Municipalities across Edmonton region face budget challenges for 2023

Municipalities across Edmonton region face budget challenges for 2023

· The Pulse
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Councils across the Edmonton region have been hearing about the challenge of maintaining existing services in an environment of high inflation as they review and start approving their 2023 budgets.

Though final property tax rates will be set early next year, all municipalities must approve their 2023 budgets by Dec. 31, 2022.

Approved budgets for 2023, with an average tax increase of 4.46%, include:

  • Leduc County council approved its 2023 budget with a 3% tax increase.
  • Parkland County council approved its 2023 budget with a 2.78% tax increase. "We are proud to approve the 2023 budget, which includes investments of over $50 million in strategic areas to attract investors, promote tourism, and improve quality of life for our residents," said Mayor Allan Gamble.
  • Stony Plain's proposed 2023 budget originally forecast a tax increase of 4.84%, but that increased to 7.47% on Nov. 8 after council approved several additional funding requests. Council approved the amended budget on Nov. 28.
  • Strathcona County council approved its 2023 budget with a 4.6% tax increase, down from the originally proposed 5.5% increase.

Proposed budgets for 2023, with average tax increase of 5.7%, include:

Photo: A map of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region. (EMRB)