On March 17, Administration gave Council an update on City finances, sharing year-end results for 2025. The City shares regular updates on its finances three times a year to keep Council and Edmontonians informed on how the City is managing its finances.
The preliminary year-end results show a $31 million surplus, finishing the year less than 1% over the $3.8 billion operating budget for 2025.
This surplus is due to careful management and one-time savings. This is a positive step towards managing our budget challenges and a majority of these funds will be transferred into the Financial Stabilization Reserve (FSR). The FSR is currently under its minimum balance and it is a top priority that the City continues to replenish it as it is used to help offset one-time tax-supported deficits, emerging financial needs and unanticipated budget shortfalls. In 2024, Council approved a strategy to support reaching the minimum balance by 2028.
The majority of significant capital projects (over $20 million) are also progressing well, with 82% reporting within budget and 97% on schedule. The City strategically uses debt to advance large infrastructure projects, ending the 2025 fiscal year with $4.6 billion in outstanding debt and using 69% of the tax-supported debt-servicing limit.