Report card · Fall 2026
City of Brampton
Calendar year 2025. The short version first, then every figure behind it, from the audited financial statements.
The short version
In 2025, City of Brampton spent $1.2 billion. That was 4.4% more than the budget figure in its audited statements.
Its independent auditor (KPMG LLP) signed off on the accounts without reservation.
The auditor signed off 175 days after the year ended.
Where every dollar went
Of every dollar City of Brampton spent in 2025, as the government groups its spending.
- 43¢ Transportation services
- 23¢ Recreation and cultural services
- 16¢ Protection to persons and property
- 9¢ General government
- 5¢ Planning and development services
- 4¢ Everything else
What went off plan
The areas furthest from their budget, in dollars. Going over isn't automatically bad (an emergency or a program added during the year can be the reason), and coming in under can mean delayed work.
Over budget
- General government +$25 million (33.1%)
- Transportation services +$21 million (4.3%)
- Recreation and cultural services +$11 million (4.3%)
Under budget
- Protection to persons and property −$18 million (−8.9%)
A closer look
Why the uncommitted money in Brampton's reserves fell
Brampton's audited statements show its reserves and reserve funds at $568 million at the end of 2025, up from $560 million (Note 11). What fell is the part not yet promised to projects. Brampton reports a reserve as “available” only after subtracting money set aside for projects Council has approved, even if that money hasn't been spent. On that measure, the money free to use is projected to have fallen by about three-quarters from the end of 2022 to the end of 2025. The figures below are the City's own, from its budget books and reports to Council (unaudited).
Net balance available in all reserves and reserve funds at year end. 2022: 2025 Approved Budget, PDF page 123; 2023 to 2025: 2026 Adopted Budget, PDF page 122. The 2025 and 2026 budget books group some reserves differently, so we use one book for 2023 to 2025.
| Reserve, free to use at year end | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 (projected) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capital reserves (all) | $413.2M | $97.6M | $21.9M |
| Operating reserves (all) | $169.7M | $163.6M | $143.4M |
| Development charges: recreation | $6.5M | −$98.1M | −$172.4M |
| Development charges: transit | −$18.5M | −$122.7M | −$65.1M |
| Development charges: roads and engineering | $77.8M | $35.1M | $27.7M |
| Strategic Reserve | $59.0M | $35.4M | $48.2M |
| Second-hospital levy | $75.5M | $83.3M | $0.0M |
| General Rate Stabilization Reserve | $100.3M | $82.0M | $63.3M |
2026 Adopted Budget, City Funds and Balances, PDF pages 121 to 122. A negative figure means more has been committed than the reserve holds. The second-hospital levy is a dedicated levy; the City projects paying it out toward Brampton's second hospital, its intended purpose. The General Rate Stabilization figure for 2025 is the City's September projection; its year-end report gives the actual balance, $68.5 million (see point 3).
What the City's own documents say happened
- Growth projects were approved faster than development charges came in. The 2024 budget committed $185.6 million of development-charge funding against an opening balance of $45.6 million and $97.2 million of expected receipts (from 2,100 units getting building permits), and forecast a $42.9 million deficit at the end of 2024 (2024 Final Budget, PDF page 80). The largest development-charge-funded project that year was Embleton Community Centre ($79.8 million, 2024 Final Budget, PDF page 391). Brampton's Q4 2024 capital report also lists a $108.2 million “contribution to Cadetta Johnston Maintenance-Storage Facility”, the transit maintenance and storage facility, among 2024's budget increases (page 4). The facility is funded in part from development charges for transit (2025 Approved Budget, PDF page 475).
- Then the money came in short. The 2025 budget assumed $87.9 million of development-charge receipts and interest, from 1,650 units getting building permits (2025 Approved Budget, PDF page 71). Brampton's financial return to the province shows about $33.0 million of development charges collected in 2025, excluding interest. A provincial change, Bill 17, moved collection from the building permit to occupancy; the 2026 budget says no development-charge receipts are projected in 2026, forecasts a $230.3 million deficit in those reserves, and plans $50 million of borrowing backed by development charges (2026 Adopted Budget, PDF page 70).
- Operating deficits were covered from the stabilization reserve. Brampton ran operating deficits of $7.9 million in 2024 and $13.2 million in 2025. For 2025, the City cites transit fares $27.3 million below budget, as international student and temporary resident numbers fell, and planning revenue $11.7 million below budget. Both deficits were covered from the General Rate Stabilization Reserve, leaving it at $68.5 million at the end of 2025, 67% of its $103 million target (2025 Year-End Operating Budget Report, page 1 to 2).
- The two largest projects: budgets, spending and timelines. Embleton Community Centre's budget was $124.0 million at the end of 2024 and $148.0 million at the end of 2025, with $6.3 million spent; its planned end date moved from June 2027 to October 2028. The transit maintenance and storage facility's budget is $298.0 million, with $40.8 million spent by the end of 2025 and a planned end date of December 2027 (Q4 2024 and Q4 2025 capital reports, Schedule B).
- Some funding has since been returned. In 2025 the City returned or cut $140.7 million of approved capital funding, and the approved budget not yet spent or contracted fell from $1.41 billion to $1.22 billion (Q4 2025 capital report, pages 2 and 4).
Points 1, 3, 4 and 5 draw on reports to Council from Brampton's council meeting site, of which we keep copies: Capital Project Financial Status Report, Q4 2024 (Corporate Support Services-2025-334; Schedule B), Capital Project Financial Status Report, Q4 2025 (Committee of Council, May 20, 2026; Schedule B), 2024 Year-End Operating Budget Report (Corporate Support Services-2025-338) and 2025 Year-End Operating Budget Report (Corporate Support Services-2026-381). Unaudited. The $33.0 million comes from Brampton's 2025 Financial Information Return to Ontario (Schedule 60).
Questions for the City
- The Q4 2024 capital report lists a $108.2 million “contribution to Cadetta Johnston Maintenance-Storage Facility” among 2024 budget increases. What was that contribution, when did Council approve it, and how much of it comes from development charges?
- Embleton Community Centre's budget rose by $24 million in a year and its planned completion moved to October 2028. What changed, and what is the expected final cost?
- How, and by when, will the development-charge reserves' deficit be repaid?
- When will the General Rate Stabilization Reserve be back at its target?
Brampton's budget books: 2024 Final Budget · 2025 Approved Budget · 2026 Adopted Budget . Brampton can respond to this section and we will publish its response in full.
Context from the documents
- Council approves the budget on a different accounting basis; the budget figures in the audited statements convert it to full accrual accounting. We show spending against that figure but do not rate it.
- The release date used is the date of the auditor's report.
Questions worth asking
Based only on the figures above. Put them to your councillor or candidates, or to the finance department.
- Spending came in 4.4% above the budget figure in the audited statements. How does that compare with the budget Council approved, and what caused it?
- General government cost $25 million more than budgeted (33.1% over). What was the reason?
Every figure behind this page, exactly as published, with the page it came from.
We extracted these figures from a PDF: The Corporation of the City of Brampton 2025 Financial Report (includes audited consolidated financial statements and trust fund statements). They are shown exactly as published, in thousands of dollars, with the page each one came from. Check them against the official document .
The year in figures
Actual results against the budget printed in the same audited statements. Amounts in thousands of dollars. Debt and accumulated balances are shown as positive amounts; the label says which they are.
| Item | Actual | Budget | Difference | Where we found it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total revenue | 1,432,878 | 1,225,617 | +207,261 +16.9% | Actual: Page 26 (PDF 14, left half of two-page spread) Budget: Page 26 (PDF 14, left half of two-page spread) |
| Total expenses | 1,185,985 | 1,136,254 | +49,731 +4.4% | Actual: Page 26 (PDF 14, left half of two-page spread) Budget: Page 26 (PDF 14, left half of two-page spread) |
| Annual surplus (deficit) | +246,893 | +89,363 | +157,530 | Actual: Page 26 (PDF 14, left half of two-page spread) Budget: Page 26 (PDF 14, left half of two-page spread) |
| Net financial assets | 254,641 | 356,905 | −102,264 −28.7% | Actual: Page 25 (PDF 13, right half of two-page spread) Budget: Page 27 (PDF 14, right half of two-page spread) |
| Accumulated surplus | 4,919,670 | — | — | Actual: Page 25 (PDF 13, right half of two-page spread) |
| Interest expense on long-term liabilities | 2,683 | — | — | Actual: Page 36-37 spread (PDF 19) |
Spending by area
Expenses by sector or function, as the government groups them, in thousands of dollars. The thin line marks the budget.
Audit and release
- Auditor
- KPMG LLP
- Opinion
- Unmodified (clean)
- Audited results released
- June 24, 2026
- Days after year end
- 175
Source documents
We link to the official documents rather than republishing them. We kept a copy of each, as downloaded, so these figures can be re-checked even if a link changes.
Right of reply
No response from City of Brampton has been published yet.
City of Brampton can respond to this section. We confirm every response by phone before publishing it, then publish it here in full, unedited. If you find an error, tell us through the contact form on our About page. Corrections are noted on the page; figures are never changed silently.
Respond on behalf of City of Brampton
Figures collected and checked November 6, 2026.
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