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This is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date.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 Windsor'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 Windsor'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: $1.3B

Where the city's money came from in 2025.

36%

33%

13%

Property taxes$447M36%
Grants for specific projects$415M33%
Fees people pay$162M13%
Licences and rent$52.2M4%
Other$93M7%
Everything else$78.5M6%

Show as a table

Category	Amount	Share
Property taxes	$446,936,637	35.8%
Grants for specific projects	$414,962,004	33.3%
Fees people pay	$161,927,743	13.0%
Licences and rent	$52,210,065	4.2%
Other	$93,004,659	7.5%
Everything else	$78,519,184	6.3%
Total	$1,247,560,292	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.
Licences and rent: Dog tags, licences, and rent from city-owned property.
Other: Interest earned, donations, sales of land and equipment.

Money out: $990M on services

Day-to-day spending in 2025, by service. On top of this, the city recorded $103M of "wear and tear" on things it owns. That is an accounting cost, not cash out the door, so it is left out here.

22%

10%

37%

Running the city office$64.2M6%
Police, fire and safety$220M22%
Roads and snow$102M10%
Water, sewers and garbage$73.4M7%
Health$19.5M2%
Social services$367M37%
Housing$69.3M7%
Parks, arena and library$65.5M7%
Planning and business$9.7M1%

Show as a table

Category	Amount	Share
Running the city office	$64,247,292	6.5%
Police, fire and safety	$219,520,139	22.2%
Roads and snow	$101,846,557	10.3%
Water, sewers and garbage	$73,391,263	7.4%
Health	$19,479,030	2.0%
Social services	$366,630,908	37.1%
Housing	$69,277,206	7.0%
Parks, arena and library	$65,465,348	6.6%
Planning and business	$9,654,994	1.0%
Total	$989,512,737	100%

Social services

$367M

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

+75% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Income support$189M+55%
Help for people with very low income.
Child care$139M+132%
Daycare and early learning.
Seniors$38.8M+38%
Long-term care and seniors programs.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Income support	$188,889,224	+55.2%
Child care	$138,921,300	+132.4%
Seniors	$38,820,384	+38.5%

Police, fire and safety

$220M

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

+20% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Police (OPP contract)$124M+20%
What the city pays for policing.
Fire department$65.9M+20%
Firefighters, trucks and fire halls.
Court security$7.7M+7%
Security at the courthouse.
Building permits$7.5M+66%
Checking that new buildings are safe.
Traffic court$5.9M+4%
Handling tickets and fines.
By-law and animal control$5.9M+23%
Enforcing city rules, like noise, parking and dogs.
Conservation authority$1.6M0%
A regional group that manages rivers, flooding and wetlands.
Prisoner transport$685K+59%
Moving people held by police.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Police (OPP contract)	$124,359,137	+19.9%
Fire department	$65,864,374	+19.7%
Court security	$7,720,516	+6.6%
Building permits	$7,456,107	+66.4%
Traffic court	$5,906,919	+4.0%
By-law and animal control	$5,891,888	+22.9%
Conservation authority	$1,636,644	−0.4%
Prisoner transport	$684,554	+59.3%

Roads and snow

$102M

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

+45% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Public transit$50.8M+31%
Buses.
Roadsides and signs$23.9M+193%
Ditches, signs, line painting and roadside brush.
Paved roads$8.7M+44%
Fixing and repaving paved roads.
Snow ploughing$5.3M−2%
Ploughing, salting and sanding roads in winter.
Street lights$4.7M+56%
Power and repairs for street lights.
Parking$3.7M+5%
City parking lots and meters.
Accessible transit$2.7M+128%
Rides for people who cannot use regular buses.
Sidewalk snow$816K+76%
Clearing sidewalks and parking lots.
Gravel roads$708K
Grading and fixing gravel roads.
Bridges and culverts$475K−2%
Keeping bridges and the pipes under roads safe.
Airport$2,568−99%
A local airport or airstrip.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Public transit	$50,817,274	+31.4%
Roadsides and signs	$23,934,960	+192.6%
Paved roads	$8,744,589	+44.4%
Snow ploughing	$5,268,568	−2.0%
Street lights	$4,673,257	+56.0%
Parking	$3,719,405	+5.3%
Accessible transit	$2,686,950	+128.0%
Sidewalk snow	$816,491	+76.0%
Gravel roads	$707,796	–
Bridges and culverts	$474,699	−2.0%
Airport	$2,568	−99.0%

Water, sewers and garbage

$73.4M

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

+15% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Sewage treatment$24.6M+18%
Cleaning sewage before it goes back into nature (Tweed uses lagoons).
Sewer pipes$10.8M+82%
The pipes that carry sewage away from homes.
Garbage pickup$10.2M+96%
Trucks that collect garbage.
Recycling$9.6M+53%
Recycling and composting.
The dump (landfill)$8.9M−22%
Running the landfill, and saving up to close it safely one day.
Storm drains$8.9M−30%
Drains that carry away rain water.
Other environment$428K−61%
Other environmental costs.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Sewage treatment	$24,591,110	+17.8%
Sewer pipes	$10,769,864	+82.0%
Garbage pickup	$10,172,189	+95.5%
Recycling	$9,604,076	+52.9%
The dump (landfill)	$8,916,240	−22.5%
Storm drains	$8,909,905	−30.3%
Other environment	$427,879	−60.7%

Housing

$69.3M

Affordable and social housing.

+26% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Public housing$33.9M+12%
Homes owned by government.
Non-profit housing$14.7M+17%
Homes run by non-profits and co-ops.
Rent help$7.8M+18%
Help paying rent.
Other housing$358K−93%
Other housing costs.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Public housing	$33,926,805	+11.5%
Non-profit housing	$14,732,206	+16.7%
Rent help	$7,821,581	+18.3%
Other housing	$357,503	−93.0%

Parks, arena and library

$65.5M

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

+15% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Arena and buildings$21.7M+4%
The arena, pool, community centre and halls.
Parks$20.3M+21%
Parks, beaches, trails and green spaces.
Library$8.8M+16%
The public library.
Programs$7.7M+121%
Classes, camps and activities.
Golf, marina, ski hill$3.1M−4%
City-owned golf course, marina or ski hill.
Arts and culture$3.0M−21%
Festivals, arts and heritage.
Museums$913K−18%
Local museums.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Arena and buildings	$21,657,782	+3.9%
Parks	$20,268,638	+21.2%
Library	$8,845,748	+16.4%
Programs	$7,688,494	+120.5%
Golf, marina, ski hill	$3,064,872	−4.3%
Arts and culture	$3,026,927	−21.3%
Museums	$912,887	−17.7%

Running the city office

$64.2M

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.

+21% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Office and administration$35.9M+17%
Office staff, finance, IT, insurance, legal and the city hall. Places share this cost out across other services.
Senior management$24.8M+32%
The top managers who run the city day to day.
Council$3.5M−6%
Pay and expenses for the mayor and councillors, and council meetings.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Office and administration	$35,908,462	+16.7%
Senior management	$24,829,271	+32.0%
Council	$3,509,559	−6.2%

Health

$19.5M

Public health, ambulances and cemeteries.

+28% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Ambulance$15.6M+29%
Paramedics and ambulances.
Public health$3.9M+24%
Health inspections and programs.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Ambulance	$15,550,495	+29.2%
Public health	$3,928,535	+24.5%

Planning and business

$9.7M

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

+26% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Planning and zoning$7.0M+42%
Deciding what can be built where.
Business and tourism$2.7M−3%
Attracting businesses and visitors, and helping local shops.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Planning and zoning	$7,001,241	+41.7%
Business and tourism	$2,653,753	−3.1%

What the money bought

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

Staff pay and benefits$421M
Wages, benefits and pensions for city workers.
Money given to others$329M
Grants and payments to other groups, like the conservation authority.
Supplies and utilities$165M
Gravel, salt, fuel, electricity, heating, office supplies and repairs.
Outside companies$59.7M
Work the city pays other companies to do, like policing, paving or consultants.
Rent and money costs$9.3M
Renting equipment or space, bank fees, and some accounting costs.
Interest on loans$5.1M
The extra money paid to lenders for money the city borrowed.

Show as a table

Item	Amount
Staff pay and benefits	$421,093,935
Money given to others	$328,935,829
Supplies and utilities	$165,431,046
Outside companies	$59,680,450
Rent and money costs	$9,257,823
Interest on loans	$5,113,654

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	2830	560	734
2020	2854	571	606
2021	2850	432	606
2022	2852	403	704
2023	2985	430	768
2024	3109	466	730
2025	3030	1054	211

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.

$1.3B

Show as a table

Year	Money in	Day-to-day spending
2019	$858M	$714M
2020	$886M	$694M
2021	$921M	$728M
2022	$1.0B	$781M
2023	$1.1B	$851M
2024	$1.2B	$927M
2025	$1.3B	$990M

City property tax

Up 30% since 2019. Prices rose 21%.

$447M

Show as a table

Year	City property tax
2019	$344M
2020	$354M
2021	$369M
2022	$380M
2023	$401M
2024	$427M
2025	$447M

Savings (reserves)

Money set aside for repairs, equipment and emergencies.

$602M

Show as a table

Year	Savings
2019	$216M
2020	$259M
2021	$292M
2022	$294M
2023	$452M
2024	$547M
2025	$602M

What the city owes

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

$131M

Show as a table

Year	Long-term loans	Temporary loans
2019	$70.7M	$0
2020	$62.7M	$0
2021	$54.2M	$0
2022	$54.8M	$0
2023	$107M	$0
2024	$116M	$0
2025	$131M	$0

Building new things

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

$189M

Show as a table

Year	Built or bought	Wore out (amortization)
2019	$213M	$81.8M
2020	$144M	$86.3M
2021	$132M	$88M
2022	$101M	$90.6M
2023	$201M	$94.6M
2024	$138M	$97M
2025	$189M	$103M

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.