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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 Tecumseh'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.
A clear, checkable guide to Tecumseh's budget, taxes and council decisions. A town in Essex County, next to Windsor, with a mayor, a deputy mayor and five ward councillors. Every figure links back to the public record.
$36,576,839government transfers in 2025, against a budget of $24,965,545
Government transfers are grants from the province and the federal government. The audited statements show $36,576,839 of them in 2025, against a budget of $24,965,545 and $10,037,554 the year before. That is $11,611,294 above budget in 2025 (worked out by us). In 2024 the statements show $10,037,554 against a budget of $16,922,717, which is $6,885,163 below budget (worked out by us). The Town has explained part of this: its 2026 budget book lists large provincial and federal grants for water, sewer and storm projects. We did not find a list in the documents we read that shows which grants made up the 2025 total.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 6 sources
$79,414,440assets under construction at December 31, 2025, up from $33,216,168
Assets under construction are projects the Town has paid for but that are not finished or in use yet. The statements show $79,414,440 at the end of 2025 against $33,216,168 a year earlier. The 2025 budget for buying capital assets was $71,897,305; the statements show $10,391,909 actually acquired, plus a $46,198,272 change in assets under construction (a budget of $4,369,005). Cash and cash equivalents fell from $81,121,097 to $67,406,425. The 2026 budget calls for a $58M capital program. The Town has explained one project: the water and sewer work in the Tecumseh Hamlet area, which it says started construction in 2025 and is planned to finish in 2026.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 6 sources
$31,639,000estimated net use of reserves in 2026, per the 2026 budget book
Reserves are savings set aside by council for future costs, such as replacing roads and pumps. The 2026 budget book projects total reserves and reserve funds falling from $87,395,500 at December 31, 2024 to $43,721,500 at December 31, 2026, with estimated net activity of $(31,639,000) in 2026 alone. Lifecycle reserves (savings for replacing existing assets) are projected to fall from $22,472,000 at the end of 2025 to $616,000 at the end of 2026, while the Town says its yearly lifecycle funding target is $10,155,000. The Town has explained the pattern: several large projects are funded from reserves, some payments will fall into later years, and grants of about $17M are expected for water projects. The budget book assumes the projects are fully spent in 2026, which was not the 2025 experience.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 7 sources
$150,000set aside from reserves in each of 2025 and 2026 for the lottery licensing lawsuit
The 2025 and 2026 budgets each set aside $150,000 from reserves for "ongoing legal costs surrounding the Lottery Licensing lawsuit". The budget books list legal fees of $251,000 in 2025 and $286,000 in 2026 and say most legal fees are paid from reserves because they are one-time items. The Town says it expects professional fees to fall when "outstanding legal issues" are resolved. The pages we read do not say who the parties are, what the claim is about, or how much has actually been spent. The statements say only that the Town faces legal actions, "some of which could be substantial", without a figure.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 5 sources
$3,807,549planning and development expenses in 2025, against a budget of $2,103,770
The 2025 budget planned $2,103,770 for planning and development. The statements show $3,807,549 spent, which is $1,703,779 more (worked out by us). In 2024 the actual figure was $2,803,256 against a budget of $2,488,986. The segment schedule shows $1,990,496 of the 2025 planning spending under "Other", and $200,000 under grants and donations. The schedule groups spending differently from the statement of operations: its planning total is $3,535,997, not $3,807,549, and we did not find a reconciliation. The Town says federal housing grant money covers its Housing Action Plan initiatives, but we did not find a statement that accounts for the $1,703,779 difference in the documents we read.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 5 sources
$3.2Mof Housing Accelerator money identified for a capital project, still under discussion with the federal government
The Town says the federal Housing Accelerator Fund approved $4.38M in February 2024 for nine housing initiatives. The budget book says one of them, Initiative 1, "was not approved", and that the Town "continues to work with the Federal government" about $3.2M identified for a capital project to speed up housing over the next 2 years. The same book says the funding is eligible during 2024 to 2027. The pages we read do not say which project it is or what happens to the project if the money does not come.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 3 sources
$1,294,824municipal levy increase in the 2026 budget, adopted with no amendments proposed
Since May 1, 2025 the Mayor has had "strong mayor" powers, which means the Mayor prepares and tables the budget, council can propose amendments within 30 days, the Mayor can veto them, and council can override a veto with a two-thirds vote. The 2026 budget book says the Mayor tabled the budget on January 13, 2026 and that "No amendments were proposed during the review period." The result was a municipal levy increase of $1,294,824 and a $58M capital program adopted as tabled. The Town explains that staff answered council's questions during the review. The Town's 2027 timeline says that if there are no amendments, the budget is deemed adopted.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 4 sources
$15,789remuneration and expenses paid to the Mayor by Essex Power in 2025, as the Town's statement prints it
The Town owns 26.44% of Essex Power Corporation, the local electricity company. The Town's yearly statement of council pay also lists what the Mayor, Gary McNamara, was paid by Essex Power: $10,250 in 2023, $19,050 in 2024 and $15,033 in 2025 (with $756 of expenses in 2025). In 2025 the Town paid the Mayor $88,402 in total for council work, as the statement prints it. The Mayor's Town salary printed in the statements was $50,971 in 2023, $64,477 in 2024 and $63,057 in 2025, a rise of about 26% from 2023 to 2024 (worked out by us). The statements say pay was set by a by-law from 2003 as amended up to 2019. We did not find the reason for the 2024 change in the documents we read.
Found by reading the town's own documents · 5 sources
2024 tax year · Tecumseh, 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 Tecumseh'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 Tecumseh.
An estimate. It uses the residential tax rate, and splits Tecumseh'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.
How Tecumseh's share of the bill compares with similar towns
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