Police, fire and safety
$68.2MPaying for police, the fire department, building inspectors and by-law officers.
+42% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)
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This is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 youRead by hand. We read Sarnia'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 Sarnia'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: $210M
Where the city's money came from in 2025.
What each source means
- Property taxes
- What home and business owners pay each year, based on what their property is worth.
- 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: $152M on services
Day-to-day spending in 2025, by service. On top of this, the city recorded $23.8M of "wear and tear" on things it owns. That is an accounting cost, not cash out the door, so it is left out here.
Water, sewers and garbage
$32.1MClean tap water, the sewer system, garbage pickup, the dump and recycling.
+32% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)
Roads and snow
$20.4MFixing and paving roads, bridges and culverts, ploughing snow, and street lights.
+38% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)
Parks, arena and library
$15.3MParks, the arena, the pool, sports fields, programs and the library.
+48% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)
Running the city office
$13.1MCouncil, 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.
+37% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)
Planning and business
$2.5MDeciding what can be built where, and trying to bring businesses and visitors to city.
+1% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)
Social services
$600KHelp for people and families who need it, and child care.
+34% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)
Health
$80,000Public health, ambulances and cemeteries.
+9% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)
What the money bought
The same 2025 spending, sorted by what it paid for rather than which service.
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 | 580.45 | 24.61 | 131 |
| 2020 | 588.2 | 46.62 | 46 |
| 2021 | 584.2 | 47.62 | 68 |
| 2022 | 595.2 | 40 | 130 |
| 2023 | 612.2 | 45 | 159 |
| 2024 | 628.7 | 47 | 151 |
| 2025 | 641.7 | 65 | 190 |
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.
$210M
Show as a table
| Year | Money in | Day-to-day spending |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $160M | $110M |
| 2020 | $161M | $109M |
| 2021 | $178M | $116M |
| 2022 | $185M | $122M |
| 2023 | $189M | $131M |
| 2024 | $195M | $142M |
| 2025 | $210M | $152M |
City property tax
Up 23% since 2019. Prices rose 21%.
$96.9M
Show as a table
| Year | City property tax |
|---|---|
| 2019 | $78.8M |
| 2020 | $80.7M |
| 2021 | $83.8M |
| 2022 | $85.9M |
| 2023 | $86.9M |
| 2024 | $92.7M |
| 2025 | $96.9M |
Savings (reserves)
Money set aside for repairs, equipment and emergencies.
$100M
Show as a table
| Year | Savings |
|---|---|
| 2019 | $70.9M |
| 2020 | $89.9M |
| 2021 | $90.8M |
| 2022 | $94.4M |
| 2023 | $97.3M |
| 2024 | $102M |
| 2025 | $100M |
What the city owes
Long-term loans plus short-term (temporary) loans at year end.
$98,554
Show as a table
| Year | Long-term loans | Temporary loans |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $12.1M | $0 |
| 2020 | $4.6M | $0 |
| 2021 | $3.7M | $0 |
| 2022 | $2.8M | $0 |
| 2023 | $1.9M | $0 |
| 2024 | $1.0M | $0 |
| 2025 | $98,554 | $0 |
Building new things
Spending on new or rebuilt roads, pipes, buildings and equipment, compared with how fast existing ones wear out.
$40.9M
Show as a table
| Year | Built or bought | Wore out (amortization) |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $39.7M | $18.5M |
| 2020 | $38.8M | $19.8M |
| 2021 | $25.1M | $20.5M |
| 2022 | $38.5M | $20.8M |
| 2023 | $89.5M | $21.9M |
| 2024 | $53.4M | $23.9M |
| 2025 | $40.9M | $23.8M |
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.