A fiscal strategy is the overall approach a municipality takes to managing its finances, integrating policies on revenue, expenditure, capital investment, reserves, and debt into a coherent framework aligned with community goals. Strategy elements might include: target annual tax increase ranges, reserve contribution requirements, debt ceiling limits, infrastructure investment priorities, user fee policies, and approaches to managing fiscal uncertainty. A clear fiscal strategy helps align annual budget decisions with long-term sustainability, provides predictability for taxpayers and service users, and demonstrates thoughtful financial management to credit rating agencies and oversight bodies. Fiscal strategies should be documented, approved by council, and regularly reviewed. Different communities may adopt different strategies based on their circumstances—a rapidly growing municipality might accept higher debt levels to build infrastructure, while a stable community might prioritize reserve accumulation.