Budget Basics

Municipalities own, maintain, and operate a wide range of infrastructure to support the provisions of needed and desired services for their communities. Examples of these assets include:

• police and fire stations
• roads and sidewalks
• street lighting
• pipes and facilities for disposal of sewer and storm water
• arenas, pools, sports fields, and playgrounds
• and more

Growth in the community requires expansion to existing infrastructure to provide municipal services for new residents and businesses. Councils are continually challenged to maintain current infrastructure and services while also addressing the demand for enhanced and new services—and keeping it all within affordable levels for their communities.

Whether your garbage is being collected, your street is being plowed, or you are visiting the splash park, you are witnessing your tax dollars at work. It is municipal budget decisions, at the direction of Mayor and Council, that set the funding levels for the programs and services that maintain your quality of life. Developing this budget involves making difficult decisions between essential programs, infrastructure demands, and the wants and needs of residents.

The City of Terrace needs to ensure it is budgeting adequately to maintain long-term financial stability for the future of the community as well as focusing on the wants and needs of today.

Every year, staff and Council engage in a budget process, where they look at revenues and expenses and set the budget.