COQUITLAM, B.C., Sept. 6, 2023 – The City’s 2024 budget planning process is underway and Coquitlam community members are invited to provide their input through an online survey.
As Coquitlam prepares the 2024 Budget, we recognize the impacts that the current economic conditions have on residents and local business, as well as the need to maintain the long-term sustainability of service levels and City assets in order to provide a high quality of life for everyone now and into the future.
From now until Oct. 1, Coquitlam residents and businesses can participate in the budget planning process by visiting LetsTalkCoquitlam.ca/budget. Through a short online survey, participants will have the opportunity to share whether the City is spending the right amount in areas that are important to them.
The insight gained from public input will be provided to Council along with staff input and recommendations in order to support decision-making as part of the annual budget deliberation process later this year.
Your Input Helps Support the Budget Development
Public participation in the annual budget planning process helps to ensure the City’s budget reflects the community’s current wants and needs, while also considering the challenges of current economic conditions. Through the input process, community members can also learn more about how city budgets are created, as well as how property tax dollars and other revenues are spent.
Public feedback also helps the City balance individual needs along with the needs of a growing community, while delivering on key priorities and projects.
The Complex Process of Budgeting
The annual budget planning for a city the size of Coquitlam is a complex, months-long process involving input from Council, staff, the City’s cultural partners (Coquitlam Public Library, Evergreen Cultural Centre, Place des Arts and Coquitlam Heritage Society) and the public.
The annual budget ensures the City can continue to provide the infrastructure and services that support residents’ day-to-day lives, including water, garbage collection, roads, parks and green spaces, public safety and much more.
Coquitlam has a strong foundation for financial resiliency, and it is important that the City’s financial plans continue to maintain a balanced approach managed through a variety of Council-approved long-range policies. This includes planning for community growth and the capital investment required to provide infrastructure, amenities, programs and services for existing and future residents.
Learn more about the City’s financial approach at coquitlam.ca/financialplan.
Other Interactive Ways to View Coquitlam’s Budget Data
Through the City’s statistically valid Community Satisfaction Survey, Coquitlam residents have advised that they are interested in knowing more about City spending and City projects. Coquitlam makes that information available through a data visualization tool called Coquitlam OpenBook. Using this tool, residents can explore the City’s data through informational text and clickable maps, charts and graphs. The following categories are available:
- 2023-2027 approved capital budgets, broken into budget groups;
- 2023 capital project explorer, including maps, budgets and background details on over 15 major projects;
- 2023 operating budget, broken down by department; and
- 2022 Annual Report, the most recent audited financial statement data.
Users can search and filter within OpenBook to dig down into more detailed information on the topics that interest them and can also provide feedback through the form linked to the site’s menu bar.
For more information about the data viewed online, refer to the 2023 Financial Plan at www.coquitlam.ca/budget or contact Financial Planning staff at financialplanning@coquitlam.ca.
Media contact:
Gorana Cabral
Director Finance
604-927-3030
financialplanning@coquitlam.ca
We acknowledge with gratitude and respect that the name Coquitlam was derived from the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ word kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (kwee-kwuh-tlum) meaning “Red Fish Up the River”. The City is honoured to be located on the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem) traditional and ancestral lands, including those parts that were historically shared with the sq̓əc̓iy̓aɁɬ təməxʷ (Katzie), and other Coast Salish Peoples.