Budget 2012

The City of Edmonton delivers programs and services necessary to maintain and enhance our high standard of living.

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; social programs and leisure activities to make Edmonton a great place in which to live, work and visit. These core areas reflect Edmontonians’ top priorities.

The City Budget identifies the costs for these services and the sources of revenue to pay for the services, including property taxes and user fees.

The City of Edmonton received public input from a public hearing, budget public meetings and an online survey on programs and services that are important to Edmontonians.

The 2012 budget will require an average increase of 5.39% in municipal property taxes, which includes 3.89% for civic services and 1.5% to continue the Neighbourhood Renewal Program.

2012 Operating and 2012-14 Capital Budgets

The City of Edmonton’s Operating Budget pays for the “operations” of civic services and programs. This includes the budget to pay staff for services such as transit, fire rescue, and police, as well as the gas that powers their fleet; for the lifeguards at pools and the cost to heat the water; and to pay for the tradespeople and the road materials to fix potholes. The 2012 Operating Budget was approved by City Council on December 13, 2011.

A separate budget, the 2012-14 Capital Budget, determines the investment in Edmonton’s hard infrastructure: the construction of buildings like recreation centres and libraries, transportation assets like LRT lines and bridges, and underground infrastructure like sewage systems. The three-year Capital Budget was approved by City Council on December 8, 2011.

The budgeting for operations and infrastructure is separate because they are delivered in different ways – daily operations, compared to longer-term projects – and have different funding sources. The presentations in Related Documents on the right side of this page show the factors considered in creating the draft budgets.

2012 Utilities Budget

The proposed 2012 Utilities Budget was released on October 26 and approved by City Council on December 5, 2011.

2012 Impact on Typical Homeowner

$357,000 Assessed Value - Single-Family House

	2011 TOTAL	2012 TOTAL	ANNUAL INCREASE	INCREASE PER MONTH
Municipal Services	$1,340	$1,402	$62	$5.17
Police Service	291	298	7	0.58
Neighbourhood Renewal	69	91	22	1.83
Total Property Tax Bill1	1,700	1,791	91	7.58
Stormwater Drainage2	76	92	16	1.34
Sanitary Drainage (Collection & Transmission)3	185	233	48	4.03
Waste Management4	376	398	22	1.86
Total Utility Bill	637	723	86	7.23
Total Municipal Services	$2,337	$2,514	$177	$14.81

NOTES:

1. Total Property Tax Bill is based on a home assessed at $357,000 in 2011. The combined increase for Municipal Services and Police Service is based on 3.89% (which includes 0.75% for Capital Project Financing) as well as an additional 1.5% for Neighbourhood Renewal increase.
2. The Stormwater Drainage Utility Fee is based on an average residential lot size of 592 m2.
3. The Sanitary Drainage (Collection & Transmission) Utility Fee is based upon an annual water consumption of 199 m3.
4. The Waste Utility Fee is based on a singlefamily residential charge of $33.20 per month.

Key Dates for 2012 Budgets

June 22, 2011

City Council sets 2012 budget guideline directing administration to prepare a draft budget limiting a tax increase to 3% for civic programs, boards and commissions, and 1.5% for the Neighbourhood Renewal Program.

Sept. 26 – Oct. 11, 2011

Public consultation meetings and online survey to gather public input on services and City goals:

October 26, 2011

• Release of proposed three-year capital budget (infrastructure), 2012-2014, and presentation to City Council.
• Release of proposed drainage utilities and waste services utilities budgets for 2012.

November 9, 2011

• City Council receives proposed 2012 operating budgets for civic programs, boards and commissions.

November 23, 2011

• Non-statutory public hearing on 2012 operating, capital and utilities budgets.

November 25, 2011

• City Council begins deliberations on Budgets.

December 2011

• City Council approves budgets.

January 3, 2012

• Assessment Notices that identify assessed value of homes and non-residential properties are mailed to property owners.

Spring 2012

• Education Tax Requisition received from the Province of Alberta
• Council approves final tax rate, to be applied against properties within the city, based on their assessed value.

May 2012

• Property tax notices are mailed to property owners.

June 30, 2012

• Deadline to pay property taxes.