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The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB) Council has approved a $645.6 million 2025 Municipal budget, following two days of deliberations. The budget outlines a comprehensive plan that balances delivering safe, reliable services with strategic long-term capital investments to support the region’s continued growth and sustainability.
The budget is comprised of $476.2 million for operations and $169.4 million to be transferred to reserves. The capital budget is $166.2 million with funding from grants and 2025 revenues. The overall increase in the budget from last year is due to the increasing costs of material and supplies across Alberta and all of Canada.
“The 2025 budget is a responsible approach that enables the community, supports the local economy and the people that live here, and makes good investments in important projects and essential services all across the region,” says Mayor Sandy Bowman. “We appreciate everyone that took part in the process and engaged Council on what mattered to them, as well as municipal staff for their efforts in preparing this year’s budget. The decisions we made this week will make a real difference for the people and communities we serve.”
“This budget provides a strong foundation to deliver services and projects more efficiently while ensuring the needs of communities are met in 2025 and the years ahead,” says CAO Henry Hunter. “I want to thank Council, Municipal staff, community partners and everyone who participated in the budget deliberations. Together, we developed a fiscally responsible budget in alignment with Council’s Strategic Plan that is backed by a focus on financial sustainability, enhanced capital project oversight, and long-term planning like the asset management strategy.”
2025 Budget Highlights
The 2025 Budget also assesses and prioritizes operational and capital investments.
The following are operating budget highlights:
- $43.5 million for the Community Investment Program
- $46 million for fire and ambulance services
- $80.2 million for parks, fleet, transit and road services, including street maintenance
- $79.2 million for environmental services, including water, wastewater, solid waste and underground services
- $58.7million for police support and bylaw services
Capital Budget Highlights
The 2025 Capital Budget focuses on completing existing multi-year projects, while supporting new projects aligned with Council’s Strategic Plan.
New notable capital projects approved in the 2025 budget:
- Municipal Accessibility Upgrade Project
- Abbotswood Drive Underground Upgrades
- Fort McKay Raw Water Supply Infrastructure
- Fort McMurray Wastewater & Water Treatment Plant projects
- Anzac Recreation Centre Culvert, Asphalt, Curb
- McKay River Bridge Repairs
- St. Anne’s Playground Replacement
- Conklin Firehall Water and Sewer Upgrades
There are also several multi-year capital projects that will continue in 2025 including:
- Flood Mitigation
- Silin Forest Road Deep Utilities Upgrades
- Saunderson PRV and Lower Townsite
- Northside Twin Arena
- Anzac Lagoon Expansion
- Fort McKay Community Centre
- Conklin Sewage Lagoon
- Rural Water and Sewer Servicing
A list of capital projects by neighbourhood is available at rmwb.ca/capitalprojects.
To learn more:
For those interested in learning more about the 2025 Budget, there are resources available on the Municipal website and additional highlights will be available in the coming days at rmwb.ca/budget.
Videos of all budget meetings and the approved budget documentation can be viewed at rmwb.ca/council.
For further information or questions, please contact Pulse at 780-743-7000, 1-800-973-9663 or online at rmwb.ca/pulse.
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