Red Deer Strives for Transparent and Affordable 2025 Budget
The City of Red Deer has launched an engagement program on engage.reddeer.ca for citizens to provide their feedback and input on the budget. Courtesy City of Red Deer
Imagine managing your household budget, but on a city-wide scale. This is the task ahead for The City of Red Deer as they gear up for the 2025 budget. And it won’t be easy – rising costs and inflation mean tough decisions are inevitable. Just like citizens must balance expenses and savings, The City must also plan for future needs while keeping costs affordable.
From now until November, when the final budget is approved by City Council, there is a lot of work to do.
Right now, The City is looking at its many programs and services, assessing what funds are coming in and how the money will be spent. Mike Olesen, Red Deer’s GM of Growth and Finance, emphasizes that some services might need to be adjusted to ensure tax and utility rates remain sustainable.
“Taxes are always an interesting discussion because it’s the change that people react to versus where the rates actually are. I look at Red Deer’s tax rates and affordability overall and we’re in a pretty competitive position with other cities,” says Olesen.
He believes it’s crucial to help citizens understand where their money goes and what The City prioritizes. Municipal finance can be complex, but it impacts daily life through public services like transit, parks, and road maintenance. Olesen’s goal for the 2025 budget is to enhance education and citizen engagement, ensuring residents understand the budget and can voice their spending priorities.
This year, Olesen and his team are breaking down the barriers of lengthy budget reports, through the roll out of accessible education materials including reddeer.ca/budget2025 which gives a detailed snapshot as to where the citizens’ hard-earned tax dollars are being distributed.
On the City of Red Deer website, visitors can get an accurate breakdown of revenue sources including various utility fees, municipal taxes and other revenue sources.
On the website, visitors can get an accurate breakdown of revenue sources including various utility fees, municipal taxes and other revenue sources.
For those keen to share their perspectives and ask questions, The City of Red Deer has launched an engagement program on engage.reddeer.ca for citizens to provide their feedback and input on the budget. A survey and other input tools and opportunities will be available from May 23 to June 23.
By making the budget process transparent and encouraging citizen input, Red Deer aims to build a budget that truly reflects the community’s needs and values. Your voice matters—join the conversation and help shape the future of Red Deer.
City of Red Deer – Municipal Budget
