After months of intensive planning and analysis, City Administration presents the provisional budget and any supplemental budget items to Committee of the Whole in November. This initiates a review and approval process that includes an in-person public information session and engagement through the City’s LetsTalk.Kamloops.ca website. The Committee of the Whole debates and proposes changes to the budget over the course of a few open meetings. Next, as identified from staff and the community supplemental business cases are brought for consideration at a regular Council meeting (early in the New Year). Once the final budget implications are known, Administration drafts a bylaw to set property tax rates, which is adopted by Council at another regular Council meeting. Property Tax Notices go out in the spring and Administration publishes the finalized Financial Plan shortly there after. 

The provisional budget outlines the revenue required to fund all city programs and services, and projects already included in last year’s five-year financial plan, based on a set of approved service levels. It also takes into consideration any additions or changes that Council already voted to approve in the year since the last plan was adopted.  Any new projects not yet approved by Council or changes to programs or services that would result in a service level increase or decrease would be presented in a supplemental business case that would be voted on separate from the provisional budget.

Supplemental business cases often outline changes anticipated later in the five-year forecast allowing both residents and Council time to help shape future planning.