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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 Pickering'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 Pickering's budget, taxes and council decisions. A city in Durham Region, east of Toronto, with a mayor, three regional councillors and three city councillors. Every figure links back to the public record.
3.49%the 2026 City levy increase; the Treasurer says it would have been at least 5.63% without one-time funding
The levy is the part of the tax bill the City itself raises, as opposed to the Region and the school boards. For 2026 the Mayor’s budget raised it by 3.49%. The Treasurer’s own note in the budget says that figure was reached with one-time money taken from reserves (savings set aside for later), and that without it the increase would have been at least 5.63%. One of those one-time uses pays the running costs of a new facility, and those costs come back every year. The budget was deemed adopted on December 29, 2025.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 4 sources
$32.8 millionthe yearly gap the Treasurer reports between what the City spends and what it needs for its assets
The City owns roads, bridges, buildings and pipes that wear out. Its asset management plan, approved by council in May 2025, says the City should be spending $61.7 million a year (in 2025 dollars) to repair and replace them. The Treasurer says the City’s contribution leaves a gap of $32.8 million a year, and that closing it with extra yearly levy increases would take until 2043. The Treasurer adds that the new Seaton Recreation Complex and Library will limit how much the City can borrow for this work.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 3 sources
$1.710 millionthe yearly dividend the City says it will not receive, replaced in the 2026 budget by casino money
Pickering owns 27.88% of Elexicon Corporation, the holding company of its local electricity utility, and has also lent the company $25,069,000. A dividend is a share of profit paid to owners. The City says Elexicon will not pay a dividend for 2025 and most likely 2026, and that dividends could be paused up to 2031. The City removed about $1.710 million of dividend from its 2026 budget and is covering the hole with casino money. The City’s own budget says Elexicon “has underperformed as an investment”.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 6 sources
80.3%of the Seaton Recreation Complex & Library’s $266,365,000 cost financed with debt, in the City’s own table
The Seaton Recreation Complex & Library is the largest project in the City’s capital forecast. The City’s table shows $146,797,731 of the cost financed by “DC Debt” (borrowing to be paid back from development charges, the fees developers pay for growth) and $66,986,000 of “City Debt”, which taxpayers pay back. The Treasurer says the project will “significantly reduce the City’s debt capacity” and make it harder to fund repairs to what the City already owns.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 3 sources
November 17, 2025the date of the auditor’s report on the December 31, 2024 statements
Audited financial statements are the City’s year-end accounts, checked by an outside accounting firm. The auditor’s report on the 2024 statements is dated November 17, 2025, almost eleven months after the year ended on December 31, 2024. The 2023 report is dated December 11, 2024 and the 2021 report May 8, 2023. When we read the City’s financial statements page on October 5, 2026 the latest posted year was 2024. The opinion on 2024 is a clean one: the statements “present fairly, in all material respects” the City’s position.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 4 sources
$17,451,454casino revenue in 2024, against a budget of $18,830,000 and $18,460,408 in 2023
Pickering receives a share of the revenue from the Pickering Casino Resort. In 2024 that was $17,451,454, below both the $18,830,000 budget and the $18,460,408 received in 2023. For 2026 the budget draws $2,938,744 from the Casino Reserve to hold down taxes, including $1,710,000 that replaces the Elexicon dividend. The Treasurer says the lower 2025 revenue “may indicate that there is an anomaly or that there may be some financial challenges to consider”, and suggests online gambling may be a cause.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 4 sources
Nine reportspublic Integrity Commissioner reports about one councillor since August 2023, the ninth dated June 15, 2026
An integrity commissioner is an outside officer who investigates complaints that a member of council broke the City’s Code of Conduct. In its June 15, 2026 report, Principles Integrity says it was “the ninth time” it had reported publicly on conduct of Councillor Lisa Robinson found to breach the Code, and that “on each occasion, a further suspension of pay has been imposed.” In that report it recommended a 90-day suspension, the most the Municipal Act allows. Councillor Robinson disputed the findings and the process; her objections are summarized in the report and below. The commissioner’s 2026 periodic report says its fees were about $70,000 for the almost 16 months to August 2026, “the vast majority” for complaints filed by City staff about a member of Council. The commissioner will wind up its work by the end of January 2027.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 6 sources
In 2025, Pickering collected $7.4M more in its own property tax than in 2024. That is a 8% jump, while prices went up about 2.1%. None of the 6 similar places raised theirs by more.
Found automatically from the city's financial reports · 3 sources
At the end of 2025, $38.5M of property tax had been billed but not paid. That is 11% of everything billed. None of the 6 similar places had a higher share. A year earlier it was $27.6M.
Found automatically from the city's financial reports · 2 sources
$126,496,414of development charges held by the City at December 31, 2024, against $9,760,363 recognized as revenue in 2024
Development charges are fees developers pay so that growth helps pay for roads, parks and other services. In the audited 2024 statements the line “Development charges and developer contributions earned” shows a budget of $43,965,767 and an actual of $9,760,363. The City held $126,496,414 of development charges at the end of 2024. The statements explain that this kind of money is counted as revenue only once the related spending happens. The City’s capital spending was $46,344,957 against a $107,412,900 budget.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 4 sources
Where your tax bill goes
A property tax bill in Pickering pays for three governments. Only part of it goes to the city, and that part is what Pickering council controls.
Tax bill split: Pickering 29%, County or region 55%, Schools 16%
$343Mraised in 2025
Pickering29%
County or region55%
Schools16%
How Pickering's share of the bill compares with similar places
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