Markham Tops Ontario in Financial Transparency; Hamilton and Clarington Receive Zero Scores

(via TheNewswire)

Winnipeg, MB – TheNewswire – June 6, 2025 – Ontario cities showed a wide range of performance in municipal financial transparency in the latest Local Government Performance Index (LGPI) from the Frontier Centre for Public Policy. While Markham tied for the highest score in the country, several other municipalities, including Hamilton and Clarington, failed to publish their 2023 consolidated financial statements and received a score of zero.

The LGPI evaluates 99 of Canada’s largest cities based on how clearly and thoroughly they communicate their financial information to the public. The 2023 results highlight Ontario’s strengths in some cities and major concerns in others.

“Ontario is a province of extremes in this year’s rankings,” said Lee Harding, author of the report. “Some cities are models of transparency, while others haven’t even posted basic financial documents.”

Top-Scoring Ontario Cities

• Markham (32/33) Tied for first place nationally with Burnaby, Coquitlam, Kelowna, and Edmonton. Markham received high marks for timely audits, detailed financial commentary, asset reporting, and historical trend data. 

• Milton, Mississauga, Brampton (31/33 each) These cities followed closely behind, earning strong marks across nearly all scoring categories. 

• Kitchener and Toronto (30/33 each) Also placed among the top national performers, showing commitment to public financial accountability. 

Lowest-Scoring Cities

• Clarington, Hamilton (0/33) Both cities failed to publish their 2023 consolidated financial statements and received the lowest possible score. In a statement to the report’s author, Hamilton cited a cybersecurity attack in February 2024 that disrupted access to its financial systems and delayed its reporting. 

• Windsor, Chatham-Kent (23/33 each) Lost points for delayed audit opinions, lack of accounting awards, and poor breakdown of expenditures. 

Other Notable Performers

• Oakville, Ottawa, and Brantford scored 29/33, placing them among the province’s most transparent municipalities. 

• Cities such as Sudbury, Peterborough, and North Bay showed moderate transparency, scoring in the mid-20s. 

Mixed Regional Picture

While many GTA-area cities performed well, smaller and mid-sized municipalities varied greatly in their transparency efforts. Several cities only posted their reports after inquiries from the Frontier Centre. In Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes, LGPI inquiries prompted updated postings and disclosures in early 2025.

What the Transparency Index Measures

The LGPI focuses on how easily the public can access and interpret municipal financial data. It does not assess fiscal health or spending efficiency, but measures transparency through ten scoring categories, including:

• Timeliness of independent audits 

• Receipt of accounting awards 

• Detailed commentary and explanations 

• Capital asset and depreciation reporting 

• Historical trend comparisons 

The maximum score is 33.

About the LGPI

The Local Government Performance Index, launched in 2007, is a national initiative that encourages stronger public accountability by evaluating how well municipalities disclose financial information. The LGPI’s searchable online database at LGPI.ca allows citizens to compare city finances across Canada from 2007 to 2023.

Contact:

Lee Harding Research Fellow Frontier Centre for Public Policy [email protected]

Marco Navarro-Genie Vice President of Research and Policy [email protected]

About the Frontier Centre

The Frontier Centre for Public Policy is an independent Canadian think tank focused on fostering good governance and accountability in public institutions. The LGPI project aims to encourage municipalities to adopt best practices in financial reporting through transparency benchmarking.

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