Responsible today. Ready for tomorrow.

The City’s budget helps determine how services are delivered, infrastructure is maintained and renewed, and community needs are supported.

As we develop Budget 2027, the City is focused on maintaining the services residents rely on, taking care of existing City assets, planning for future needs, and considering taxpayer affordability.

This page is your source for information throughout the Budget 2027 process. Here, you can learn how the municipal budget works, follow key milestones and updates, and find opportunities to share your perspective.

We’ll continue updating this page as Budget 2027 moves through public engagement, budget development, and Council consideration.

Budget 2027 and the municipal election

Because Budget 2027 is being developed during a municipal election year, some of the later stages of the budget process will take place following the election.

The current timeline assumes a process similar to previous years. Following the election, the budget process and final dates will be reviewed with the incoming Mayor and may be adjusted.

Updates, announcements, and key information about the 2027 municipal budget will be posted here throughout the budget process.

Legislative Responsibilities in the Budget Process

By February 1 of each year, the mayor must prepare and propose a budget to council for consideration.

• The authority to prepare and propose the budget rests with the mayor.
• This authority cannot be delegated to council or staff.
• The mayor can issue a staff direction for staff to prepare the budget.

Once the mayor proposes a budget, council has 30 calendar days to meet and pass budget amendments.

• The 30-day window can be shortened by council resolution.
• A special council meeting may be required to meet the 30-day timeline.
• Amendments must be completed using the prescribed Budget Amendment Resolution Form and submitted to staff. Submission details and the form will be communicated to all Council members by email.

Following the amendment period, the mayor has 10 calendar days to veto budget amendments passed by council.

• Mayoral vetoes must be set out through a Mayoral Decision and include the reasons for the veto.
• The mayor can shorten the veto period through a Mayoral Decision.
• Budget amendments vetoed by the mayor are considered not to have been passed by council.
• If the veto power is not exercised, the budget is deemed to have passed.

Within 15 calendar days of the veto period ending, council may meet to attempt to override mayoral vetoes.

• An override of a mayoral veto requires a two-thirds majority of all members of council, not only the members present.
• Once the amendment, veto, and override periods have concluded, the budget is deemed to have been adopted.
• Council does not need to vote on the budget in its entirety.
• The budget is considered to have been passively adopted once the approval process has concluded.

The following table provides an overview of the key budget process steps and legislated timelines: