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This is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 Vaughan'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 Vaughan'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: $1.4B

Where the city's money came from in 2025.

18%

20%

54%

Property taxes$256M18%
Grants for specific projects$77.8M6%
Fees people pay$275M20%
Other$753M54%
Everything else$38.8M3%

Show as a table

Category	Amount	Share
Property taxes	$256,260,487	18.3%
Grants for specific projects	$77,770,873	5.6%
Fees people pay	$274,926,800	19.6%
Other	$752,951,076	53.8%
Everything else	$38,769,041	2.8%
Total	$1,400,678,277	100%

What each source means

Property taxes: What home and business owners pay each year, based on what their property is worth.
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: $639M on services

Day-to-day spending in 2025, by service. On top of this, the city recorded $95.4M of "wear and tear" on things it owns. That is an accounting cost, not cash out the door, so it is left out here.

20%

15%

30%

18%

Running the city office$131M20%
Police, fire and safety$98.5M15%
Roads and snow$51.3M8%
Water, sewers and garbage$191M30%
Health$798K0%
Social services$131K0%
Parks, arena and library$112M18%
Planning and business$54.3M9%

Show as a table

Category	Amount	Share
Running the city office	$130,604,431	20.4%
Police, fire and safety	$98,539,503	15.4%
Roads and snow	$51,297,377	8.0%
Water, sewers and garbage	$190,976,204	29.9%
Health	$798,277	0.1%
Social services	$130,761	0.0%
Parks, arena and library	$112,293,299	17.6%
Planning and business	$54,330,029	8.5%
Total	$638,969,881	100%

Water, sewers and garbage

$191M

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

+26% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Sewer pipes$92.2M+16%
The pipes that carry sewage away from homes.
Water pipes$78.5M+41%
The pipes that bring water to homes.
Recycling$9.1M+20%
Recycling and composting.
Storm drains$4.6M+91%
Drains that carry away rain water.
Garbage pickup$3.7M+19%
Trucks that collect garbage.
Other environment$2.5M−24%
Other environmental costs.
The dump (landfill)$460K+331%
Running the landfill, and saving up to close it safely one day.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Sewer pipes	$92,225,635	+15.8%
Water pipes	$78,486,576	+40.8%
Recycling	$9,081,402	+20.3%
Storm drains	$4,562,943	+90.8%
Garbage pickup	$3,661,901	+19.1%
Other environment	$2,498,165	−23.7%
The dump (landfill)	$459,582	+330.8%

Running the city office

$131M

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.

+89% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Office and administration$61.3M+38%
Office staff, finance, IT, insurance, legal and the city hall. Places share this cost out across other services.
Senior management$57.8M+210%
The top managers who run the city day to day.
Council$11.5M+88%
Pay and expenses for the mayor and councillors, and council meetings.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Office and administration	$61,347,489	+38.3%
Senior management	$57,754,819	+209.5%
Council	$11,502,123	+87.6%

Parks, arena and library

$112M

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

+33% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Arena and buildings$30.6M+84%
The arena, pool, community centre and halls.
Parks$28.2M+27%
Parks, beaches, trails and green spaces.
Library$23.4M+32%
The public library.
Programs$21.4M+5%
Classes, camps and activities.
Arts and culture$5.4M+98%
Festivals, arts and heritage.
Other recreation$3.3M−31%
Other recreation costs.
Golf, marina, ski hill$37,615+26%
City-owned golf course, marina or ski hill.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Arena and buildings	$30,585,653	+84.3%
Parks	$28,237,620	+26.6%
Library	$23,409,625	+32.1%
Programs	$21,389,265	+4.8%
Arts and culture	$5,354,338	+97.6%
Other recreation	$3,279,183	−31.4%
Golf, marina, ski hill	$37,615	+25.8%

Police, fire and safety

$98.5M

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

+34% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Fire department$72M+30%
Firefighters, trucks and fire halls.
By-law and animal control$13.8M−23%
Enforcing city rules, like noise, parking and dogs.
Building permits$12.7M
Checking that new buildings are safe.
Emergency planning$26,207−87%
Getting ready for floods, storms and other emergencies.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Fire department	$71,995,914	+29.5%
By-law and animal control	$13,836,447	−23.0%
Building permits	$12,680,935	–
Emergency planning	$26,207	−87.4%

Planning and business

$54.3M

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

+120% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Planning and zoning$45.5M+110%
Deciding what can be built where.
Other planning$5.6M+3,468%
Other planning costs.
Business and tourism$3.2M+13%
Attracting businesses and visitors, and helping local shops.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Planning and zoning	$45,492,903	+109.6%
Other planning	$5,591,461	+3,467.8%
Business and tourism	$3,245,665	+13.1%

Roads and snow

$51.3M

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

+81% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Roadsides and signs$21.8M+298%
Ditches, signs, line painting and roadside brush.
Snow ploughing$17.7M+33%
Ploughing, salting and sanding roads in winter.
Bridges and culverts$5.4M
Keeping bridges and the pipes under roads safe.
Street lights$4.4M+20%
Power and repairs for street lights.
Paved roads$1.9M−40%
Fixing and repaving paved roads.
Gravel roads$70,333
Grading and fixing gravel roads.
Public transit$9,504
Buses.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Roadsides and signs	$21,774,547	+297.9%
Snow ploughing	$17,723,891	+32.6%
Bridges and culverts	$5,367,286	–
Street lights	$4,440,148	+19.6%
Paved roads	$1,911,668	−39.7%
Gravel roads	$70,333	–
Public transit	$9,504	–

Health

$798K

Public health, ambulances and cemeteries.

+843% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Cemeteries$798K+843%
Looking after city cemeteries.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Cemeteries	$798,277	+843.3%

Social services

$131K

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

+16% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Seniors$131K+16%
Long-term care and seniors programs.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Seniors	$130,761	+16.3%

What the money bought

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

Staff pay and benefits$293M
Wages, benefits and pensions for city workers.
Supplies and utilities$276M
Gravel, salt, fuel, electricity, heating, office supplies and repairs.
Outside companies$62.8M
Work the city pays other companies to do, like policing, paving or consultants.
Interest on loans$4.2M
The extra money paid to lenders for money the city borrowed.
Rent and money costs$2.7M
Renting equipment or space, bank fees, and some accounting costs.

Show as a table

Item	Amount
Staff pay and benefits	$293,001,913
Supplies and utilities	$276,269,432
Outside companies	$62,794,224
Interest on loans	$4,211,267
Rent and money costs	$2,693,045

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	1707	412	46
2020	1632	578	53
2021	1539	438	71
2022	1592	434	68
2023	1647	420	60
2024	1741	450	45
2025	1814	463	52

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.

$1.4B

Show as a table

Year	Money in	Day-to-day spending
2019	$1.0B	$433M
2020	$729M	$471M
2021	$775M	$466M
2022	$940M	$499M
2023	$1.1B	$518M
2024	$1.1B	$541M
2025	$1.4B	$639M

City property tax

Up 21% since 2019. Prices rose 21%.

$256M

Show as a table

Year	City property tax
2019	$212M
2020	$220M
2021	$226M
2022	$230M
2023	$232M
2024	$245M
2025	$256M

Savings (reserves)

Money set aside for repairs, equipment and emergencies.

$535M

Show as a table

Year	Savings
2019	$321M
2020	$357M
2021	$403M
2022	$418M
2023	$446M
2024	$523M
2025	$535M

What the city owes

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

$92.5M

Show as a table

Year	Long-term loans	Temporary loans
2019	$67.9M	$0
2020	$67.9M	$0
2021	$62.1M	$0
2022	$66.7M	$0
2023	$108M	$0
2024	$99.9M	$0
2025	$92.5M	$0

Building new things

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

$834M

Show as a table

Year	Built or bought	Wore out (amortization)
2019	$542M	$76.7M
2020	$238M	$79M
2021	$296M	$79.5M
2022	$423M	$82M
2023	$508M	$84.2M
2024	$441M	$89.2M
2025	$834M	$95.4M

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.