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This is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 Prince Edward County'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 · 2024

How Prince Edward County'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 2024, the latest year the city has reported to the Province.

Why 2024 and not this year? A budget is a plan. These figures are what actually happened, checked by an auditor and reported to Ontario. The 2025 report is not out yet.

Money in: $95.8M

Where the city's money came from in 2024.

57%

12%

18%

Property taxes$52.9M57%
Money from Ontario (no strings)$3.6M4%
Grants for specific projects$11.6M12%
Fees people pay$16.7M18%
Other$4.0M4%
Everything else$4.6M5%

Show as a table

Category	Amount	Share
Property taxes	$52,901,338	56.7%
Money from Ontario (no strings)	$3,585,344	3.8%
Grants for specific projects	$11,562,443	12.4%
Fees people pay	$16,698,002	17.9%
Other	$4,046,979	4.3%
Everything else	$4,587,451	4.9%
Total	$93,381,557	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: $84.5M on services

Day-to-day spending in 2024, by service. On top of this, the city recorded $11.6M of "wear and tear" on things it owns. That is an accounting cost, not cash out the door, so it is left out here.

14%

13%

19%

16%

14%

10%

Running the city office$11.8M14%
Police, fire and safety$11.2M13%
Roads and snow$16.4M19%
Water, sewers and garbage$13.5M16%
Health$4.9M6%
Social services$11.5M14%
Housing$2.1M3%
Parks, arena and library$8.7M10%
Planning and business$4.4M5%

Show as a table

Category	Amount	Share
Running the city office	$11,834,434	14.0%
Police, fire and safety	$11,194,975	13.2%
Roads and snow	$16,374,248	19.4%
Water, sewers and garbage	$13,504,214	16.0%
Health	$4,851,656	5.7%
Social services	$11,504,151	13.6%
Housing	$2,142,992	2.5%
Parks, arena and library	$8,734,613	10.3%
Planning and business	$4,355,332	5.2%
Total	$84,496,615	100%

Roads and snow

$16.4M

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

+62% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)

Paved roads$11M+241%
Fixing and repaving paved roads.
Snow ploughing$2.3M−50%
Ploughing, salting and sanding roads in winter.
Roadsides and signs$1.8M+46%
Ditches, signs, line painting and roadside brush.
Accessible transit$347K+46%
Rides for people who cannot use regular buses.
Public transit$215K
Buses.
Parking$200K+49%
City parking lots and meters.
Street lights$199K−34%
Power and repairs for street lights.
Bridges and culverts$183K−31%
Keeping bridges and the pipes under roads safe.
Other transportation$136K+223%
Other transportation costs.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Paved roads	$10,968,819	+240.8%
Snow ploughing	$2,306,424	−50.4%
Roadsides and signs	$1,818,191	+45.9%
Accessible transit	$347,287	+46.2%
Public transit	$215,054	–
Parking	$200,099	+48.9%
Street lights	$199,314	−34.2%
Bridges and culverts	$183,213	−30.7%
Other transportation	$135,847	+222.9%

Water, sewers and garbage

$13.5M

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

+34% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)

The dump (landfill)$3.0M+183%
Running the landfill, and saving up to close it safely one day.
Water treatment$2.6M0%
Making lake or well water safe to drink.
Water pipes$2.3M+127%
The pipes that bring water to homes.
Sewer pipes$1.8M+40%
The pipes that carry sewage away from homes.
Sewage treatment$1.7M+17%
Cleaning sewage before it goes back into nature (Tweed uses lagoons).
Recycling$1.5M−21%
Recycling and composting.
Garbage pickup$719K+9%
Trucks that collect garbage.
Rural drainage$936−99%
Ditches and drains in the countryside.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
The dump (landfill)	$2,973,771	+182.9%
Water treatment	$2,577,278	+0.3%
Water pipes	$2,303,341	+127.4%
Sewer pipes	$1,752,990	+39.7%
Sewage treatment	$1,710,568	+17.2%
Recycling	$1,466,598	−20.7%
Garbage pickup	$718,732	+8.8%
Rural drainage	$936	−99.4%

Running the city office

$11.8M

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.

+66% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)

Office and administration$5.7M+47%
Office staff, finance, IT, insurance, legal and the city hall. Places share this cost out across other services.
Senior management$4.4M+108%
The top managers who run the city day to day.
Council$1.8M+52%
Pay and expenses for the mayor and councillors, and council meetings.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Office and administration	$5,686,337	+46.8%
Senior management	$4,396,423	+108.3%
Council	$1,751,674	+52.5%

Social services

$11.5M

Help for people and families who need it, and child care.

+42% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)

Seniors$10.7M+46%
Long-term care and seniors programs.
Income support$766K+3%
Help for people with very low income.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Seniors	$10,738,451	+46.4%
Income support	$765,700	+2.9%

Police, fire and safety

$11.2M

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

+19% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)

Police (OPP contract)$4.6M−8%
What the city pays for policing.
Fire department$3.6M+45%
Firefighters, trucks and fire halls.
Building permits$1.1M+38%
Checking that new buildings are safe.
By-law and animal control$890K+100%
Enforcing city rules, like noise, parking and dogs.
Conservation authority$676K+55%
A regional group that manages rivers, flooding and wetlands.
Traffic court$368K+31%
Handling tickets and fines.
Court security$22,001−41%
Security at the courthouse.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Police (OPP contract)	$4,598,613	−7.9%
Fire department	$3,577,310	+45.1%
Building permits	$1,062,227	+38.1%
By-law and animal control	$890,449	+99.8%
Conservation authority	$676,231	+54.5%
Traffic court	$368,143	+31.4%
Court security	$22,001	−40.7%

Parks, arena and library

$8.7M

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

+52% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)

Arena and buildings$3.7M+61%
The arena, pool, community centre and halls.
Library$1.7M+37%
The public library.
Programs$1.1M+65%
Classes, camps and activities.
Parks$1.1M+70%
Parks, beaches, trails and green spaces.
Museums$804K+24%
Local museums.
Golf, marina, ski hill$339K+30%
City-owned golf course, marina or ski hill.
Other recreation$3,000
Other recreation costs.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Arena and buildings	$3,704,016	+60.6%
Library	$1,684,910	+37.1%
Programs	$1,142,367	+64.7%
Parks	$1,057,510	+70.0%
Museums	$804,305	+23.7%
Golf, marina, ski hill	$338,505	+29.9%
Other recreation	$3,000	–

Health

$4.9M

Public health, ambulances and cemeteries.

+38% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)

Ambulance$4.1M+48%
Paramedics and ambulances.
Public health$578K+4%
Health inspections and programs.
Cemeteries$131K−23%
Looking after city cemeteries.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Ambulance	$4,143,111	+48.2%
Public health	$577,992	+4.5%
Cemeteries	$130,553	−23.2%

Planning and business

$4.4M

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

+87% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)

Business and tourism$3.1M+128%
Attracting businesses and visitors, and helping local shops.
Planning and zoning$1.3M+31%
Deciding what can be built where.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Business and tourism	$3,057,130	+128.2%
Planning and zoning	$1,298,203	+31.2%

Housing

$2.1M

Affordable and social housing.

+141% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)

Public housing$1.4M+60%
Homes owned by government.
Other housing$721K
Other housing costs.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Public housing	$1,421,900	+60.1%
Other housing	$721,092	–

What the money bought

The same 2024 spending, sorted by what it paid for rather than which service.

Staff pay and benefits$34.7M
Wages, benefits and pensions for city workers.
Supplies and utilities$20.6M
Gravel, salt, fuel, electricity, heating, office supplies and repairs.
Outside companies$20.1M
Work the city pays other companies to do, like policing, paving or consultants.
Money given to others$5.4M
Grants and payments to other groups, like the conservation authority.
Interest on loans$2.7M
The extra money paid to lenders for money the city borrowed.
Rent and money costs$1.0M
Renting equipment or space, bank fees, and some accounting costs.

Show as a table

Item	Amount
Staff pay and benefits	$34,734,662
Supplies and utilities	$20,583,558
Outside companies	$20,079,155
Money given to others	$5,362,901
Interest on loans	$2,705,696
Rent and money costs	$1,030,643

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	203	68	35
2020	228	81	37
2021	237	89	37
2022	246	90	42
2023	254	88	43
2024	270	95	40

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.

$95.8M

Show as a table

Year	Money in	Day-to-day spending
2019	$71.6M	$57.3M
2020	$77.8M	$59.5M
2021	$78M	$59.6M
2022	$91.3M	$66.9M
2023	$93.6M	$72.6M
2024	$95.8M	$84.5M

City property tax

Up 32% since 2019. Prices rose 18%.

$52.9M

Show as a table

Year	City property tax
2019	$40M
2020	$41.8M
2021	$42.9M
2022	$45.1M
2023	$48.9M
2024	$52.9M

Savings (reserves)

Money set aside for repairs, equipment and emergencies.

$41.3M

Show as a table

Year	Savings
2019	$19M
2020	$20.9M
2021	$29.3M
2022	$37.8M
2023	$44.1M
2024	$41.3M

What the city owes

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

$32.6M

Show as a table

Year	Long-term loans	Temporary loans
2019	$38.7M	$0
2020	$41.1M	$0
2021	$38.5M	$11.5M
2022	$35.9M	$13.2M
2023	$33.6M	$29.9M
2024	$32.6M	$40.7M

Building new things

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

$38.5M

Show as a table

Year	Built or bought	Wore out (amortization)
2019	$13.7M	$9.6M
2020	$8.5M	$10.0M
2021	$30.1M	$10.3M
2022	$7.2M	$11M
2023	$16.9M	$11.1M
2024	$38.5M	$11.6M

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.