Every year, Council approves the Town of Hinton’s budget for the following year.

The Operating Budget details what the Town will spend on programs and services and where the money will come from.

The Capital Budget outlines the Town’s plan for funding infrastructure that supports the delivery of programs and services, like water pipes, snow plows, fire trucks, vehicles, roads, and buildings.

Council discusses the budget throughout the fall, with the goal of approving both a three-year Operating Budget and five-year Capital (Budget) Plan by December 31, as required by the Municipal Government Act.

The following spring, the property tax rate is set for the year, with tax notices issued by the end of May.

What is the Town of Hinton responsible for?

As a municipal government, the Town of Hinton delivers services that support our community’s quality of life. This includes providing safe drinking water, fire protection, public transportation, snow removal, sewage services, waste management, and maintenance of parks and green spaces. Read more about the division of responsibilities between Municipal, Provincial and Federal Government here.

How are municipal services funded?

The Town relies on the following primary funding streams:

• Municipal property taxes
• User fees (permit fees, recreation and transit passes, equipment rentals)
• Provincial and federal government funding (allocated and competitive grants)
• Cost-sharing agreements with regional municipalities

About Budget 2025

On December 11, 2024, the Town of Hinton Council approved a $34.5 million Operating Budget and $41.7 million Capital Planning Budget.
The 2025 Operating Budget includes increased playground and sports field maintenance; recreation programming; maintenance for water and sewer systems; and increased contributions to the fleet reserve.

The 2025 Capital Planning Budget will help purchase fire rescue equipment; replace recreation centre components; upgrade water and wastewater systems; repair asphalt roadways; resurface the skate park; and rehabilitate playgrounds.

An anticipated total of $14.6 million in municipal taxes is needed to deliver these municipal services. As such, property taxes on an average residential property assessed at $400,000 are estimated to increase by $9 per month or $108 per annum. For a non-residential property assessed at $750,000, this equates to an estimated increase of $30 per month in property taxes.

These increases will allow Hinton to keep pace with inflationary costs, provide better parks and recreation services, contribute to reserve funds, and ensure financial sustainability. The 2025 budget also includes an increase to utility rates to help pay for water and wastewater system upgrades.

The budget will be funded by user fees (30%), taxation (29%), reserves (17%), grants (13%), potential borrowing (8%), and revenue sharing (3%).

Read more in the full Budget Summary report here.