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Budget

Budget Basics

Leduc’s budget is our plan for how money will be collected and spent to support the programs, services, and infrastructure our community needs.

Each year, we review and approve the budget with a focus on both short-term and long-term goals. The operating budget looks three years ahead, while the capital budget looks ahead ten years. This helps the City provide steady services and prepare for future growth by planning and saving for big projects.

Since community needs and financial situations can change, we review and adjust the budget every year based on new needs, unexpected economic shifts, or changes in funding from the province or federal government.

Operating Budget

  • Covers the cost of services and programs for Leduc’s residents and businesses, like social services, water and sewer, snow removal, fire and emergency services, waste collection, and recreation facilities.
  • The City can’t plan for a deficit under Alberta’s Municipal Government Act. This means we must bring in enough money to cover all our expenses each year.
  • The operating budget is paid for by property taxes, provincial and federal grants, user fees and drawing from the City’s operating reserves.

Capital Budget

  • Covers the cost of building, maintaining and improving city buildings, parks, roads, and recreation spaces. Some projects are big and take a few years to finish, so the costs are spread out over time.
  • The City’s capital projects are paid for through developer contributions, provincial and federal grants, tax-supported debt and drawing from the City’s capital reserves.

2026 Proposed Budget

The City has released the 2026 Proposed Budget, which delivers on Council’s strategic direction to maintain service levels, ensure financial responsibility, and plan for tomorrow while keeping tax impacts as limited as possible. City Council will review and deliberate the proposed budget over a series of public meetings in November and December.

View 2026 Proposed Budget
White flowers in the foreground with a building featuring a glass pyramid roof and trees in the background under a blue sky.

Meeting Schedule

All meetings take place at the Leduc Civic Centre.

2026 Budget Meeting Schedule

Date and Time Budget Deliberation Topic
Monday, Nov. 10 at 5:30 p.m. Grants to Organizations Presentations
Monday, Nov. 17 at 5:30 p.m. Operating/Capital Budget - City Manager, Finance, Corporate Services
Monday, Nov. 24 at 5:30 p.m. Operating/Capital Budget - Infrastructure and Planning, Community and Protective Services
Monday, Dec. 1 at 5:30 p.m. Discussion about flagged items
Monday, Dec. 8 at 5:30 p.m. Budget presented to City Council for approval

Stay Informed

Residents are encouraged to:

The Nov. 17 and Nov. 24 meetings will include a public commentary period where residents can speak to Council about the budget. Speakers must register in advance (email [email protected]) or in-person before the meeting begins. Speakers will be given five minutes to present to Council.

2025 Budget

The 2025 Operating Budget and 2025-2026 Capital Budget prioritize responsible financial management while continuing to deliver the services residents rely on. The budget reflects a balanced approach to meeting community needs and managing expenses, emphasizing sustainability for the future.

View 2025 Budget

Budget Planning Process and Timeline

Each budget year spans three years.

Budget planning document over a 3 year timeline

Budgets

Upcoming Budget

Current Budget

Previous Budget

Utility Fees

Utility fees collected by the City provide water, sewer, garbage collection, and stormwater infrastructure. Some costs are outside the City’s control and are determined by the service provider.

The 2025 Budget estimates a modest increase in overall utility costs, indicated in the table below. Utility costs for 2026 will be shared once Council approves the municipal budget.

Utility Fees

Utility 2025 Fees and Charges Increase from 2024
Water $10.99 per month plus $2.90 per cubic meter 22 cents per month; 15 cents per cubic meter
Wastewater $10.20 per month plus $2.85 per cubic metre 20 cents per month; 26 cents per cubic metre
Stormwater $6.50 per month $1 per month
Solid Waste $25.83 per month 50 cents per month

What we heard: 2026 Budget Planning & Satisfaction Survey

More than 600 residents completed the 2026 Budget Planning & Satisfaction Survey in March. The results are in—Leduc is a great place to live, and the City continues to deliver the services residents value most.

With thoughtful feedback on service priorities and preferred tax approach, the results will help inform the development of the 2026 municipal budget.

Read the highlights and full report.

Budget FAQ

Generally, the top three service areas in the 2025 operating budget are utility services, public services, and fire and ambulance services.

Every year, City Administration prepares a three-year operating budget and 10-year capital plan and presents it to the City Council for feedback and approval. When the 2025 operating budget was approved in early December, Council approved estimated revenues and spending for the next immediate fiscal year, and, in principle, the following two years. A three-year capital budget was approved in 2024. In early December, Council approved changes to 2025 and 2026 and, in principle, the following eight years.

Capital projects are paid for through developer contributions, provincial and federal grants, tax-supported and off-site supported debt and drawing from the City’s capital reserves.

The City has several measures to ensure that money is spent wisely:

  • A formal budgeting process which includes collaboration between Council and Administration, and public engagement. This process includes a detailed analysis of past spending, current economic conditions, public feedback and the needs of the community to determine which services and projects should be continued/discontinued, introduced or increased/decreased. Funds can only be spent if they are approved by Council.
  • The City issues and publicly reports annual financial statements featuring budgeted versus actual information. These financial statements show how property taxes and other revenues have been allocated. Additionally, the City publishes an annual report to report on spending, performance measures and detailed information on initiatives accomplished throughout the past year.
  • The City’s financials are audited each year by an independent auditor who provides an opinion on whether the financial statements fairly represent the City’s financial position. The results of the audit help ensure funds are used appropriately and there are no discrepancies in the financial reporting.
  • City Council maintains oversight of the budget by requiring Administration to report on the status of current budget spending on a quarterly basis, providing transparency and accountability.

Every year, an independent auditor reviews the city’s financial statements in accordance with the generally accepted Canadian auditing standards.

These are determined based on several factors including the cost of providing these services, benchmarking with other municipalities in the region and applicable legislation.

Debt servicing costs affect the operating budget when the projects are City funded. (Not funded through off-site levies or developer funding). These costs are included in the City’s operating budgets for the term of the debentures.

There are several reasons why two cities with the same population may have different operating budgets:

  • Cities may offer different levels or scopes of services. For example, the City of Leduc owns and operates the Leduc Recreation Centre. The TransAlta Tri Leisure Centre is co-owned by three municipalities but operates as a corporation and is governed by a board of directors.
  • Labour costs can vary depending on the cost of living in a city, union contracts, and collective bargaining agreements.
  • Differences in geography affect costs. Cities spread over a larger area will have increased costs for things like road maintenance and transit.

Annual Financial Statements

2024 Audited Financial Statement 2023 Audited Financial Statement 2022 Audited Financial Statement 2021 Audited Financial Statement 2020 Audited Financial Statement