The 2027 Recommended Budget maintains the services, infrastructure and community supports residents rely on every day while providing value for tax dollars. It balances affordability with investments needed to support operational growth, renew aging infrastructure and keep Strathcona County resilient for the future. 

Recommended budget approval process

The recommended budget supports the 2027-2030 Strategic Plan and will be tracked through the 2027-2030 Corporate Business Plan.  

Resident feedback also helps shape the budget by identifying community priorities. Key survey results include: 

• 2026 Budget Survey (2.5 MB) ; and 

• 2025 Public Satisfaction Survey Results (2.2 MB) . 

Council will review the budget over a series of meetings before voting on the final annual operating budget and four-year capital budget. Council will also set the municipal tax rate used to calculate the municipal portion of property taxes.

Read more about property tax calculations and estimate your taxes.  

Budget meetings and budget public hearing

Watch or attend Budget 2027 meetings on Nov. 16, 18, 19, 23 and 26 (additional dates if required: Nov. 27, 30 and Dec. 2, 3, 4). 

Share your views at the budget public hearing on Nov. 25 with a written statement or register to speak. 

Protecting and renewing our infrastructure

As the County’s infrastructure ages, ongoing investment is needed to maintain safe, reliable facilities, roads, utilities, fleet and community spaces. Renewing infrastructure at the right time helps extend the life of these assets, protect previous investments and ensure residents continue to receive the services they rely on every day.

The vast majority of the County’s infrastructure protection and renewal work takes place through annual maintenance programs. These include urban and rural road rehabilitation, the facility capital lifecycle program and various programs for other types of infrastructure. Significant stand-alone renewal projects include:

• Station 1 Fire Hall renovations

• Transit Operations and Maintenance Facility & Fleet Services shop roofing

• Heritage Wetlands, Boardwalks, Bridge and Lookout construction phase one

One of the lowest tax rates in the region

Strathcona County’s tax rate is among the lowest in the region. Council and Administration recognize that lower taxes support affordability, while helping attract investment and growth. Learn more about tax rates. 

Maintaining services residents expect and value

The 2027 Recommended Budget focuses on maintaining the programs and services residents count on every day. Recent service highlights include:  

• Strathcona County Emergency Services had 16,575 dispatch calls last year. 

• RCMP responded to 21,204 calls for service and the local detachment front counter assisted 25,890 clients. 

• 5,812 students and staff were supported by the Mental Health Capacity Building Program. 

• Crews maintained over 400 km of urban roads, over 1,300 km of rural roads and 187 km of trails. 

• A fleet of 91 transit buses provided over 1.2 million transit trips last year. 

• The County operated and maintained the Broadview Enviroservice Station, Broadview and Ardrossan recycling stations, and the HodgePodge Lodge. 

• 1,042 development permits and 1,153 permits were issued for new residential units. 

• 12 recreation and three culture and agricultural facilities had more than 1.2 million admissions in 2025.

Prior years' budgets

• 2026 approved multi-year budget (46.5 MB)

• 2025 Strathcona County Multi Year Approved Budget.pdf (177.5 MB)

• Approved 2024 multi-year budget (124.2 MB)

• Approved 2023 multi-year budget (4.1 MB)

• Approved 2022 multi-year budget (4.5 MB)

Recognized for excellence in budget reporting

Strathcona County received the Government Finance Officers Association’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its 2026 budget. The award recognizes high-quality budget documents that clearly explain financial plans, priorities and operations, helping residents understand how public funds are allocated. This recognition reflects the County’s commitment to transparency, accountability and clear communication about its budget.

Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) presented a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award to Strathcona County, for its 2026 Budget for the fiscal year beginning Jan. 1, 2026. In order to receive this award, a governmental unit must publish a budget document that meets program criteria as a policy document, as a financial plan, as an operations guide, and as a communications device. This award is valid for a period of 2026 only. We believe our current budget continues to conform to program requirements, and we are submitting it to GFOA to determine its eligibility for another award.