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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 The South Bruce Peninsula'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 The South Bruce Peninsula's money works
A town 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 town 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: $29.5M
Where the town's money came from in 2025.
The South Bruce Peninsula revenue by source, 2025
45%
11%
18%
Property taxes$13.1M45%
Money from Ontario (no strings)$3.3M11%
Grants for specific projects$2.8M10%
Fees people pay$5.2M18%
Licences and rent$1.6M5%
Other$2.2M8%
Everything else$706K2%
Show as a table
Category
Amount
Share
Property taxes
$13,080,373
45.3%
Money from Ontario (no strings)
$3,307,604
11.5%
Grants for specific projects
$2,802,127
9.7%
Fees people pay
$5,165,735
17.9%
Licences and rent
$1,582,773
5.5%
Other
$2,222,032
7.7%
Everything else
$705,880
2.4%
Total
$28,866,524
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 town can spend on anything. Small rural towns 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.
Licences and rent
Dog tags, licences, and rent from town-owned property.
Other
Interest earned, donations, sales of land and equipment.
Money out: $21M on services
Day-to-day spending in 2025, by service. On top of this, the town recorded $3.2M of "wear and tear" on things it owns. That is an accounting cost, not cash out the door, so it is left out here.
The South Bruce Peninsula spending by service, 2025
17%
22%
22%
23%
13%
Running the town office$3.7M17%
Police, fire and safety$4.5M22%
Roads and snow$4.6M22%
Water, sewers and garbage$4.8M23%
Health$20,0290%
Social services$354K2%
Parks, arena and library$2.8M13%
Planning and business$247K1%
Show as a table
Category
Amount
Share
Running the town office
$3,671,116
17.5%
Police, fire and safety
$4,531,334
21.6%
Roads and snow
$4,626,214
22.0%
Water, sewers and garbage
$4,750,545
22.6%
Health
$20,029
0.1%
Social services
$354,041
1.7%
Parks, arena and library
$2,807,963
13.4%
Planning and business
$246,729
1.2%
Total
$21,007,971
100%
Water, sewers and garbage
$4.8M
Clean tap water, the sewer system, garbage pickup, the dump and recycling.
+100% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)
Water, sewers and garbage broken down
Recycling$1.3M+230%
Recycling and composting.
Garbage pickup$757K+85%
Trucks that collect garbage.
Water pipes$718K+160%
The pipes that bring water to homes.
Water treatment$718K+178%
Making lake or well water safe to drink.
The dump (landfill)$485K+75%
Running the landfill, and saving up to close it safely one day.
Sewage treatment$348K+12%
Cleaning sewage before it goes back into nature (Tweed uses lagoons).
Sewer pipes$348K−19%
The pipes that carry sewage away from homes.
Storm drains$65,642
Drains that carry away rain water.
Rural drainage$35,587
Ditches and drains in the countryside.
Show as a table
Item
Amount
Change
Recycling
$1,276,259
+230.3%
Garbage pickup
$756,745
+85.3%
Water pipes
$717,898
+160.2%
Water treatment
$717,897
+178.1%
The dump (landfill)
$485,032
+75.5%
Sewage treatment
$347,743
+12.3%
Sewer pipes
$347,742
−18.7%
Storm drains
$65,642
–
Rural drainage
$35,587
–
Roads and snow
$4.6M
Fixing and paving roads, bridges and culverts, ploughing snow, and street lights.
+4% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)
Roads and snow broken down
Roadsides and signs$2.4M−9%
Ditches, signs, line painting and roadside brush.
Snow ploughing$683K+86%
Ploughing, salting and sanding roads in winter.
Gravel roads$518K+13%
Grading and fixing gravel roads.
Other transportation$511K
Other transportation costs.
Paved roads$463K+36%
Fixing and repaving paved roads.
Street lights$80,912−25%
Power and repairs for street lights.
Bridges and culverts$43
Keeping bridges and the pipes under roads safe.
Show as a table
Item
Amount
Change
Roadsides and signs
$2,369,857
−9.1%
Snow ploughing
$683,409
+85.6%
Gravel roads
$517,512
+13.4%
Other transportation
$511,114
–
Paved roads
$463,367
+36.1%
Street lights
$80,912
−24.6%
Bridges and culverts
$43
–
Police, fire and safety
$4.5M
Paying for police, the fire department, building inspectors and by-law officers.
+22% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)
Police, fire and safety broken down
Police (OPP contract)$2.5M+3%
What the town pays for policing.
Fire department$1.1M+43%
Firefighters, trucks and fire halls.
Building permits$481K+74%
Checking that new buildings are safe.
Conservation authority$267K+39%
A regional group that manages rivers, flooding and wetlands.
By-law and animal control$243K+123%
Enforcing town rules, like noise, parking and dogs.
Show as a table
Item
Amount
Change
Police (OPP contract)
$2,463,628
+3.3%
Fire department
$1,076,976
+43.3%
Building permits
$480,974
+74.1%
Conservation authority
$266,581
+38.7%
By-law and animal control
$243,175
+122.9%
Running the town office
$3.7M
Council, managers, the clerk, accounting, computers, insurance and the town hall itself. Every town needs some of this, but it does not fix a road or put out a fire.
+41% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)
Running the town office broken down
Senior management$3.3M+126%
The top managers who run the town day to day.
Council$376K+142%
Pay and expenses for the mayor and councillors, and council meetings.
Show as a table
Item
Amount
Change
Senior management
$3,295,313
+125.8%
Council
$375,803
+141.9%
Parks, arena and library
$2.8M
Parks, the arena, the pool, sports fields, programs and the library.
+90% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)
Parks, arena and library broken down
Arena and buildings$1.2M+90%
The arena, pool, community centre and halls.
Parks$1.1M+140%
Parks, beaches, trails and green spaces.
Programs$390K+9%
Classes, camps and activities.
Arts and culture$62,639
Festivals, arts and heritage.
Show as a table
Item
Amount
Change
Arena and buildings
$1,236,226
+90.4%
Parks
$1,118,886
+139.6%
Programs
$390,212
+8.6%
Arts and culture
$62,639
–
Social services
$354K
Help for people and families who need it, and child care.
Social services broken down
Seniors$354K
Long-term care and seniors programs.
Show as a table
Item
Amount
Change
Seniors
$354,041
–
Planning and business
$247K
Deciding what can be built where, and trying to bring businesses and visitors to town.
−42% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)
Planning and business broken down
Business and tourism$239K−39%
Attracting businesses and visitors, and helping local shops.
Planning and zoning$5,411−85%
Deciding what can be built where.
Farms and forests$2,483
Programs for farms and forests.
Show as a table
Item
Amount
Change
Business and tourism
$238,835
−38.5%
Planning and zoning
$5,411
−84.6%
Farms and forests
$2,483
–
Health
$20,029
Public health, ambulances and cemeteries.
+39% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)
Health broken down
Cemeteries$20,029
Looking after town cemeteries.
Show as a table
Item
Amount
Change
Cemeteries
$20,029
–
What the money bought
The same 2025 spending, sorted by what it paid for rather than which service.
Spending by type
Staff pay and benefits$7.6M
Wages, benefits and pensions for town workers.
Supplies and utilities$7.0M
Gravel, salt, fuel, electricity, heating, office supplies and repairs.
Outside companies$4.7M
Work the town pays other companies to do, like policing, paving or consultants.
Rent and money costs$1.0M
Renting equipment or space, bank fees, and some accounting costs.
Money given to others$549K
Grants and payments to other groups, like the conservation authority.
Interest on loans$133K
The extra money paid to lenders for money the town borrowed.
Show as a table
Item
Amount
Staff pay and benefits
$7,568,171
Supplies and utilities
$7,035,174
Outside companies
$4,684,867
Rent and money costs
$1,037,598
Money given to others
$549,289
Interest on loans
$132,872
Staff
People on the town's payroll at the end of each year, as reported to the Province.
Year
Full-time
Part-time
Seasonal
2019
40
12
91
2020
44
8
57
2021
44
8
57
2022
46
11
51
2023
46
20
78
2024
47
19
78
2025
50
18
101
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 town 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.
Money in and day-to-day spending by year
Money in
Day-to-day spending
$0$10M$20M$30M
$29.5M
2019202020212022202320242025
Show as a table
Year
Money in
Day-to-day spending
2019
$20.9M
$15.1M
2020
$22.7M
$15.7M
2021
$25.1M
$18.2M
2022
$27.6M
$18.1M
2023
$29.1M
$19.3M
2024
$27M
$21.5M
2025
$29.5M
$21M
Town property tax
Up 26% since 2019. Prices rose 21%.
Town property tax by year
$0$5.0M$10M$15M
$13.1M
2019202020212022202320242025
Show as a table
Year
Town property tax
2019
$10.4M
2020
$10.7M
2021
$11.1M
2022
$11.6M
2023
$11.8M
2024
$12.8M
2025
$13.1M
Savings (reserves)
Money set aside for repairs, equipment and emergencies.
Reserves by year
$0$10M$20M$30M
$27.8M
2019202020212022202320242025
Show as a table
Year
Savings
2019
$24.3M
2020
$22.3M
2021
$23.3M
2022
$25.1M
2023
$26.3M
2024
$27.2M
2025
$27.8M
What the town owes
Long-term loans plus short-term (temporary) loans at year end.
Debt by year
Long-term loans
Temporary loans
$0$1.0M$2.0M$3.0M
$2.3M
2019202020212022202320242025
Show as a table
Year
Long-term loans
Temporary loans
2019
$558K
$0
2020
$285K
$0
2021
$207K
$0
2022
$126K
$0
2023
$2.7M
$0
2024
$2.5M
$0
2025
$2.3M
$0
Building new things
Spending on new or rebuilt roads, pipes, buildings and equipment, compared with how fast existing ones wear out.
Capital spending and wear by year
Built or bought
Wore out (amortization)
$0$5.0M$10M$15M
$2.9M
2019202020212022202320242025
Show as a table
Year
Built or bought
Wore out (amortization)
2019
$2.9M
$2.3M
2020
$6.6M
$2.4M
2021
$11.5M
$2.6M
2022
$5.1M
$2.7M
2023
$12.7M
$2.9M
2024
$5.7M
$3.2M
2025
$2.9M
$3.2M
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.
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