Where Do Your Tax Dollars Go?
The property tax bill may come in a City of Vaughan envelope, but less than 30 per cent of property taxes go to the City. Here is a breakdown of how residential property taxes are allocated:
- $0.53 to York Region
- $0.27 to City of Vaughan
- $0.20 to local school boards (Province of Ontario for education purposes)
These organizations use taxes to pay for services they deliver, such as:
| City Services | Regional services | province of ontario |
|---|---|---|
| Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service | York Regional Police | Education (elementary and secondary schools) |
| Public works and road services | Maintenance of major roadways, sewers and bridges | |
| Snow clearing | Traffic planning on regional roads | |
| Waste management | Regional waste disposal | |
| Vaughan Public Libraries | Public health services | |
| Parks and sports field operations | Social assistance | |
| Infrastructure replacement | Social housing | |
| Recreation | Transit services (YRT, VIVA buses) | |
| Maintenance of City facilities | | |
| City planning and development | | |
| By-law and compliance | | |
What do your tax dollars pay for?
In 2026, the City will fund approximately $434.4 million in gross expenditures on delivering property tax-supported programs and services and maintaining City infrastructure (buildings and roads). This is how each tax dollar is allocated among City departments:
- $0.18 are used for recreation programs, animal services and by-law management. This includes teaching swimming lessons and reuniting lost pets with their owners.
- $0.17 are used to mitigate emergencies, ensure fire code compliance and promote the prevention, education and preparedness for emergency situations to help keep residents safe.
- $0.16 are used to maintain parks, streets and traffic lights, clear roads during the winter and deliver waste collection services. This includes delivering windrow services and cutting grass in parks.
- $0.13 are used for Infrastructure Development, strengthening the City’s ability to plan, manage, and deliver major capital projects from start to finish, while effectively supporting the city’s growth. This work includes reviewing building applications and developing long-term growth plans.
- $0.10 are used for long-term financial management tools, including contributions to infrastructure reserves that support the maintenance of the City’s assets in a good state of repair and repayment of the City’s annual debt servicing costs.
- $0.09 are used by the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Finance, Procurement Services and Office of the Chief Information Officer to deliver corporate services to support core business activities.
- $0.06 are used by Vaughan Public Libraries to improve services. This includes buying new books, videos and magazines, and updating software in the creation spaces.
- $0.06 are used by Legal Services and the Office of the City Clerk to support the delivery of services. This includes running Council meetings and consulting on procurement and construction matters.
- $0.05 are used to fulfill Council’s priorities by Vaughan Council, the Office of the City Manager, Internal Audit, the Office of the Integrity Commissioner and the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer. This includes communicating City news, events and public engagement opportunities to residents and ensuring procedures are followed.