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by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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

Your city, in plain words

How Welland uses the money we share.

A clear, checkable guide to Welland's budget, taxes and council decisions. A city of over 55,000 people in the centre of Niagara Region, with a mayor and twelve councillors. Every figure links back to the public record.

Property tax raised in 2025$128Mall property in Welland43% City47% County10% SchoolsSee where your tax bill goes →
City spending, 2025$97.4MAbout $4,116 per household, up 8.0% from 2024.See the money →
Property tax change+5.3%Welland's own property tax came to $55.1M in 2025, against $52.4M in 2024.What changed →

Where it goes

Most of every dollar supports the everyday city.

Explore every service →
Water, sewers and garbage$35.4M · 36%
Police, fire and safety$18.8M · 19%
Parks, arena and library$13.8M · 14%
Running the city office$12.9M · 13%
Show all 8 servicesShow fewer
Roads and snow$11.8M · 12%
Planning and business$4.1M · 4%
Social services$519K · 1%
Health$152K · 0%

Day-to-day spending in 2025, from Welland's report to the Province.

A fair comparisonHow does Welland compare?Among 11 similar Ontario cities, Welland's day-to-day spending per household is on the low side.Welland is here · 3 of 11, lowest to highestCompare Welland →

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 11 questions
Worth askingMoney health

What land or assets did the City sell in 2024 for $31,262,463, and what has the money paid for?

$31,262,463received from selling tangible capital assets in 2024, per the City's cash flow statement

In 2024 the City's statements show a one-time gain of $30,077,448 from selling assets, almost all of it in recreation and culture. That is why the 2024 surplus was $65,343,374, compared with $36,506,653 in 2025. The Economic Development reserve fund, which the 2026 budget says holds land sale proceeds, then fell by about $7.9 million in 2025. The statements and budget we read do not name the property, the buyer or the price.

Found by reading the city's own documents · 5 sources

Worth askingMoney health

Why does the City's own forecast take its debt from $66.3 million to about $91.5 million by 2035?

$91,491,955forecast closing debt for 2035, against $66,343,138 at the end of 2025

The City owed $66,343,138 at the end of 2025. Its 2026 budget forecasts that debt dips to $60,981,951 at the end of 2026, then climbs to $83,742,898 by 2028 and $91,491,955 by 2035, with new borrowing of $14,000,000 a year from 2029. The forecast assumes the City's own revenue grows about 6% a year.

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

Worth askingMoney health

Why did the City's savings fall by $5.5 million in 2025, and are they set to fall again without a land sale?

$5,545,210fall in reserves and reserve funds in 2025, worked out by us from $80,499,146 to $74,953,936

The City's reserves and reserve funds (savings set aside for later) fell from $80,499,146 to $74,953,936 in 2025. The 2026 budget forecasts a small rise to $74,409,532 by the end of 2026, but only because $9,892,377 of anticipated receipts is counted in. Without those receipts, the same forecast would show about $8.5 million less (worked out by us). In the December 3, 2025 budget meeting, a councillor said the City was relying too much on debt and reserves.

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

Worth askingRising costs

Why did pay and benefits grow 10.5% in 2025, and why is the fire department's wage line budgeted up 18.9% for 2026?

$1,726,412increase in the fire department's salaries and wages line, 2026 budget over 2025 budget (18.9%, worked out by us)

Salaries, wages and employee benefits rose from $44,121,080 in 2024 to $48,757,793 in 2025. For 2026 the Mayor directed staff to keep existing services "without adding new programs or staff", yet the fire department's salaries and wages line rises from $9,131,963 to $10,858,375 and its net cost to the tax levy rises $1,872,498. The budget book adds one fire prevention officer through a council amendment but gives no note on the rest of the rise.

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

Show 7 more questionsShow fewer
Worth askingMoney health

Why did unpaid property taxes grow by about a third in 2025, and why did the City double its allowance for tax appeals?

$17,858,104taxes receivable at the end of 2025, up from $13,461,143 a year earlier

Taxes receivable (taxes billed but not yet paid) rose from $13,461,143 to $17,858,104 in 2025, after also rising in 2024. At the same time the City set aside $1,000,000 for tax assessment appeals, up from $500,000. The statements say property owners have won appeals and more refunds are likely, but they give no estimate of the total.

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

Worth askingHow decisions are made

What has Council decided to do about the Integrity Commissioner's two 2026 reports on its own members?

21 dayssuspension of pay recommended by the Integrity Commissioner for Councillor Tony DiMarco in August 2026

In 2026 the City's Integrity Commissioner reported publicly that Councillor Tony DiMarco and Councillor John Chiocchio each broke the Code of Conduct, and recommended penalties. The Commissioner can only recommend: Council decides whether to accept them. The Commissioner's page lists 17 reports since 2017. We could not read council's minutes, so we do not know what Council decided.

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

Worth askingMoney health

Why are so many property taxes unpaid?

$17.9Mowed in unpaid property tax, end of 2025

At the end of 2025, $17.9M of property tax had been billed but not paid. That is 14% of everything billed. Only 1 of 10 similar places had a higher share. A year earlier it was $13.5M.

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

Good to knowMoney health

How much could it cost to finish cleaning up the former Atlas landfill site, and is its reserve enough?

$3,068,110in the Atlas landfill reserve at the end of 2025

The City's statements say it owns one closed landfill, that part of it has been cleaned up for a future park, and that the cost of any further clean-up "cannot be reasonably estimated at this time", so no cost for it is recorded. The 2026 budget shows an Atlas Landfill reserve of $3,068,110 at the end of 2025 that is forecast to shrink to $2,819,680 by the end of 2026.

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

Good to knowSpending level

How is the 2026 property tax increase made up, and how much of the average bill is the City's?

$4,690average 2026 tax bill on an illustrative home assessed at $234,000, up 6.32% from $4,411

The adopted 2026 budget raises the City's levy by 6.10% to $55,852,270. After 2.09% growth from new buildings, the increase to existing taxpayers is 4.01%. On an average home the City's share goes from $1,930 to $2,008, while the Region's share rises faster, from $2,126 to $2,324.

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

Where your tax bill goes

A property tax bill in Welland pays for three governments. Only part of it goes to the city, and that part is what Welland council controls.

Tax bill split: Welland 43%, County or region 47%, Schools 10%
$128Mraised in 2025
  • Welland43%
  • County or region47%
  • Schools10%

  • 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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