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This is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 Sault Ste Marie'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 Sault Ste Marie'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: $295M

Where the city's money came from in 2025.

53%

10%

22%

Property taxes$151M53%
Money from Ontario (no strings)$20M7%
Grants for specific projects$29.2M10%
Fees people pay$63.1M22%
Other$12.8M4%
Everything else$9.1M3%

Show as a table

Category	Amount	Share
Property taxes	$151,116,033	53.0%
Money from Ontario (no strings)	$20,028,500	7.0%
Grants for specific projects	$29,178,972	10.2%
Fees people pay	$63,129,133	22.1%
Other	$12,809,473	4.5%
Everything else	$9,060,436	3.2%
Total	$285,322,547	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: $222M on services

Day-to-day spending in 2025, by service. On top of this, the city recorded $27.6M of "wear and tear" on things it owns. That is an accounting cost, not cash out the door, so it is left out here.

30%

19%

14%

10%

13%

Running the city office$19.6M9%
Police, fire and safety$66.1M30%
Roads and snow$42M19%
Water, sewers and garbage$30.2M14%
Health$4.9M2%
Social services$23.2M10%
Parks, arena and library$29.8M13%
Planning and business$5.8M3%

Show as a table

Category	Amount	Share
Running the city office	$19,576,296	8.8%
Police, fire and safety	$66,104,889	29.8%
Roads and snow	$41,952,557	18.9%
Water, sewers and garbage	$30,233,435	13.6%
Health	$4,898,692	2.2%
Social services	$23,155,344	10.5%
Parks, arena and library	$29,831,445	13.5%
Planning and business	$5,820,101	2.6%
Total	$221,572,759	100%

Police, fire and safety

$66.1M

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

+32% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Police (OPP contract)$43.8M+47%
What the city pays for policing.
Fire department$18.9M+5%
Firefighters, trucks and fire halls.
Building permits$1.8M+686%
Checking that new buildings are safe.
Traffic court$961K−8%
Handling tickets and fines.
By-law and animal control$709K−27%
Enforcing city rules, like noise, parking and dogs.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Police (OPP contract)	$43,774,522	+46.8%
Fire department	$18,906,340	+5.2%
Building permits	$1,753,824	+686.0%
Traffic court	$961,404	−8.2%
By-law and animal control	$708,799	−26.7%

Roads and snow

$42M

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

+18% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Roadsides and signs$12.1M+2%
Ditches, signs, line painting and roadside brush.
Public transit$12M+22%
Buses.
Snow ploughing$7.6M+25%
Ploughing, salting and sanding roads in winter.
Paved roads$3.8M+8%
Fixing and repaving paved roads.
Accessible transit$1.8M+38%
Rides for people who cannot use regular buses.
Sidewalk snow$1.6M+179%
Clearing sidewalks and parking lots.
Street lights$1.3M+31%
Power and repairs for street lights.
Bridges and culverts$1.1M+28%
Keeping bridges and the pipes under roads safe.
Parking$586K+14%
City parking lots and meters.
Gravel roads$53,730+8%
Grading and fixing gravel roads.
Other transportation$14,287
Other transportation costs.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Roadsides and signs	$12,135,168	+2.5%
Public transit	$11,965,843	+22.4%
Snow ploughing	$7,583,112	+24.7%
Paved roads	$3,842,103	+8.4%
Accessible transit	$1,775,940	+37.8%
Sidewalk snow	$1,639,426	+179.0%
Street lights	$1,262,318	+30.8%
Bridges and culverts	$1,094,395	+27.8%
Parking	$586,235	+13.9%
Gravel roads	$53,730	+8.4%
Other transportation	$14,287	–

Water, sewers and garbage

$30.2M

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

+11% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Water treatment$10.6M+28%
Making lake or well water safe to drink.
Sewage treatment$6.2M+131%
Cleaning sewage before it goes back into nature (Tweed uses lagoons).
Sewer pipes$6.1M+30%
The pipes that carry sewage away from homes.
Water pipes$5.5M+28%
The pipes that bring water to homes.
Garbage pickup$2.2M+26%
Trucks that collect garbage.
Storm drains$833K−67%
Drains that carry away rain water.
Recycling$792K−67%
Recycling and composting.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Water treatment	$10,605,390	+28.1%
Sewage treatment	$6,170,664	+131.4%
Sewer pipes	$6,088,857	+30.3%
Water pipes	$5,463,383	+28.1%
Garbage pickup	$2,204,880	+25.6%
Storm drains	$832,799	−66.7%
Recycling	$791,680	−67.1%

Parks, arena and library

$29.8M

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

+71% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Arena and buildings$12.4M+103%
The arena, pool, community centre and halls.
Parks$7.3M+74%
Parks, beaches, trails and green spaces.
Library$3.5M+7%
The public library.
Arts and culture$2.9M−3%
Festivals, arts and heritage.
Other recreation$2.4M
Other recreation costs.
Programs$977K+55%
Classes, camps and activities.
Golf, marina, ski hill$355K+40%
City-owned golf course, marina or ski hill.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Arena and buildings	$12,359,945	+103.2%
Parks	$7,347,780	+74.2%
Library	$3,472,081	+7.2%
Arts and culture	$2,929,224	−3.5%
Other recreation	$2,389,806	–
Programs	$977,307	+54.7%
Golf, marina, ski hill	$355,302	+39.9%

Social services

$23.2M

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

+18% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Income support$22M+18%
Help for people with very low income.
Seniors$1.1M+28%
Long-term care and seniors programs.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Income support	$22,026,098	+17.9%
Seniors	$1,129,246	+28.2%

Running the city office

$19.6M

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.

+20% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Senior management$10.2M+35%
The top managers who run the city day to day.
Office and administration$7.5M+20%
Office staff, finance, IT, insurance, legal and the city hall. Places share this cost out across other services.
Council$1.9M−24%
Pay and expenses for the mayor and councillors, and council meetings.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Senior management	$10,172,430	+34.6%
Office and administration	$7,472,313	+19.8%
Council	$1,931,553	−24.3%

Planning and business

$5.8M

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

+66% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Business and tourism$4.8M+150%
Attracting businesses and visitors, and helping local shops.
Planning and zoning$853K−41%
Deciding what can be built where.
New housing$186K+18%
Helping new homes get built.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Business and tourism	$4,781,246	+149.9%
Planning and zoning	$852,877	−40.9%
New housing	$185,978	+17.7%

Health

$4.9M

Public health, ambulances and cemeteries.

−57% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Public health$3.4M+35%
Health inspections and programs.
Cemeteries$1.5M+27%
Looking after city cemeteries.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Public health	$3,366,437	+34.8%
Cemeteries	$1,532,255	+26.8%

What the money bought

The same 2025 spending, sorted by what it paid for rather than which service.

Staff pay and benefits$120M
Wages, benefits and pensions for city workers.
Supplies and utilities$46.3M
Gravel, salt, fuel, electricity, heating, office supplies and repairs.
Money given to others$27.1M
Grants and payments to other groups, like the conservation authority.
Outside companies$21.4M
Work the city pays other companies to do, like policing, paving or consultants.
Rent and money costs$6.2M
Renting equipment or space, bank fees, and some accounting costs.
Interest on loans$960K
The extra money paid to lenders for money the city borrowed.

Show as a table

Item	Amount
Staff pay and benefits	$119,605,729
Supplies and utilities	$46,300,843
Money given to others	$27,126,385
Outside companies	$21,380,661
Rent and money costs	$6,199,066
Interest on loans	$960,075

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	738	474	183
2020	693	282	122
2021	694	381	62
2022	694	381	62
2023	859	519	123
2024	887	556	133
2025	898	540	129

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.

$295M

Show as a table

Year	Money in	Day-to-day spending
2019	$222M	$182M
2020	$220M	$166M
2021	$235M	$188M
2022	$258M	$187M
2023	$278M	$200M
2024	$274M	$215M
2025	$295M	$222M

City property tax

Up 26% since 2019. Prices rose 21%.

$151M

Show as a table

Year	City property tax
2019	$120M
2020	$124M
2021	$129M
2022	$135M
2023	$142M
2024	$149M
2025	$151M

Savings (reserves)

Money set aside for repairs, equipment and emergencies.

$110M

Show as a table

Year	Savings
2019	$35.9M
2020	$35.8M
2021	$42.9M
2022	$51M
2023	$59.7M
2024	$96.3M
2025	$110M

What the city owes

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

$18.7M

Show as a table

Year	Long-term loans	Temporary loans
2019	$8.4M	$0
2020	$8.2M	$224K
2021	$6.7M	$343K
2022	$5.7M	$161K
2023	$21.3M	$572K
2024	$20.6M	$10,475
2025	$18.7M	$17,250

Building new things

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

$48.7M

Show as a table

Year	Built or bought	Wore out (amortization)
2019	$20.6M	$19.6M
2020	$46.8M	$20.4M
2021	$54.5M	$21.1M
2022	$29M	$22.1M
2023	$98.5M	$24.3M
2024	$46.4M	$26.5M
2025	$48.7M	$27.6M

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.