City of Kitchener 2024 Budget

The budget is our annual financial plan and allows city council to prioritize the programs and services we deliver. The 2024 budget sets the direction for the work to be completed over the upcoming year.

Introduction to draft 2024 budget

The draft 2024 budget outlines a plan to maintain services and respond to the needs of a growing community while delivering a property tax rate increase around the rate of inflation. The draft 2024 budget addresses a number of priorities, including:

• supporting city services that residents and businesses rely on every day
• a focus on infrastructure to address the City’s asset replacement and growth-related needs
• providing funding to advance the City’s 2023-2026 strategic plan that will help shape Kitchener’s future

All of these goal areas are important and were accommodated by carefully preparing a budget to meet the service expectations of residents while at the same time balancing the need for reasonable rate increases during a time of economic uncertainty.

For more details, read the 2024 draft budget overview.

Additional investment options

In addition to items that have been built into the City's draft budget, $1M in one-­time capital funding is available and unallocated. The funding available is a result of one-time dividends received as part of the Enova hydro merger. The draft budget includes several investment options for consideration, and we are looking for public input on which ones to focus on.

For more details, read the Advancing Strategic Options summary.

Average household impact

For the average home in Kitchener, the draft rate increases for the 2024 budget are:

• Property taxes - 3.9 per cent, or $47 annually
• Water utility - 4.9 per cent, or $21 annually
• Sanitary sewer utility - 7.1 per cent, or $39 annually
• Stormwater utility - 7.4 per cent, or $17 annually

Our draft 2024 budget represents a combined annual increase of $124 for the average household.

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