Roads and snow
$2.9MFixing and paving roads, bridges and culverts, ploughing snow, and street lights.
+34% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)
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This is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 Tweed'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 · 2024
How Tweed'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 2024, the latest year the town has reported to the Province.
Why 2024 and not this year? A budget is a plan. These figures are what actually happened, checked by an auditor and reported to Ontario. The 2025 report is not out yet.
Money in: $10.8M
Where the town's money came from in 2024.
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.
Money out: $9.7M on services
Day-to-day spending in 2024, by service. On top of this, the town recorded $2.4M 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
$1.8MClean tap water, the sewer system, garbage pickup, the dump and recycling.
+27% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)
Police, fire and safety
$1.7MPaying for police, the fire department, building inspectors and by-law officers.
+12% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)
Running the town office
$1.7MCouncil, 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.
+74% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)
Parks, arena and library
$1.3MParks, the arena, the pool, sports fields, programs and the library.
+82% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)
Planning and business
$270KDeciding what can be built where, and trying to bring businesses and visitors to town.
+2% since 2019 (prices rose 18%)
2025: the plan compared with what happened
Every year council approves a budget, which is a plan. The 2026 budget also shows what happened in 2025, using the town's books as of April 15, 2026, before year-end entries and the audit. It is the most up-to-date view of the town's money, but less final than the Province's figures above.
Running the town (day-to-day)$9.0Mspent of $9.1M planned (99%)
2026 plan: $9.2M, +1.2% on the 2025 plan
Building and repairs (capital)$2.2Mspent of $4.5M planned (50%)
Some projects, like bridges, run over more than one year.
Money left over$164Kthe town's own forecast for 2025, against a plan of $0The April books show $734K, before year-end transfers to savings (mostly water and sewer).Update: The treasurer’s draft 2025 year-end, reported to council on September 29, 2026, shows an estimated surplus of $114,055. It may still change until the audit is done. Source.
By department
Day-to-day running costs only. Building projects, loan payments and transfers to savings are left out, because they are financing rather than running costs. Comparing whole departments also cancels out costs that were simply recorded on a different line. Departments under $20,000 are grouped as "Other".
| Department | 2025 plan | 2025 spent | Difference | 2026 plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RoadsBiggest change: Sanding and Salting, $275K planned, $539K spent | $3.0M | $3.0M | +3%$74,701 | $2.7M−8% |
| Town officeBiggest change: Legal and Professional Fees, $40,000 planned, $183K spent | $1.5M | $1.6M | +5%$69,972 | $1.8M+17% |
| Policing (OPP)Biggest change: OPP policing contract, $1.1M planned, $1.2M planned for 2026 | $1.1M | $1.1M | 0%−$975 | $1.2M+11% |
| FireBiggest change: Misc/Automatic Aid, $20,000 planned, $8,000 spent | $607K | $531K | −13%−$76,037 | $617K+2% |
| ArenaBiggest change: Salaries and Wages, $174K planned, $110K spent | $438K | $365K | −17%−$73,191 | $441K+1% |
| LandfillBiggest change: Hunt Road Monitoring/D&O, $17,000 planned, $59,090 planned for 2026 | $435K | $431K | −1%−$3,770 | $493K+13% |
| ParksBiggest change: Salaries and Wages, $184K planned, $294K spent | $414K | $504K | +22%$89,947 | $381K−8% |
| Community developmentBiggest change: CD Salary Expense, $140K planned, $94,087 spent | $392K | $283K | −28%−$110K | $333K−15% |
| Water | $305K | $309K | +2%$4,683 | $318K+4% |
| SewerBiggest change: SANITARY SEWER: ORO: OCWA, $17,566 planned, $0 spent | $223K | $187K | −16%−$35,350 | $211K−5% |
| LibraryBiggest change: Municipal Grant, $174K planned, $130K spent | $177K | $134K | −25%−$43,479 | $180K+2% |
| Conservation authority | $94,152 | $94,152 | 0%$0 | $95,303+1% |
| RecyclingBiggest change: Waste Service Board, $91,673 planned, $0 planned for 2026 | $91,673 | $81,740 | −11%−$9,933 | $0−100% |
| Garbage pickup | $82,329 | $82,437 | 0%$108 | $86,000+4% |
| Pool | $47,224 | $47,341 | 0%$117 | $48,915+4% |
| By-law enforcement | $32,500 | $30,884 | −5%−$1,616 | $36,004+11% |
| Street lights | $31,650 | $47,005 | +49%$15,355 | $44,250+40% |
| Animal control | $30,796 | $33,187 | +8%$2,391 | $33,671+9% |
| Rezoning and site plansBiggest change: Salaries and Wages, $18,324 planned, $0 spent | $30,524 | $791 | −97%−$29,733 | $0−100% |
| Actinolite | $14,806 | $22,284 | +51%$7,478 | $15,264+3% |
| Storm waterBiggest change: Legal and Professional Fees, $0 planned, $40,000 planned for 2026 | $0 | $650 | –$650 | $54,000new |
| OtherLivestock, Aggregates, Marlbank, Queensborough, Thomasburg, Splash pad, Minor variance | $45,080 | $43,953 | −3%−$1,127 | $42,804−5% |
| All departments | $9.1M | $9.0M | −1.3% | $9.2M |
Source: Municipality of Tweed, By-law 2026-32, 2026 Operating and Capital Budget, Schedule A. Municipality. Retrieved 2026-09-30. Transcribed from the scanned schedule and checked against its printed subtotals (all within $6, which is rounding).
2026 so far
From the town's own report of spending against the budget, to July 31, 2026. 58% of the year had gone by. Spending is not even across the year: snow costs come in winter and building work in summer and fall.
- Day-to-day spending52% of $10.5M ($5.4M)
- Day-to-day income52% of $11.8M ($6.2M)
- Building and repairs (capital)22% of $4.5M ($1.0M)
The thin line marks how much of the year had passed.
The treasurer’s second-quarter forecast for the whole year: a deficit of $39,000.
The treasurer says some accounts are over budget, particularly in Public Works, and many others are under; managers have been told to reduce spending wherever possible. Capital looks low mostly because invoices had not yet arrived.
Treasurer’s report to council, September 29, 2026 (July 2026 Budget Variance Report) · agenda package, pages 57 and 58
What the money bought
The same 2024 spending, sorted by what it paid for rather than which service.
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 | 20 | 11 | 3 |
| 2020 | 24 | 11 | 10 |
| 2021 | 22 | 15 | 16 |
| 2022 | 22 | 15 | 11 |
| 2023 | 35 | 2 | 12 |
| 2024 | 36 | 4 | 6 |
In 2023, full-time staff jumped from 22 to 35 while part-time dropped from 15 to 2. The total barely changed, so this looks like a change in how jobs were counted or set up, not a hiring spree. Staff pay rose only 2% that year.
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. In 2023, the town recorded an unusually large accounting entry for wear and tear (mostly for the landfill), so day-to-day spending looks lower that year than it really was.
$10.8M
Show as a table
| Year | Money in | Day-to-day spending |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $9.5M | $7.1M |
| 2020 | $10.7M | $6.7M |
| 2021 | $11.7M | $7.9M |
| 2022 | $9.8M | $8.1M |
| 2023 | $11.1M | $8.0M |
| 2024 | $10.8M | $9.7M |
Town property tax
Up 35% since 2019. Prices rose 18%.
$5.6M
Show as a table
| Year | Town property tax |
|---|---|
| 2019 | $4.2M |
| 2020 | $4.2M |
| 2021 | $4.3M |
| 2022 | $4.4M |
| 2023 | $4.7M |
| 2024 | $5.6M |
Savings (reserves)
Money set aside for repairs, equipment and emergencies.
$3.5M
Show as a table
| Year | Savings |
|---|---|
| 2019 | $5.7M |
| 2020 | $5.2M |
| 2021 | $5.2M |
| 2022 | $4.6M |
| 2023 | $3.4M |
| 2024 | $3.5M |
What the town owes
Long-term loans plus short-term (temporary) loans at year end.
$2.2M
Show as a table
| Year | Long-term loans | Temporary loans |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $10,000 | $0 |
| 2020 | $5,000 | $0 |
| 2021 | $0 | $1.5M |
| 2022 | $2.2M | $0 |
| 2023 | $2.2M | $3.5M |
| 2024 | $2.2M | $3.7M |
Building new things
Spending on new or rebuilt roads, pipes, buildings and equipment, compared with how fast existing ones wear out.
$951K
Show as a table
| Year | Built or bought | Wore out (amortization) |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $1.6M | $2.2M |
| 2020 | $2.8M | $2.0M |
| 2021 | $3.3M | $2.1M |
| 2022 | $8.0M | $2.2M |
| 2023 | $7.8M | $5.7M |
| 2024 | $951K | $2.4M |
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.