Ahead of budget deliberations November 28th through 30th, City Administration has released the Preliminary Detailed Operating and Capital Summary budget. As was reported after the last Special Budget Meeting this summer, without any further changes, if approved, there would be a 7.14 per cent property tax increase next year and 5.7 per cent in 2025.

Chief Financial Officer, Clae Hack, says supporting core service delivery and maintaining infrastructure are funding priorities. This includes the largest ever investment in the City’s Roadway Maintenance and Rehabilitation Programs at $72 million in 2024 and $78 million in 2025.

The preliminary budget also includes two new firehalls for the City’s new neighbourhoods and increased funding for the Fire Department, parks, street lighting, sidewalks, Transit and street sweeping. The design of Fire Stations 10 and 11, if approved, would happen next year and construction would be in 2025.

Other priorities in the budget are opening the City’s Material Recovery Centre with the goal of 70 per cent waste diversion and investing in the Snow and Ice Management Program to repay the 2022 Emergency Snow Response and then rebuilding the funding to respond to future large-scale snowfalls.

Prior to deliberations, Administration will release the Preliminary Detailed Capital Budget, and the Preliminary Budget Introduction and Climate Budget.