In 2018, when approving the original 2019-2022 4-year operating budget, Council approved tax increases of 2.6% for each year of the budget. In light of the pandemic and the current economic landscape, Council subsequently adjusted the budgets resulting in a 0% tax increase in 2021 and a reasonable 1.9% tax increase in 2022. The 2022 tax increase is lower than what was originally approved and is lower than inflation. This increase puts the City in a strong position to respond to the financial uncertainty caused by the pandemic, results in no unintended decreases to existing programs and services, and allows the City to be able to manage its capital plan for 2022.
The City continuously drives for improvements in providing its services and programs, in making sure we are providing the services Edmontonians want and in the most cost-effective way possible. As a result, the City is implementing a priority-based budgeting approach for the development of the 2023-2026 budget. This approach will allow the City to allocate its scarce resources to those programs that best serve the needs of Edmontonians and achieve Council’s goals and objectives.