Budget Vancouver 2026 title with Vancouver's Downtown in the background

City seeks input on 2026 budget priorities

Vancouver residents and businesses invited to share feedback through online survey

August 12 2025 –

From August 12 to September 14, the City of Vancouver is asking residents and businesses to share feedback on priorities for the 2026 budget, the City’s annual plan for funding and delivering services across Vancouver. 

If you live in Vancouver or operate a business in the city, the City is interested in what matters most to you when it comes to City spending and preferences for balancing the budget in 2026.  

The budget outlook, presented in June, marks the starting point of the annual budget process, offering Council and the public an overview of the financial context for the 2026 budget and the five-year plan. In the fall, staff present a draft budget that incorporates updated information, including potential new revenue sources and efficiencies.

The 2026-2030 Budget Outlook (165 KB) outlines the key factors shaping the City’s financial outlook including significant pressures due to overall rising costs, regional levies from Metro Vancouver and E-Comm 9-1-1 and growing demand for services. The projected increase in costs to maintain existing service levels translates to an increase in property tax rates for 2026 in the 5 to 6% range, plus a 1% increase in property tax to address the infrastructure deficit.

To address affordability by limiting property tax increases, Council has directed City staff to create three budget scenarios based on 0%, 1.5% and 2.5% property tax increases. Staff will continue to advance revenue generation opportunities and measures to reduce expenses, improve efficiency, adjust service levels and build capacity as work progresses towards building these budget planning scenarios with clear identification of any service implications and/or trade-offs. 

As the City works to manage rising costs while limiting property taxes, the City would like the public’s input on the best ways to do this.   

Ways to get involved: 

  1. Visit shapeyourcity.ca/2026-budget to learn more about the budget process and complete the survey by Sunday, September 14. The survey will also be made available in Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese and Punjabi.
  2. Register to speak when City Council reviews the draft budget in December. Registration details will be available closer to the meeting date.
  3. Contact Mayor and Council directly to provide feedback on the draft budget.

All feedback will be summarized in a public report to City Council ahead of the final budget vote in December 2025.