How the City budget works
The City’s budget is made up of operating and capital budgets and it:
- balances competing priorities and challenges;
- provides affordable services and programs that meet our community needs;
- invests in our city by maintaining and building infrastructure, including roads, sidewalks, trails and parks; and,
- saves for the future by increasing our reserve balances to ensure the financial health and sustainability of the City.
The City’s budget is developed through an affordability lens, for the City’s expenses as much as its taxpayers. Just like its residents, the City is facing a number of pressures and is experiencing the increasing costs of hydro rates, fuel and necessary products to provide key services (e.g. salt for winter maintenance) and more.
At the same time, the City is also facing the need to increase reserves, maintain or replace its infrastructure (i.e. roads, bridges, buildings, etc.) and to save for unexpected events (e.g. storms, floods or other emergencies).
The City Budget
The City Budget is founded on the goals of the Oshawa Strategic Plan, Financial Strategy and Council’s guiding principles of sustainability and financial stewardship.
Unlike the provincial and federal governments, the City is required to balance its budget.
What is a balanced budget? Municipalities are legislated to prepare a balanced operating budget, which means that revenue (i.e. money coming in) must be equal or greater than expenses (i.e. money going out).
The Budget provides a foundation to meet the public service needs of our residents and to make decisions on City infrastructure. It is comprised of an operating and capital budget.
In keeping with financial best practices, the City also holds reserves. Funds from the reserves are used, when required, for specific purposes. An example is building a new fire hall, playgrounds, parks, recreation facilities, roads and bridges.
The City also plans ahead by allocating funds collected from the annual levy towards infrastructure renewal and replacement.
2025 Budget
The 2025 Budget was delivered to Council on November 1 and is available for public review on the Budget Documents webpage.
Members of the public are welcome to watch the meeting online via webstream or in person in the Council Chamber beginning at 9:30 a.m.
A Special Council Meeting will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, November 8 to hear public delegations on the 2025 City Budget. To submit correspondence or an in-person delegation request regarding a matter that appears on a published agenda, your request must be submitted to Legislative Services by 4 p.m. on the business day prior to the meeting. Requests to delegate electronically must be submitted by noon on the business day prior to the meeting.
Have Your Say
Earlier this year, the City invited residents and property owners to share their budget priorities and learn more about how their taxes are used.
What do your tax dollars buy?
Residents and property owners can better understand their property taxes by generating a property tax estimate.
Interested? Visit the 2024 Property Tax Calculator and enter your address or roll number to receive an estimate of how much City programs, services and external agency support costs you.
The tool illustrates that the City collects property taxes for not only itself, but also the Region of Durham and the Province for local school boards. For every dollar collected in 2024, approximately 45 cents are sent to the Region and 15 cents to local school boards – the City will keep only 40 cents. It is important to note that the dollar breakdown for City services is specific to the portion of your property tax bill that the City collects for itself, not the total amount.
Share your priorities
This past spring, resident and property owners had the opportunity to share what services and programs were important to them by adjusting funding and service levels in our Budget Simulator. Just like the City’s, your budget had to be balanced in order to be submitted!
This engagement opportunity has closed Friday, June 7, 2024. Feedback will be shared with members of Council and considered in the development of the 2025 Mayor’s Budget.
Budget Documents
Download a copy of the City’s budget and review past budgets in Budget Documents.