The City of Vancouver, with its population of over 600,000, is the rapidly growing centre of Canada’s third largest metropolitan area. With a growing population, the City needs to provide more services for more people.
As a $1-billion-a-year enterprise, we’re responsible for managing an operating budget that achieves a balance between offering valued services and programs to residents, making smart investments in shared priorities, and keeping property taxes at a reasonable rate.
This year, we have estimated budget pressures of $52 million. These pressures are due to a number of factors related to a decline in revenues and increased costs. We want to ensure we continue to deliver quality services to our businesses and citizens without unduly raising property taxes. We are streamlining key City purchasing processes, looking to reduce our fleet of vehicles, fuel consumption and our occupancy costs as well as many other initiatives. We are also embarking on a public process to help identify strategies for moving ahead. Recommendations to Council on balancing the budget will be brought forward by staff at the end of February
Have your say
Attend an Information Session at City Hall: Wednesday, January 25, 7-9pm
Visit talkvancouver:
- Tell us your priorities, share your ideas for creative cost savings.
- Be Mayor for a day; build a budget.
Phone us at 3-1-1 or e-mail your questions to budget@vancouver.ca.
2012 Operating budget
- Read our Budget Basics booklet
- Read Budget Basics summary in Chinese
- Read the December 15 Council Report
- View the Operating Budget Presentation presented at our public meeting