026.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
In 2024, Milton collected $11.2M more in its own property tax than in 2023. That is a 12% jump, while prices went up about 2.4%. None of the 12 similar towns raised theirs by more. Almost all of it came from a higher tax rate (up 10% for homes); the value of homes on the tax roll grew only 1.1%.
Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 4 sources
$149.1 millionof new debenture funding anticipated over the 10-year forecast, against $40.9 million of debt at the end of 2025
The Town ended 2025 with $40.9 million of debt outstanding, down from $46.8 million, with another $7.4 million approved by council but not yet issued. The 2026 budget assumes $2.5 million of new borrowing in 2026 and $149.1 million of new debentures (a debenture is a long-term loan) over the next ten years. The Town says it expects to stay within the Province's and its own limits if it keeps working to shrink its infrastructure funding gap. At the end of 2024 its debt payments were 3.85% of own-source revenue, against a Town guideline of 15%, or up to 20% with debt not paid from taxes, and a provincial limit of 25%.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
An estimate. It uses the residential tax rate, and splits Milton's share by what each service cost in 2024 after its own fees and grants (for example, water bills pay for much of a water system). Real bills also depend on your property class, local charges and any rebates.
How Milton's share of the bill compares with similar towns
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