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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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 Niagara Falls'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.

Council

Who decides, and how you can hold them to account

Niagara Falls is run by an elected council of 9 people. They set the budget, approve big purchases and hire the senior staff who run the city day to day.

Current council

Names and official email addresses from the city's council page. None of the members lists a public social media account there.

How open is Niagara Falls?

What a resident can find online without asking, as of October 5, 2026.

  • Yes
    Budgets posted online

    The Budgets page posts the tax levy, capital, water, wastewater and parking budgets for 2023 to 2026 as PDFs, with the council meeting dates. The 2026 tax levy budget posted is the Mayor's proposed budget (council meeting date January 27, 2026). We did not find a separate 'as adopted' 2026 tax levy document. Source

  • Partly
    Audited financial statements

    The newest consolidated statements posted are for 2024, with a clean opinion ("present fairly") from KPMG LLP dated March 3, 2026. The 2023 statements carry an auditor's report dated September 16, 2025. On October 5, 2026 the page listed 2025 trust fund statements but no 2025 consolidated statements. Source

  • Unknown
    Council pay and expenses (s. 284)

    We did not find the yearly statement of council remuneration and expenses on the Budget and Finances pages, the Financial Reporting page or the City Council and Mayor page. It may be elsewhere, for example on the council portal. We did not read it, so no pay figures are in this pack. Source

  • Yes
    Meeting agendas and minutes

    Agendas, minutes and videos are on a council portal (niagarafalls.civicweb.net). The City says agendas are posted on the Thursday before a Tuesday 4:00 pm meeting. We read the portal's reports for the budget and casino money but not any minutes. Source

  • Partly
    Casino (OLG) money explained to the public

    The City has a page and a yearly report on what it receives from the casinos and how it is spent. The October 2025 report says no report was prepared in 2024 and the one before was on October 24, 2023. Source

Where the city speaks for itself

Niagara Falls' official channels, as linked from its own website. Council members may also post on their own pages; we link only to official municipal channels.

  • City of Niagara Falls on YouTube and Facebook

    The City's Agendas, Minutes and Schedule page says council meetings can be watched live or later on the council schedule page, the City's YouTube channel, the City's Facebook page and YourTV Niagara. We did not open the channels to check how far back videos go.

Ask for the records

Anyone can ask the city for its records under Ontario's Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA). You do not have to say why. Here is how it works, and the wording for the records that would answer the questions on this site.

  1. Send the request in writing to the city clerk (the freedom of information coordinator), on the city’s form or in a letter, with the $5 application fee.
  2. Describe the records, not the answer you want. Dates, departments and the kind of record (a list, invoices, emails) make a request quicker and cheaper.
  3. The city has 45 business days to answer (the law changed in 2026; older guides say 30 days). It can charge for search time and copies, but must send an estimate first if the fees will be over $25.
  4. Some parts can be held back, such as legal advice or personal information about other people. The city must say which part of the law it relied on.
  5. If you are refused, or the fees seem too high, you can appeal to the Information and Privacy Commissioner within 30 business days of the city’s decision.

The city's request form (on its Forms page) · The law · Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario

  • Council remuneration and expenses statements

    We did not find the yearly statement of council pay and expenses (Municipal Act s. 284) on the City's finance pages.

    Show the request wordingHide the wording
    I request, under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act: Please provide the Statement of Remuneration and Expenses for the Mayor and each member of Council for 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025, including conference, travel and other expenses, as reported to Council.

  • Use of the 2024 hydro holding company dividend

    The audited 2024 statements show $34,820,000 received from Niagara Falls Hydro Holding Corporation, but not what it was spent on. Related question: How did the City use the $34,820,000 from its hydro company?.

    Show the request wordingHide the wording
    I request, under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act: Please provide any report to Council, and any Council resolution or reserve transfer record, that shows how the $34,820,000 received from Niagara Falls Hydro Holding Corporation in 2024 was used or allocated.

The wording is a starting point, not legal advice. Narrow the dates if the city says a request is too broad or too costly.

How to raise a concern

From the gentlest step to the most serious. Start at the top.

  1. Integrity Commissioner

    The City's Council Code of Conduct page says the Integrity Commissioner can investigate a member who is suspected of breaking the code, and can recommend a reprimand or suspending the member's pay for up to 90 days. The page explains how to file a complaint (a fee applies, refunded if a violation is found). We did not find any Integrity Commissioner reports on the pages we read.

  2. Closed meeting investigator: Ontario Ombudsman

    The City's Closed Meetings of Council page says anyone can ask the City Clerk to look into a closed meeting, and, if unsatisfied with the Clerk's explanation, can contact the Ombudsman of Ontario, which it calls the official investigator. We did not find any reports about Niagara Falls.