Grande Prairie city council is expected to approve moving approximately $3.8 million 2025 budget surplus into municipal reserves.
On Tuesday, April 21, administration presented a report stating council ended the 2025 budget year with a $3,786,000 surplus.
Council is scheduled to consider the transfer on Monday, April 27. If approved, $300,000 would go to the community enhancement reserve, $2,336,000 to the financial stabilization reserve and $1,150,000 to the facility renewal reserve.
Chief financial officer Danielle Whiteway said the surplus will be used for future benefit.
“We run over 250 million on our operating budget, so a variance of 3.8 million is really almost balanced. Those tax dollars will be invested in reserves and used through the future for future benefit.”
Whiteway said several factors contributed to the surplus.
“Things can happen that were unexpected, and we had some really great revenues that we didn’t expect in budget. Our surplus was really driven by revenues, in developments there was advertising revenues that were above budget.”
“With the police force coming through transition, we see regular declines in our RCMP invoicing, and that is what caused a lot of the surplus.”
The decision is expected to be finalized at Monday’s council meeting.
