2026 Budget invests in the services and infrastructure residents rely on

Burlington, Ont. – Dec. 2, 2025—Burlington City Council has concluded the City’s 2026 Budget with a focus on investments in the services and infrastructure that support a vibrant, high quality of life.

Property tax increase

The completed City of Burlington 2026 Budget includes a 5.80% increase in the City’s budget.

With the most recent proposed tax figures from Halton Region, Burlington’s completed budget results in an overall property tax increase for residents of 4.49%. This percentage includes services delivered by the City of Burlington, Halton Region (including Police Services), and the Boards of Education and represents the impact residents will see on their property tax bill. The 4.49% increase is an additional $43.68 in property taxes for every $100,000 of residential current value assessment.

Key investment priorities

Key investments in the 2026 Budget include:

• Resilient infrastructure – $106.1M in capital investments planned for 2026, including $48.9M to invest in aging roadways, $12.2M for investments in city parks, and $12.2M for investments in city facilities
• Swift emergency response – $1.6M to replace aging Fire fleet, including one large rescue truck and two support vehicles, and $450K for the renewal of emergency response radios and pagers
• Reliable transit – including $4.2M to replace aging transit fleet with hybrid-electric vehicles, $404K for an additional specialized transit vehicle (Handi Van) to support increased demand for this service, and $100K for transit maintenance to reduce service disruptions
• Flood protection – including $7.9M towards storm water management capital projects in 2026 to protect homes and natural areas
• Safe streets – including $675K for traffic management technology that enhances the movement of fire emergency vehicles and transit buses through signalized intersections to improve schedule and response times
• Welcoming parks and community centres – including $180K to support the operation of Burlington Public Library’s New Appleby Branch and $41K for more frequent waste management in parks, supporting cleaner public spaces

A copy of the completed 2026 Budget will be available online at burlington.ca/budget after Halton Region and the City of Burlington finalize their respective tax levy bylaws in 2026.

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Quotes

Mayor Marianne Meed Ward

“The 2026 City budget represents a true community, staff, and Council effort. With economic pressures impacting everyone in our community, City Council focused on accounting for inflation and investing in infrastructure and services residents told us matter most. This budget balances fiscal responsibility with ensuring state of good repair and planning for our future. Every item was carefully reviewed by Council, with non-priority items cut to add funds for infrastructure and storm water management. I thank Council for their hard work and dedication throughout this process. Most importantly, thank you to our community. Your feedback, ideas, and input helped shape this budget. The result is a budget that reflects the voices of our community.”

Paul Sharman, Deputy Mayor for Strategy and Budgets and Ward 5 Councillor

“Thank you to everyone who called, wrote, attended sessions, or provided input on the budget. I share concerns about tax increases exceeding inflation amid growing city complexity. Staff cut costs annually, but necessities like climate mitigation remain; the largest driver is $300 million to be funded over the next 10 years for provincially required infrastructure renewal, adding 2% above inflation.”

Quick Facts

Each year, the City budgets for expenditures in two areas:

• Spending for the capital budget is based on a ten-year plan and translates to services that have a direct impact on resident daily life, such as developing new parks, renewing existing roadways or revitalizing recreation facilities. The 2026 capital budget is $106.1 million, with a ten-year program of $1.2 billion.
• Spending for the operating budget is for the City’s day-to-day costs of delivering services such as fire protection, transit, maintenance of parks, and providing recreational programming. The 2026 operating budget is $387.3 million.
• For every tax dollar collected by the City of Burlington, the City receives 52%, while 33% goes to Halton Region and 15% towards the boards of education.

Links and Resources

• For more information about Burlington’s 2026 budget, visit burlington.ca/budget.

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