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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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 St Catharines'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.
Ontario / St CatharinesUpdated Oct 5, 2026

Your city, in plain words

How St Catharines uses the money we share.

A clear, checkable guide to St Catharines' budget, taxes and council decisions. The largest city in Niagara Region, with a mayor and twelve ward councillors (two for each of six wards). Under Ontario's strong-mayor rules, the Mayor tables the budget and Council can amend it. Every figure links back to the public record.

Your typical 2024 property tax bill$3,074on a $210K home44% City46% County10% SchoolsSee your tax bill explained →
City spending, 2024$201MAbout $3,414 per household, up 12.1% from 2023.See the money →
Property tax change−0.2%St Catharines' own property tax came to $124M in 2024, against $124M in 2023.What changed →

Where it goes

Most of every dollar supports the everyday city.

Explore every service →
Water, sewers and garbage$48.1M · 24%
Parks, arena and library$45.3M · 23%
Police, fire and safety$39M · 19%
Running the city office$33.4M · 17%
Show all 8 servicesShow fewer
Roads and snow$20.5M · 10%
Planning and business$11.3M · 6%
Health$2.5M · 1%
Social services$1.1M · 1%

Day-to-day spending in 2024, from St Catharines' report to the Province.

A fair comparisonHow does St Catharines compare?Among 12 similar Ontario cities, St Catharines' day-to-day spending per household is near the middle.St Catharines is here · 7 of 12, lowest to highestCompare St Catharines →

Questions worth asking

A closer look at the numbers.

Each one is a question, not an accusation. Every one lists ordinary reasons it could be true, and the documents it comes from.

All 9 questions
Worth askingMoney health

The City's own forecast has its outside debt rising from $83.1M in 2025 to $279.3M in 2029, past its own 10 per cent limit. How will that be paid for?

$279.3Mforecast outside debt in 2029, up from $83.1M in 2025; debt payments forecast at 11.64% of own revenue against a 10% policy limit

Debt is money the City borrows and pays back, with interest, from taxes and fees. The City's 2026 capital budget report forecasts outside debt of $83.1M in 2025, $134.6M in 2026 and $279.3M in 2029. It also shows yearly debt payments rising to 11.64% of the City's own revenue in 2029. Council's own policy sets a limit of 10%. The report says the City is still far inside the Province's separate limit, and that it is reviewing its debt plan. This is the City's own forecast, not our estimate.

Found by reading the city's own documents · 4 sources

Worth askingMoney health

The budget uses savings and one-time fixes to hold tax increases down, $2,000,000 from one fund in 2026. What happens to taxes in 2027 when they run out?

$2,000,000planned for 2026 from the Special Tax Mitigation Fund to lower the tax increase, after $1,431,000 in 2024 and $1,910,000 in 2025

A reserve is money the City sets aside. The budget lists transfers from a reserve called the Special Tax Mitigation Fund to lower the tax increase: $1,431,000 in 2024, $1,910,000 in 2025 and $2,000,000 in 2026. In 2024 the City also said $1,525,000 of the savings it found were "temporary measures". The City says the costs they cover will not go away in 2027. At the end of 2024 the audited statements show $7,571 thousand in this fund, the same as a year earlier.

Found by reading the city's own documents · 4 sources

Worth askingRising costs

Planning and Building Services is budgeted at $5,404,287 for 2026, against $1,802,719 spent in 2022. What changed, and how long will a reserve cover falling building permit income?

$5,404,287net 2026 budget for Planning and Building Services, against $1,802,719 spent in 2022 and $4,323,275 budgeted for 2024

The budget book shows the net cost to taxpayers of Planning and Building Services (what is left after the department's own fees). It was $1,802,719 in 2022 (actual) and is $5,404,287 in the 2026 budget, about three times as much (our own division). A budget is not the same as an actual, so the gap is partly a comparison of two different things. The City explains part of the rise: building permit income was cut by $801,000 in 2024 to match market trends, and $530,000 more came from the Building Stabilization Reserve.

Found by reading the city's own documents · 4 sources

Worth askingRising costs

The City put off a $2,500,000 fire station project to cover a fire arbitration award. What is the award worth, and who pays?

$2,500,000Fire Station No. 6 addition and renovation, put off to 2027 partly because of the fire arbitration award

An arbitration award is a binding decision by an outside arbitrator, usually on pay and working conditions, when a union and an employer cannot agree. In October 2025 City staff said they were putting off the Fire Station No. 6 project, with a budget of $2,500,000, to "accommodate the financial impact of the fire arbitration award". The papers we read do not say how much the award is worth. Fire Services is the biggest department on the budget.

Found by reading the city's own documents · 3 sources

Show 5 more questionsShow fewer
Worth askingMoney health

St. Catharines held $124,028 thousand in cash at the end of 2024 and issued $9,800 thousand of new debt that year. Why borrow?

$124.0 millioncash on December 31, 2024, while the City issued $9.8 million of new long-term debt that year

The 2024 statements show cash of $124,028 thousand, up from $93,390 thousand, plus investments of $51,712 thousand. In the same year the City issued $9,800 thousand of long-term debt and repaid $13,734 thousand. Much of the cash is promised: the City has reserves, restricted funds, and $133,242 thousand of capital work in progress that will be paid for later.

Found by reading the city's own documents · 3 sources

Worth askingMoney health

Does St Catharines have enough saved for repairs and emergencies?

$94.7Min savings at the end of 2024

Places keep savings (called reserves) to pay for new trucks, roof repairs and surprises. St Catharines had $94.7M saved at the end of 2024, up from $59.4M in 2019. That is 47% of one year's spending. Only 2 of 11 similar places had less, compared with what they spend.

Found automatically from the city's financial reports · 2 sources

Good to knowRising costs

The budget for the Mayor and Members of Council rose 21.81% in 2024, to $1,300,219. What is in the part of the rise the City does not explain?

$1,300,2192024 budget for the Mayor and Members of Council, up $232,810 (21.81%) from 2023

The Office of Mayor and Members of Council was budgeted at $1,067,409 for 2023 and $1,300,219 for 2024, a rise of $232,810. The City explains $111,000 of it as more spending on civic receptions: Canada Day, winter holiday events, a new $30,000 program and a new $25,000 item for community programs. The rest of the rise is not explained in the text we read. Separately, the City used a reserve to cover councillors' conference and convention spending in 2024 that went over budget.

Found by reading the city's own documents · 3 sources

Good to knowMoney health

The City budgeted a $4,324 thousand deficit for 2024 and ended with a $30,307 thousand surplus. Where did the difference come from?

$30.3 millionannual surplus for 2024 (in the audited statements), against a budgeted deficit of $4.3 million

The audited statements for 2024 show a budgeted deficit of $4,324 thousand and an actual annual surplus of $30,307 thousand. Revenue came in $20,617 thousand higher than budget, and expenses $14,014 thousand lower (our subtraction). The biggest gap in spending was transportation services, at 30,664 against a budget of 38,507. The City explains in a note that its budget and its statements are built differently, for example the budget leaves out amortization (the yearly wearing-out of buildings and roads).

Found by reading the city's own documents · 3 sources

Good to knowOpenness

Where are the yearly statements of council pay and expenses?

Ontario's Municipal Act requires a yearly statement of what each member of council and each local board member was paid and what expenses were paid for them. We did not find these statements on the City's website, on its Accountability and Transparency page or on its Budgets and Financial Statements page. The City has a citizen task force reviewing what council is paid.

Found by reading the city's own documents · 2 sources

2024 tax year · St Catharines, Ontario

Your tax bill, worked out.

Enter your home's assessed value to see roughly what you pay in property tax each year, who gets it, and what St Catharines's share pays for.

Ontario still uses property values from January 1, 2016 for tax, so your assessed value is probably well below what your home would sell for today.

It is on your property assessment notice from MPAC, and on your tax bill. We filled in the typical value in St Catharines.

Source

a year in property tax, at 2024 rates

  • St Catharines
  • County or region
  • Schools

St Catharines council sets only its own share. County or region sets its share, the Province sets the school rate.

See what your St Catharines share pays forHide the breakdown

Roughly what your St Catharines share pays for

Source
  • Parks, arena and library
  • Police, fire and safety
  • Running the city office
  • Roads and snow
  • Planning and business
  • Health
  • Social services

An estimate. It uses the residential tax rate, and splits St Catharines's share by what each service cost in 2024 after its own fees and grants (for example, water bills pay for much of a water system). Real bills also depend on your property class, local charges and any rebates.

  • Every fact, sourced

    Each number links to the public document it came from. Check it yourself.

  • No accusations

    We ask questions. Every one lists ordinary reasons a number could look odd.

  • Compared fairly

    Places are only compared with places of a similar size and kind, from the same yearly reports.

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