Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake Budget

Budget Overview

The Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake’s annual budget covers a wide range of services that support Town operations and deliver programs and services required to maintain the high quality of life enjoyed in our community. The Town’s budget is made up of both the operating and capital budgets that are designed to address programs, services, asset management, infrastructure, Council objectives, and more. Town Staff prepares the budgets and Council approves them.

Results of the survey will be shared with Council to assist in budget deliberations.

Operating Budget
The Operating Budget provides funding for the day-to-day operations of the Town. It is the Operating Budget, as approved by Council, that sets the tax rates. Examples of Operating Budget items include:

• Recreational Programs
• Parks
• Fire & Emergency Services
• Planning and Development Services
• Administrative Services

Capital Budget
The Capital Budget includes large-scale investments in tangible amenities, facilities and infrastructure. The Capital Budget is funded from tax revenues, reserves, development charges, debentures and grants. Examples of Capital Budget items include:

• Roads resurfacing and replacement
• Major upgrades or renewal of facilities
• Construction of parks and amenities

Balancing the Budget

Provincial law requires the Town to balance its budget each year, which means the money coming in equals the money going out. To balance the budget, the Town can increase its revenues through property taxes or user fees, or through changing or reducing the cost of services. Municipalities also have the opportunity to borrow money at competitive rates.

The Town has been the recipient of the Canadian Award for Financial Reporting (CAnFR) from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) for ten consecutive years! The Canadian Award for Financial Reporting Program was established to encourage municipal governments throughout Canada to publish high-quality financial reports and to provide peer recognition and technical guidance for officials preparing these reports. Its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management. Please see the linked Media Releases for more information about this accomplishment.

Questica - A Budgeting Solution

The Town's comprehensive, cloud-based budgeting solution, Questica, enables data-driven budgeting and decision-making while increasing data accuracy, saving time and improving transparency. Benefits to residents include but are not limited to, improved budget communications, engagement, responsiveness, and Staff accountability and transparency. Please see the FAQs for more information about Questica.