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This is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 North Bay'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 North Bay'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: $244M

Where the city's money came from in 2025.

47%

23%

17%

Property taxes$114M47%
Money from Ontario (no strings)$11.5M5%
Grants for specific projects$55.1M23%
Fees people pay$40.3M17%
Other$13M5%
Everything else$6.4M3%

Show as a table

Category	Amount	Share
Property taxes	$114,087,505	47.5%
Money from Ontario (no strings)	$11,548,700	4.8%
Grants for specific projects	$55,130,407	22.9%
Fees people pay	$40,315,734	16.8%
Other	$12,950,686	5.4%
Everything else	$6,392,721	2.7%
Total	$240,425,753	100%

What each source means

Property taxes: What home and business owners pay each year, based on what their property is worth.
Money from Ontario (no strings): A yearly grant from the Province that the city can spend on anything. Small rural places get more.
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: $147M on services

Day-to-day spending in 2025, by service. On top of this, the city recorded $29.9M of "wear and tear" on things it owns. That is an accounting cost, not cash out the door, so it is left out here.

33%

16%

20%

10%

Running the city office$13.8M9%
Police, fire and safety$50.5M33%
Roads and snow$25M16%
Water, sewers and garbage$30.1M20%
Health$6.0M4%
Housing$7.5M5%
Parks, arena and library$15.3M10%
Planning and business$3.6M2%

Show as a table

Category	Amount	Share
Running the city office	$13,795,699	9.1%
Police, fire and safety	$50,546,188	33.3%
Roads and snow	$24,958,208	16.4%
Water, sewers and garbage	$30,139,205	19.8%
Health	$6,035,431	4.0%
Housing	$7,496,541	4.9%
Parks, arena and library	$15,260,356	10.0%
Planning and business	$3,624,376	2.4%
Total	$151,856,004	100%

Police, fire and safety

$50.5M

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

+28% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Police (OPP contract)$27.9M+37%
What the city pays for policing.
Fire department$14.5M+6%
Firefighters, trucks and fire halls.
Emergency planning$2.4M+210%
Getting ready for floods, storms and other emergencies.
Conservation authority$1.4M0%
A regional group that manages rivers, flooding and wetlands.
Court security$1.2M+78%
Security at the courthouse.
Traffic court$1.1M+15%
Handling tickets and fines.
Building permits$1.0M+67%
Checking that new buildings are safe.
By-law and animal control$817K+17%
Enforcing city rules, like noise, parking and dogs.
Prisoner transport$184K+8%
Moving people held by police.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Police (OPP contract)	$27,924,525	+36.5%
Fire department	$14,549,353	+6.3%
Emergency planning	$2,432,347	+210.4%
Conservation authority	$1,370,289	+0.3%
Court security	$1,200,071	+78.0%
Traffic court	$1,054,478	+14.5%
Building permits	$1,013,752	+66.8%
By-law and animal control	$817,049	+17.4%
Prisoner transport	$184,324	+7.6%

Water, sewers and garbage

$30.1M

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

+71% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Other environment$10.4M
Other environmental costs.
Water pipes$4.4M+10%
The pipes that bring water to homes.
Sewage treatment$3.4M+14%
Cleaning sewage before it goes back into nature (Tweed uses lagoons).
Water treatment$3.1M+29%
Making lake or well water safe to drink.
The dump (landfill)$3.0M+13%
Running the landfill, and saving up to close it safely one day.
Sewer pipes$2.6M+14%
The pipes that carry sewage away from homes.
Garbage pickup$1.4M+20%
Trucks that collect garbage.
Storm drains$953K+18%
Drains that carry away rain water.
Recycling$905K−35%
Recycling and composting.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Other environment	$10,391,331	–
Water pipes	$4,350,341	+10.4%
Sewage treatment	$3,433,640	+14.1%
Water treatment	$3,116,559	+29.3%
The dump (landfill)	$3,036,570	+13.5%
Sewer pipes	$2,579,503	+14.4%
Garbage pickup	$1,373,291	+20.2%
Storm drains	$953,176	+18.0%
Recycling	$904,794	−35.3%

Roads and snow

$25M

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

+16% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Public transit$7.3M+11%
Buses.
Snow ploughing$5.5M+6%
Ploughing, salting and sanding roads in winter.
Paved roads$4.0M+79%
Fixing and repaving paved roads.
Airport$2.2M−16%
A local airport or airstrip.
Roadsides and signs$1.8M+26%
Ditches, signs, line painting and roadside brush.
Street lights$994K−28%
Power and repairs for street lights.
Accessible transit$993K+15%
Rides for people who cannot use regular buses.
Sidewalk snow$875K+176%
Clearing sidewalks and parking lots.
Parking$690K+11%
City parking lots and meters.
Bridges and culverts$408K+95%
Keeping bridges and the pipes under roads safe.
Gravel roads$96,115+5%
Grading and fixing gravel roads.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Public transit	$7,306,726	+11.2%
Snow ploughing	$5,538,582	+5.8%
Paved roads	$4,013,636	+79.0%
Airport	$2,204,987	−15.7%
Roadsides and signs	$1,837,930	+25.9%
Street lights	$993,719	−27.8%
Accessible transit	$993,058	+15.3%
Sidewalk snow	$875,358	+175.5%
Parking	$689,864	+11.0%
Bridges and culverts	$408,233	+94.7%
Gravel roads	$96,115	+4.7%

Parks, arena and library

$15.3M

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

+26% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Parks$5.0M+21%
Parks, beaches, trails and green spaces.
Arena and buildings$4.4M+17%
The arena, pool, community centre and halls.
Library$2.8M+21%
The public library.
Programs$1.7M+88%
Classes, camps and activities.
Arts and culture$951K+63%
Festivals, arts and heritage.
Golf, marina, ski hill$420K+25%
City-owned golf course, marina or ski hill.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Parks	$4,977,670	+21.2%
Arena and buildings	$4,434,695	+16.8%
Library	$2,825,863	+20.7%
Programs	$1,651,044	+87.5%
Arts and culture	$951,491	+62.6%
Golf, marina, ski hill	$419,593	+25.4%

Running the city office

$13.8M

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.

+38% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Senior management$7.2M+45%
The top managers who run the city day to day.
Office and administration$5.4M+31%
Office staff, finance, IT, insurance, legal and the city hall. Places share this cost out across other services.
Council$1.2M+27%
Pay and expenses for the mayor and councillors, and council meetings.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Senior management	$7,190,058	+45.2%
Office and administration	$5,424,068	+30.9%
Council	$1,181,573	+27.5%

Housing

$7.5M

Affordable and social housing.

+44% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Public housing$7.5M+44%
Homes owned by government.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Public housing	$7,496,541	+44.1%

Health

$6.0M

Public health, ambulances and cemeteries.

+25% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Ambulance$4.3M+34%
Paramedics and ambulances.
Public health$1.8M+9%
Health inspections and programs.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Ambulance	$4,263,061	+33.6%
Public health	$1,772,370	+8.7%

Planning and business

$3.6M

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

+12% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Planning and zoning$1.9M+74%
Deciding what can be built where.
Business and tourism$1.7M−20%
Attracting businesses and visitors, and helping local shops.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Planning and zoning	$1,921,307	+74.3%
Business and tourism	$1,703,069	−19.7%

What the money bought

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

Staff pay and benefits$80.4M
Wages, benefits and pensions for city workers.
Supplies and utilities$34.6M
Gravel, salt, fuel, electricity, heating, office supplies and repairs.
Money given to others$23M
Grants and payments to other groups, like the conservation authority.
Outside companies$16.3M
Work the city pays other companies to do, like policing, paving or consultants.
Interest on loans$910K
The extra money paid to lenders for money the city borrowed.

Show as a table

Item	Amount
Staff pay and benefits	$80,429,972
Supplies and utilities	$34,582,011
Money given to others	$22,999,951
Outside companies	$16,252,674
Interest on loans	$909,719

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	600.43	71	160
2020	603.03	63	110
2021	611.63	64	133
2022	623.13	65	116
2023	638.29	63.09	126
2024	654.63	69.71	129
2025	666.27	65.71	130

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. In 2025, the city recorded an unusually large accounting entry for wear and tear (mostly for the landfill), so day-to-day spending looks lower that year than it really was.

$244M

Show as a table

Year	Money in	Day-to-day spending
2019	$157M	$120M
2020	$153M	$118M
2021	$166M	$128M
2022	$188M	$188M
2023	$194M	$138M
2024	$202M	$147M
2025	$244M	$147M

City property tax

Up 30% since 2019. Prices rose 21%.

$114M

Show as a table

Year	City property tax
2019	$87.9M
2020	$93.3M
2021	$95.6M
2022	$101M
2023	$106M
2024	$110M
2025	$114M

Savings (reserves)

Money set aside for repairs, equipment and emergencies.

$89.2M

Show as a table

Year	Savings
2019	$47.4M
2020	$48.4M
2021	$55.6M
2022	$64.4M
2023	$74.2M
2024	$80.5M
2025	$89.2M

What the city owes

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

$82.6M

Show as a table

Year	Long-term loans	Temporary loans
2019	$54.2M	$0
2020	$55M	$0
2021	$45.1M	$0
2022	$105M	$0
2023	$98.5M	$0
2024	$93.6M	$0
2025	$82.6M	$0

Building new things

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

$33M

Show as a table

Year	Built or bought	Wore out (amortization)
2019	$36.8M	$25.5M
2020	$17.1M	$25.6M
2021	$41.1M	$26.7M
2022	$33.8M	$27.4M
2023	$33.6M	$28.7M
2024	$38.6M	$29.8M
2025	$33M	$29.9M

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.