Your city, in plain words
A clear, checkable guide to Port Colborne's budget, taxes and council decisions. A city on Lake Erie in Niagara Region, with a mayor, eight ward councillors and a regional councillor. Every figure links back to the public record.
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Each one is a question, not an accusation. Every one lists ordinary reasons it could be true, and the documents it comes from.
$4.5Min savings at the end of 2025
Places keep savings (called reserves) to pay for new trucks, roof repairs and surprises. Port Colborne had $4.5M saved at the end of 2025, down from $17.7M in 2019. That is 10% of one year's spending. None of the 32 similar places had less, compared with what they spend.
Found automatically from the city's financial reports · 2 sources
$4,521,721in reserves at the end of 2025, down from $24,768,519 a year earlier
A reserve is money a city sets aside for later, such as repairs or a new fire truck. The audited statements show the City's reserves and reserve funds at $4,521,721 at the end of 2025, against $24,768,519 a year earlier. Almost all of the fall is one line, "Allocated capital and related projects", which went from a positive $7,898,322 to a negative $12,930,169. The City says this is internal financing: it spent its own reserve money on projects that it plans to pay for later with borrowed money. It also raised its bank line of credit (a loan it can draw on) from $6,000,000 to $20,000,000, and used $2,331,139 of it by the end of 2025.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 3 sources
$39,071,384of capital assets acquired in 2025, against a budget of $10,249,350
The statements show the City acquired tangible capital assets (things it builds or buys that last for years, like pipes, roads and buildings) worth $39,071,384 in 2025. The budget in the statements planned $10,249,350. In 2024 the figure was $14,884,527. Net debt (what the City owes less the money and investments it has on hand) went from $10,990,317 to $30,410,927 against a planned $8,498,396. The City explains in its 2024 year-end report that projects approved in earlier years stay open until they are finished, so a year's spending includes work approved before that year's budget.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 4 sources
80,290forecast total borrowing in 2027, in thousands of dollars, up from 25,842 in 2025
The debt table in the 2026 budget lists the City's total borrowing, inside and outside, in thousands of dollars: 25,842 for 2025, 51,238 for 2026 and 80,290 for 2027. The City's audited long-term debt at the end of 2025 was $23,881,042. The same table shows the City's "annual repayment limit" (the share of its yearly income the Province lets it use on debt payments) rising from 3.7% to 9.9% in 2027. The City's own limit is 15.0% and the Province's is 25.0%. The budget says the 2027 jump comes from projects "subject to separate and future approval by Council". Council has not yet approved them.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 3 sources
3.87%2026 levy increase after growth, down from the 8.38% staff first proposed
Under the Province's strong mayor powers, which Port Colborne received on May 1, 2025, the Mayor prepares the budget. Staff first proposed a 2026 levy (the amount raised from property taxes) increase of 8.38% after growth. The Mayor, William C. Steele, directed two changes that brought it to 3.87%, a saving of 4.51%. One was to borrow for the $3,000,000 ladder truck instead of paying for it from the levy, and to pause growth in yearly savings for future asset replacement for one year. The other was to budget "gapping dollars" of $326,000, which means counting on savings when staff positions are empty between jobs. The result is a levy of $28,572,000, up $1,710,800.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 4 sources
$2,501,388shortfall in the Economic Development reserve at the end of 2025, against a November 2025 forecast of a $1,180,874 shortfall
Two City reserves are negative: the City has spent more than it has set aside. The audited statements show the Marina reserve at (990,332) at the end of 2025, worse than (912,319) a year earlier. The Economic Development reserve is at (2,501,388), worse than (1,600,874). When the City presented its 2026 budget in November 2025, it forecast the 2025 year-end balances at (791,403) for the marina and (1,180,874) for economic development. The City says the marina deficit will be repaid from user fees and the economic development deficit from future land sales.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 2 sources
$1,950,000in three-year funding for healthcare work and Seaway land matters, worked out by us from $1,000,000 and $950,000
The 2026 capital budget includes two three-year items that are mostly advice, studies and legal work. One is "Healthcare" at $1,000,000, of which $400,000 is shown as levy (property tax) money and $600,000 as "Other (Future Capital Budgets)". The other is "St. Lawrence Seaway Land Matters" at $950,000, all shown as "Other (Future Capital Budgets/Costs Recovered from Another Project)". The City says the Seaway item follows an audit of leases that found several properties where the City has built assets but has no lease, and that the Seaway wants to raise rents on the leases it does have.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 2 sources
+8%city property tax, 2024 to 2025
In 2025, Port Colborne collected $2.1M more in its own property tax than in 2024. That is a 8% jump, while prices went up about 2.1%. Only 6 of 32 similar places raised theirs by more.
Found automatically from the city's financial reports · 3 sources
+88%police, fire and safety, 2019 to 2025
Port Colborne spent $4.0M on police, fire and safety in 2019 and $7.6M in 2025. Prices only went up about 21% in that time.
Found automatically from the city's financial reports · 2 sources
+61%water, sewers and garbage, 2019 to 2025
Port Colborne spent $9.2M on water, sewers and garbage in 2019 and $14.7M in 2025. Prices only went up about 21% in that time.
Found automatically from the city's financial reports · 2 sources
$6.5Mowed in unpaid property tax, end of 2025
At the end of 2025, $6.5M of property tax had been billed but not paid. That is 12% of everything billed. Only 5 of 32 similar places had a higher share. A year earlier it was $4.6M.
Found automatically from the city's financial reports · 2 sources
$13,119,702annual surplus in 2025, against a budget of $5,770,477
A surplus is what is left when a year's revenue is more than its spending. The statements show an annual surplus of $13,119,702 for 2025, against a budget of $5,770,477. Most of the gap is one line: government transfers were $11,394,858 against a budget of $5,081,269, and the capital part of that (grants for building things) was $8,222,654 against $1,997,669. The City explains that its budget is prepared on a different accounting basis from the statements. Government transfers explain about $6.3 million of the $7.3 million gap (worked out by us), so the surplus does not by itself mean spare cash.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 3 sources
A property tax bill in Port Colborne pays for three governments. Only part of it goes to the city, and that part is what Port Colborne 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.
Places are only compared with places of a similar size and kind, from the same yearly reports.
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