.jpg "Granville Bridge")
City of Vancouver Website Skip Links
Home > Your government > Get government information > Budgets and finances > 2018 Budget and Financial Plan
Your government
- Municipal elections
- Vancouver City Council
- Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation
- Citizen involvement
- Get government information
- City operations and policies
- City boards and agencies
- Jobs and careers
Our 2018 Budget outlines how tax dollars and funding will be invested to help ensure that important services can be maintained, while at the same time focuses on priority investments to help meet the future needs of a growing and changing city. Property taxes help fund a large part of the budget.
We consulted with residents and businesses by presenting and inviting feedback on the 2018 Budget Outlook and heard back about your most important issues and preferences for City spending.
That input was used to identify the following priorities for investment in the 2018 budget year and beyond.
2018 Budget highlights
The 2018 Budget consists of :
- Operating expenditures of $1.407 billion
- Capital expenditures of $426.4 million
View a detailed breakdown of the 2018 Budget for capital expenditures and service metrics (Appendix A, B, C and D) 
(1.19 MB).
2018 Budget priorities
We consulted with residents and businesses and heard back about your most important issues and preferences for City spending.
That input was used to identify the following priorities:
Address housing supply, affordability, and critical social issues
Significant investments are being made in city-wide community planning to respond to the needs of a growing city, including:
- Helping to bring more affordable housing to market sooner
- Providing more security and stability for renters
- Delivering more housing and services for homeless people including a partnership for more modular housing units.
The Empty Homes Tax program and new regulations for short-term rentals will both help free up more rental units. Improvements to City operations, including additional staffing in the building permits and business licence areas, will help reduce wait times.
The effects of the ongoing opioid crisis and other social issues continue to put stress on our systems, our service delivery and our staff. We continue to work with health authorities and other levels of government to manage the impacts of the opioid crisis, while also exploring how we can better support those struggling with addiction and mental health issues.
Improve service and maintain and upgrade streets, utilities, and facilities
We continue to balance the need for upgrades to improve transportation and safety - such as those to major roads, public buildings including firehalls, and utilities such as water and sewer - with residents’ desire for improvements to amenities in their communities.
More snow response equipment is being added to our fleet so that we can better respond to future severe weather events.
We are also making needed investments to ensure City facilities and parks are safe and secure.
Continue to build vibrant communities
New and upgraded community centres as well as more parks and open spaces, street activations, a new seniors centre, a new pool, Central Library renovations, and increased grants for arts and culture will also enhance the communities where we live.
Planned increases to the number of childcare facilities will also help more parents balance work and family commitments.
Increase investments in public safety
Vancouver is a safe city and to keep it that way we are adding resources to maintain and improve public safety, including more police officers, along with maintaining and adding more modern firefighting equipment
Council and Board priorities
Council has five priorities. Find out how our 2018 Budget and Five-Year Financial Plan will help us deliver what you need.
Key investments
See how we are realigning existing resources and spending levels to valued services and priorities for the 2018 Budget.
Five-year financial plan
The budget report includes a five-year financial plan that provides longer term projections and insight on potential pressures and risks.
How we fund the budget
Learn how we fund the annual capital and operating budgets, including where your tax dollars go, and what you get in return.
How we build the budget
Find out the steps we follow to ensure we develop a budget that reflects what the City, Council, and community value.
Understanding the budget
Our annual budget is made up of the operating, capital, and consolidated budgets. Learn what is different between the types of budgets.
