Municipal finances garner considerable public attention because residents and businesses are directly affected through their responsibility to pay property taxes. Councils must allot those revenues to manage aging infrastructure, allocate funding for new infrastructure, and provide services in a fiscally responsible way. Municipal financial decisions are influenced by many factors including economic conditions, service level expectations from residents and businesses, and long-term municipal goals. Increasingly, municipal finances are also shaped by a complex interplay of provincial, federal, and geopolitical factors, along with external influences such as international affairs, extreme weather events, and health crises. Municipal finances are much more than numbers; they embody the purpose and priorities of a municipality in an ever-changing environment.