City Budgets - Operating and Capital
The City of Edmonton delivers programs and services and builds the infrastructure that is necessary to maintain and enhance our high standard of living.
The Operating Budget deals with the day-to-day costs required to run the city: maintaining the roads and public transit that move people; police, bylaws and fire rescue services to keep people safe; parks, waste management and drainage to keep our communities clean and healthy; and, social programs and leisure activities to make Edmonton a great place in which to live, work and visit. The Operating Budget identifies the costs for these services and the sources of revenue to pay for the services, including property taxes, utility rates and user fees.
The Capital Budget is for the infrastructure that the City builds such as roads, bridges, recreation centres, fire halls, police stations and libraries. The City invests in new infrastructure to meet the needs of a growing population and economy, and repairs existing infrastructure to maintain the high standards Edmontonians expect. The main funding sources to build and renew the infrastructure required for a progressive and modern City include grants from provincial and federal governments, the City’s investment income, developer fees, local improvement fees and debt financing.
Multi-year budgeting allows Council and Administration to take a longer-term view of Edmonton's needs and plan stable program and service delivery approaches. It also allows for flexibility, with opportunities each year for Council, with a public hearing process, to reallocate funding priorities.
While the overall budgets are set, there is an opportunity for City Council to make adjustments through the Supplemental Operating Budget Adjustment process in the fall of each year, with the finalization of the tax rate in the spring of each year.
