Your town, in plain words
A clear, checkable guide to Pelham's budget, taxes and council decisions. A town in the Niagara Region with a mayor and six councillors. Its mayor has strong-mayor powers, which means the Mayor, not council, proposes the yearly budget. Every figure links back to the public record.
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Questions worth asking
Each one is a question, not an accusation. Every one lists ordinary reasons it could be true, and the documents it comes from.
$11.9Min savings at the end of 2025
Towns keep savings (called reserves) to pay for new trucks, roof repairs and surprises. Pelham had $11.9M saved at the end of 2025, up from $5.1M in 2019. That is 40% of one year's spending. Only 1 of 35 similar towns had less, compared with what they spend.
Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 2 sources
$250,000budgeted for supplemental taxes in 2026, against $436,046 collected in 2024
Supplemental taxes are extra property tax bills sent when a new or renovated building is added to the assessment roll part-way through a year. The 2026 budget book shows the Town collected $730,738 of them in 2023 and $436,046 in 2024. Both the 2025 budget and the 2026 budget plan for $250,000. The Treasurer's 2025 report says the 2025 surplus was mostly because supplemental taxes and some other revenues came in above budget. It does not print the 2025 supplemental amount in the pages we could read.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
$666,000winter control over budget in 2025, per the annual report
Winter control is snow plowing, salting and sanding. The 2025 annual report says winter control was $666,000 over budget in 2025 and $550,000 over the 2024 actual, because of a record number of callouts. The 2026 budget book shows 2024 winter control cost $851,033 against an approved budget of $727,626, and the 2026 budget is $737,490, up $2,459 from 2025. Adding the 2025 overrun to the 2025 budget gives about $1.4 million, worked out by us: the 2026 budget is about half of that.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
$1,591,816actual 2024 net cost of shared administration, against an approved $892,443
Shared administrative overhead is a cost line for things that serve the whole Town, such as insurance, legal fees, WSIB (workers' injury insurance) and postage. The 2025 budget book shows $892,443 approved for 2024 and no money going to reserves. The 2026 budget book shows the 2024 actual cost was $1,591,816, including $887,696 moved to reserves, and $139,617 spent on contract services against $90,000 approved. The difference is $699,373, worked out by us.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
$28,268,107total debt obligations planned for the end of 2026, up from $22,199,979
The 2025 annual report celebrates that net debt (what the Town owes less what it holds in financial assets) fell from $7.3 million to $4.6 million, helped by "restraint in taking out debt". The 2026 capital budget then plans $8,000,000 of new borrowing for a rebuilt Fire Station 1, and a further $1.0 million for a hospital contribution, expected in 2027. The debenture schedule shows total debt obligations rising from $22,199,979 to $28,268,107 in 2026. The Town says the station's debt payments will be covered by a debt repayment reserve and development charges, not the tax levy.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
$1,479,643planned 2026 shortfall at the Meridian Community Centre, up from $817,889 in 2023
The Town's budget book adds up everything for the Meridian Community Centre (the Town's main arena and recreation building) into one table. After debt and other items it shows a shortfall that taxes cover: $817,889 in 2023, $960,336 in 2024, $1,396,135 budgeted for 2025 and $1,479,643 budgeted for 2026. Staff pay and benefits for the centre rise from $1,758,642 in 2023 to $2,523,672 in 2026. Revenues are planned to rise from $1,632,654 to $1,811,500. Worked out by us, the shortfall is up about 81% and staff cost about 43% over those years.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
$135Kfor new positions and position changes, as the 2026 budget notes put it
The 2026 budget book explains a $618,065 rise in salaries and wages. One piece reads: "$135K for new positions and position changes not approved by Council". Other notes mention a new part-time and a new full-time position. Separately, the Town's Mayoral decisions page says the Mayor has the power to "establish or amend the organizational structure" of the Town, and lists a Mayoral decision delegating organizational structure and employment matters to the CAO.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
+57%police, fire and safety, 2019 to 2025
Pelham spent $1.6M on police, fire and safety in 2019 and $2.5M in 2025. Prices only went up about 21% in that time.
Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 2 sources
+88%water, sewers and garbage, 2019 to 2025
Pelham spent $4.0M on water, sewers and garbage in 2019 and $7.5M in 2025. Prices only went up about 21% in that time.
Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 2 sources
36 daysthe longest the Town says its 2026 budget process can take under the strong-mayor rules
Under strong-mayor rules the Mayor proposes the budget and council may amend it. The Town's page says council can pass amendments within 30 days, and that Pelham has shortened the later steps so the whole process takes at most 36 days. The 2026 schedule shows draft budgets available to council on October 29, 2025, the Finance and Audit Committee review on November 6 and the presentation to council on November 17. A Mayoral decision dated November 18, 2025 says no amendments were proposed or passed, so the budget was deemed adopted as presented.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 2 sources
$16.8 million vs $17.4 millioncapital projects carried forward to 2026, as stated on two pages of the same report
The Treasurer's message says $16.8 million of capital projects are carried forward to 2026. The accumulated surplus page says about $17.4 million is carrying forward. One page says the Town acquired $9.0 million of tangible capital assets (buildings, roads and equipment) in 2025 and another says $7.9 million. The Treasurer's message also says 59 grant applications totalling $5.4 million led to 10 approvals worth $17.1 million, and the financial overview describes the position at "December 31, 2024" in a report on 2025.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 1 source
$177per home on snow ploughing, 2025
Pelham spent about $177 per home on snow ploughing in 2025. The typical similar town spent $118. Only 5 of 35 similar towns spent more.
Found automatically from the town's financial reports · 1 source
A property tax bill in Pelham pays for three governments. Only part of it goes to the town, and that part is what Pelham council controls.
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Each number links to the public document it came from. Check it yourself.
We ask questions. Every one lists ordinary reasons a number could look odd.
Towns are only compared with places of a similar size and kind, from the same yearly reports.
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