It’s disgraceful that most big cities will start the year without approved budgets
William Robson is chief executive officer and Nicholas Dahir is a research assistant at the C.D. Howe Institute.
The C.D. Howe Institute does an annual survey of fiscal transparency in 32 of Canada’s most populous municipalities. Thirty-one of them have fiscal years that begin on Jan. 1. As of today, only four – Edmonton; Gatineau, Que.; Longueuil, Que.; and Richmond, B.C. – have approved their 2023 budgets. A further nine – Calgary; Halton, Ont.; Kitchener, Ont.; Laval, Que.; London; Montreal; Quebec City; Regina; and Vancouver – have at least presented theirs.
Councillors and voters should not accept this situation. Budgets are essential for everyone, representatives and citizens alike, to understand how their cities pay for and deliver services. If city staff are taxing and spending without approval from elected officials, local democracy is breaking down.
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