Frequently Asked Questions
- Reserves (savings)
- Grants
- Fees for services such as recreation user fees, development permit fees, dog licences and fines such as parking tickets, plus utility fees such as landfill tipping fees.
- Development Cost Charges
- Investment revenue
- Borrowing.
- Responsible spending to meet the needs of the community today and plan for future needs;
- Debt management;
- Contribution to reserves;
- Achieving stable tax rates by phasing in future known increases over multiple years.
- General Government
- Protective Services
- Transportation & Transit
- Recreation Parks & Culture
- Economic & Community Development
- Public Health & Cemetery
Where does the money in the budget come from?
A variety of revenue streams fund the budget.
Property taxes fund approximately half of the total budget, which is shared among the various tax classes such as: residential, business, industrial etc.
Other sources of revenue include:
How is the budget created?
Council’s strategic plan paves the way for budgets to be developed. We also follow financial principles to ensure we are always planning for the future. Our financial principles focus on:
What does the budget consist of?
The budget is comprised of a General Operating Fund, a Capital Plan budget, and three Utility Funds – Waste Water, Water, and Solid Waste.
What is the General Operating Fund?
The General Operating Fund is the anticipated revenue received and spending that will be undertaken by all municipal departments throughout the year.
The General Operating Fund budget is funded by taxation and so identifies how much revenue from property taxes will be needed.
The District’s General Operating Fund budget breaks down into the following areas:
And also addresses Debt Servicing as well as a contribution to the annual Capital Program.
What is the Capital Plan Budget?
The Capital Plan outlines where the District will invest for the long-term on infrastructure, equipment and facilities upgrades, outside of day-to-day operations costs.
What are Utility Funds?
The District’s three Utilities – Waste Water, Water, and Solid Waste – are funded by utilities and landfill fees, which are collected separately from property taxes.