City of Cambridge 2023 Budget logo

The budget is the City's plan for the coming period, expressed in dollars. It is prepared taking into consideration community input and direction from City Council. The budget is made up of three parts:

Operating Budget - Annual operations of city facilities and services, primarily funded through property taxes and user fees, excluding water and sewer.

Water and Sewer Budget - Annual operations of water and sewer distribution, funded through user rates.

Capital Budget - Capital program for all city projects, funded through taxes, water and sewer fees, development charges, debt, grants, or other reserve funds.

The 2023 Budget and Business Plan was approved on February 21, 2023. For a brief overview of the approved Budget and Business Plan, read the news release.

The budget and business plan provides the City’s direction in meeting its goals and objectives under the newly updated Strategic Plan, Cambridge Connected. The budget highlights the City’s commitment to public value, through a concerted effort to bring tax and water rate increases within the rate of inflation while maintaining existing services and furthering the work towards our strategic actions.

The 2023 Capital Budget represents a $75 million investment in new infrastructure, the rehabilitation and replacement of existing infrastructure, and supports the overall growth of the City. The Operating Budget dedicates $150 million toward the cost of City services, excluding water and sewer services. And the Water Utility Budget includes $77 million towards the daily cost of running the water and wastewater utilities, including the purchase of clean water and wastewater treatment from the Region of Waterloo.

Average Residential Impact

For the average home in Cambridge, the approved rate increases for the 2023 budget are:

  • The tax levy increase for the City of Cambridge is 4.74%. The City’s portion of the property tax bill is 36%, therefore this results in an impact of 1.72% to the overall tax bill. For the average home in Cambridge, this is an increase of $71 per year.
  • Water utilities (water and sewer) rates increased effective January 1, 2023, with an increase of 3.90% or $47 per year for the average household in Cambridge.

Draft Budget Documents

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Read the Highlights of the 2023 Draft Budget and Business Plan.

Read the 2023 Draft Budget and Business Plan.

Past budgets

View the following documents related to the past budgets:

2022 budget documents

2022 Budget

City Council approved the 2022 Budget and Business Plan: Our City. Our Future on Dec. 2, 2021.

The 2022 Capital Budget represents a $59 million investment in new infrastructure, the rehabilitation and replacement of existing infrastructure, and supports the overall growth of the city. The Operating Budget dedicates $133.4 million toward the cost of city services, excluding water and sewer services.

The 2022 Budget acts as a roadmap for ongoing COVID-19 recovery efforts and focuses on initiatives which invest in neighbourhoods and recreation facilities, and supports local businesses and core areas.

2022 Budget Highlights

The budget is aligned with the strategic plan, Cambridge Connected, to clearly demonstrate how the City is meeting its goals. 

People

  • Investing $4.9 million for strategic initiatives to create and activate spaces that will offer more things for people to do such as the design of the Preston/Blair Pedestrian Bridge, the Arts & Culture master plan, and updated amenities at Soper Park.

  • Working towards obtaining a World Health Organization “Age-Friendly” designation.

  • Enhancing equity and inclusion efforts by developing action plans and strategies for Reconciliation, Diversity, and Older Adults.

Place

  • Laying the foundation for future community-building through a Growth Management Strategy, Phase 2 work on the North Cambridge Business Park, and Heritage Character Studies for the Galt core and East Galt, as well as Heritage Conservation District Study in Hespeler.
  • Enhancing opportunities to enjoy built and natural heritage through the Parks Master Plan, and the first phase of the Heritage Condition Assessments of City properties.

Prosperity

  • Enabling small businesses to succeed through the development of an Economic Development Strategy and Municipal Accommodation Tax Strategy.
  • Establishing our core areas as attractive destinations with a Financial Incentive Program and continuing with the implementation of the Core Area Transformation Fund. 
  • Taking action to combat climate change with a Carbon Reduction Feasibility Study, Green House Gas Reduction Monitoring, a Green Fleet Strategy, and LED light replacements.
  • Preparing for emergency prevention and recovery through Emergency Response Planning, Continuity of Operations Planning, a Master Fire Plan Review, and Cyber Security Risk Management.
  • Promoting and developing more transportation options with a Cycling Master Plan, Transportation Master Plan, and design work for the Blair/Preston Pedestrian Bridge.

Household Impacts

The approved 2022 Budget represents an increase of 4.24 per cent, which equals approximately $61/year for the average household. The Preston Auditorium design represents 1.2 per cent of the increase.

Council also approved a water utility increase of 2.39 per cent ($29/year) which is well below the original projection of 3.9 per cent in the approved long-range financial plan.

 2022 approved budget documents

2021 budget documents

2021 Budget

On December 2, 2020 Cambridge City Council approved the 2021 Budget and Business Plan, concluding the 2021 Budget process. 

Council approved a property tax increase of 1.27 per cent, which is less than the forecasted cost of inflation, and represents $17.95/year for the average household. It is the lowest tax rate in the City of Cambridge in the last decade. Council also voted to keep water utility rates the same in 2021. 

The 2021 capital portion of the budget represents a $61.9 million investment for new infrastructure and to support growth of the city, as well as the rehabilitation and replacement of existing infrastructure. The operating portion dedicates $124,736,000 towards the daily costs of running city services, excluding water and sewer services. 

Most of the initiatives contained in the 2021 Budget are the continuation of key multi-year projects. This includes the design of the recreation complex, construction of the Preston Auditorium and Fountain Street Soccer complex, trail improvements, stormwater infrastructure renewal, the Beverly Street pedestrian underpass design and other road work. These community investments will assist with increasing private sector job creation and local economic recovery.

The City will also continue to focus on emergency and pandemic preparedness, community wellbeing and safety, and supporting local businesses. 

 2021 approved budget documents

2020 budget documents

2020 Budget

The 2020 Budget and Business Plan, Investing in Our City, Invested in Our Citizens, includes the City's operating, water utility and capital budgets. The budget is presented in alignment with our strategic plan to clearly demonstrate how we're meeting our goals as a city. We are committed to the responsible allocation of tax dollars to ensure that our community is receiving the best possible services and that our city is moving forward in a progressive and innovative manner.

Budget documents

The 2020 Water Utility Budget and Capital Budget were approved by the Budget and Audit Committee in December 2019 and the 2020 Operating Budget was approved by Council in February 2020, concluding the 2020 Budget process.

The Capital Budget represents a $50.9 million investment for new infrastructure and to support growth of the city as well as the rehabilitation and replacement of existing infrastructure, while the Operating budget dedicates $124.2 million towards the daily costs of running city services, excluding water and sewer services.

Please see investment highlights.

2020 Budget and Business plan: Key Investments

  • Dedicating $51.6 million of capital investment in our city’s core infrastructure – including our roads, our recreation facilities, and our parks.
  • Investing $200,000 in a new traffic calming program to ensure public safety.
  • Upgrading over 3 km of city roads to be reconstructed to improve aging infrastructure
  • Allocating $20 million under the Business Plan for the Core Areas Transformation Fund to help drive change in Hespeler, Galt, and Preston
  • Moving forward on design/engineering for important projects like the Fountain Street Soccer Park, the new Cambridge Recreation Complex, and the Preston Auditorium expansion.
  • Investing $204,000 for new and redeveloped multi-use trails throughout our city
  • Investing in our cemeteries, including building a new columbarium in Parklawn Cemetery
  • Replacing the pedestrian bridge and trail connection behind Galt Collegiate Institute.
  • Investing $265,000 for improvements to both Hespeler and Galt Arena
  • Developing and building a brand new city park – Highland Ridge Park
  • Investing $170,000 for new play structures in two city parks - Gail St. Park and Northview Heights Lookout Park

Household Impacts

The approved overall 2020 Budget increased by 3.73 per cent. Please note that the City’s portion of your overall tax bill is 36 per cent, with the Region of Waterloo and local school board portions making up the remainder (64 per cent). Once the regional and education portions of the tax bill are included, the City’s tax levy increase will raise the overall property taxes paid by 1.34 per cent for the average household.

  • Property tax increase: $51/year
  • Water utilities increase: $39/year 
  • Total impact: $90/year
 2019 budget documents

2019 Approved Budget

The approved 2019 budget includes the City's operating, water utility and capital budgets. The budget is presented in alignment with our strategic plan to clearly demonstrate how we're meeting our goals as a city. We are committed to the responsible allocation of tax dollars to ensure that our community is receiving the best possible services and that our city is moving forward in a progressive and innovative manner. 

The 2019 approved rate changes and impact to the homeowner are calculated on an average house cost of $310,200.

The approved 2019 rate changes are:

  • Property tax increase is 2.38 per cent or $31.70 annually.
  • Water utility increase is 4.31 per cent or $48 annually.

The total impact annually on the average household is $79.70.

The approved 2019 budget summary and details are available below.

Read the 2019 Budget in Brief

View the Budget Info Series presentation 

Review the 2019 Budget Summary and Details

 
 2018 budget documents

2018 Multi-year Budget

View the 2018 Multi-Year Budget.

View the 2018 Draft Budget Summary Report for an overview of the 2018 multi-year budget. The Summary Report also includes potential impacts for the 2019 and 2020 budget forecasts.

2018 Operating Budget

View the following documents to learn more about the 2018 Operating Budget:

2018 Water and Sewer Budget

View Appendix D: 2018-2020 Water and Sewer Operating Budget and Forecast Details for more information.

2018 Capital Budget

View Appendix F: 2018-2027 Capital Project Details to learn more.

2018 Municipal Fees and Charges

The City's Fees and Charges outline the user fees for various city services. Council reviews and approves the Municipal Fees and Charges as part of the annual budget process.

View Appendix E: 2018 - 2020 Fees and Charges for a list of all fees for 2018, along with their 2019 and 2020 forecasts.

If you require an accessible version of the budget documents, please contact Accessibility Planning and Inclusion Services.