Business & Financial Management

The indicators in this section relate to the City’s overall short- and long-term financial management.

City Revenues Per Capita

The indicator measures the total revenue collected by the City, including grants and operating revenue (collected via taxes, user fees, etc), divided by the number of residents.

Reporting frequency: Annually Last updated: 2025 View fullscreen

Comments

In 2025, City revenues per capita in St. Albert increased to $4,371 per resident, up from $3,969 in 2024. This represents an increase of $402 per resident or approximately 10 per cent. The increase follows a decline in 2024 and reflects higher total municipal revenues relative to population.

Compared to the Alberta municipalities shown, St. Albert remained in the middle range for revenue per capita in 2025. St. Albert was higher than Airdrie ($3,535) and Grande Prairie ($3,601), but lower than Lethbridge ($4,797) and Red Deer ($4,922). Overall, the 2025 result suggests that St. Albert’s revenue per capita remains comparable to other mid-sized municipalities, with year-to-year changes reflecting shifts in total municipal revenues and population.

Return to Indicators ↑

Investment Rate of Return for the City

The indicator shows the City's short- and long-term investment returns. Short-term investments include mainly term deposits, and the returns are compared to the Canadian one-year Treasury Bill Rates. Long-term investments include mainly corporate and government bonds and principal-protected notes. The returns are compared to the Government Bond rates.

Short-Term Returns

Reporting frequency: Annually Last updated: 2025 View fullscreen

The average rate of return for short-term investments is 4.29 per cent in 2025, down from 5.54 per cent in 2024, a decrease of 1.25 percentage points. This reflects the impact of declining interest rates, as maturing investments are reinvested at lower rates. However, the City’s short-term return remained above the Canadian 1-Year Treasury Bill rate, which decreased from 4.08 per cent in 2024 to 2.57 per cent in 2025.

Long-Term Returns

Reporting frequency: Annually Last updated: 2025 View fullscreen

The average rate of return for long-term investments increased to 2.93 per cent in 2025, up from 2.56 per cent in 2024, an increase of 0.37 percentage points. This improvement occurred while benchmark bond rates declined. In 2025, the long-term return was higher than the 3-Year Government of Canada benchmark bond rate of 2.60 per cent and slightly below the 7-Year benchmark bond rate of 2.99 per cent, indicating that long-term returns remained generally aligned with market benchmarks.

Return to Indicators ↑

Business Licences

The indicator measures the total number of business licences based in St. Albert (excluding non-resident businesses). The number of licensed businesses can indicate local economic growth or contraction.

Reporting frequency: Annually Last updated: 2025 View fullscreen

Comments

The number of annual business licences has seen steady growth with some fluctuation between 2012 and 2025. A minor decrease of 0.5 and 0.8 per cent occurred during 2013 and 2014, followed by stronger growth between 2 and 3 per cent annually until 2019.

A noticeable decrease began in late 2019 and continued until late 2021, likely attributed to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Annual business licences have remained relatively stable since 2020, with small year-to-year changes.

The number of active business licences increased to 2,857 in 2025, up from 2,814 in 2024. This represents a 1.5 per cent increase.

Return to Indicators ↑

Non-Residential Taxable Assessment Base

This indicator measures the dollar amount (in billions) of the taxable non-residential assessment base in the City of St. Albert. It is updated annually using data from the property assessment roll and includes the assessed value of all taxable non-residential properties.

Reporting frequency: Annually Last updated: 2025 View fullscreen

Comments

In 2025, the non-residential taxable assessment base increased to $2.28 billion, up from $2.22 billion in 2024. This represents an increase of approximately $60 million or about 2.7 per cent. The increase continues the long-term upward trend in non-residential assessment values observed over the past two decades and represents the highest value recorded in the data series.

Growth in the non-residential assessment base reflects both new commercial and industrial development, as well as changes in market values applied through the annual property assessment process.

Return to Indicators ↑

Non-Residential Assessment Base Percentage

The indicator measures non-residential taxable assessment as a percentage of the total taxable assessment base. It includes industrial and commercial properties within St. Albert. This metric is distinct from the "Tax Split," which refers to the proportion of tax revenue collected from each property class.

Reporting frequency: Annually Last updated: 2025 View fullscreen

Comments

In 2025, non-residential properties accounted for 13.60 per cent of St. Albert’s total taxable assessment base, down from 14.50 per cent in 2024 and 14.80 per cent in 2023. While the non-residential taxable assessment base increased in dollar value, its share of the total assessment base decreased. This indicates that residential assessment growth outpaced non-residential assessment growth in the overall assessment mix. Even with this decrease, the non-residential share remains above earlier historical levels, reflecting the long-term growth in the City’s commercial and industrial assessment base over the past two decades.

This indicator is used to compare St. Albert’s assessment composition with other mid-sized municipalities. Growth in the non-residential assessment base is influenced by both new development and changes in market values, including development in areas such as the Lakeview Business District.

Return to Indicators ↑

Taxable Assessment Growth

The indicator displays the total physical growth of St. Albert’s assessment base in a weighted average. The data represents percentage growth to illustrate year-over-year percent changes rather than dollar values.

Reporting frequency: Annually Last updated: 2025 View fullscreen

Comments

In 2025, Taxable Assessment Growth was 3.95 per cent, up from 2.99 per cent in 2024. This represents an increase of 0.96 percentage points and reflects a strong year of growth compared to the recent historical trend.

The 2025 result is one of the highest growth rates recorded in the past two decades and indicates continued expansion of St. Albert’s taxable assessment base. This growth reflects new physical assessment added through development and supports the City’s long-term assessment base.

Return to Indicators ↑

Corporate Expenditures Per Capita

The indicator measures the total operating expenditures incurred divided by the number of residents in each city to show total spending to maintain services to the community.

Reporting frequency: Annually Last updated: 2025 View fullscreen

Comments

In 2025, St. Albert’s corporate expenditures per capita increased to $3,512, up from $3,287 in 2024. This represents an increase of $225 per resident or approximately 7 per cent. This increase reflects higher operating expenditures required to maintain municipal services, while also accounting for changes in population.

Compared to the Alberta municipalities shown, St. Albert remains in the middle range for corporate expenditures per capita. St. Albert is higher than Airdrie ($2,429) and Grande Prairie ($3,287), but lower than Red Deer ($4,342) and Lethbridge ($4,652). Overall, this suggests that St. Albert continues to remain competitive with other mid-sized municipalities in per capita operating costs while maintaining services for the community.

Return to Indicators ↑

Total Debt to Provincial Limit Ratio

The indicator shows how much the City is borrowing. It shows the percentage of the total City debt to the limit allowed by the Province of Alberta.

Reporting frequency: Annually Last updated: 2025 View fullscreen

Comments

In 2025, the City of St. Albert’s total debt to provincial limit ratio was 27.21 per cent, slightly higher than 26.15 per cent in 2024. This represents an increase of 1.06 percentage points. Overall, St. Albert’s debt utilization as a percentage of the legislated provincial debt limit has remained relatively stable in recent years and continues to sit in the middle range compared to other mid-sized Alberta municipalities. St. Albert remains below several comparator cities, indicating that the City continues to use a moderate portion of its available borrowing capacity while maintaining a cautious approach to debt.

Return to Indicators ↑