2026 Budget

The City of Burlington’s proposed 2026 Budget is available for review. Residents are invited to view the proposed budget to learn about proposed key investments in City services that foster a vibrant, high quality of life in the city.

The proposed budget will officially be presented on Monday, Nov. 3 at the Committee of the Whole meeting, starting at 1 p.m. Members of the public who wish to speak to Council at the meeting may register to delegate at burlington.ca/delegate by noon on Friday, Oct. 31.

Proposed property tax increase

The City of Burlington’s proposed 2026 Budget includes a 5.80% increase in the city’s budget and 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% proposed increase is an additional $43.68 in property taxes for every $100,000 of residential current value assessment.

Proposed investment priorities

Some of the key investments identified in the proposed 2026 Budget are:

Resilient infrastructure – $105.7M 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 $7.6M 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

All Council and Committee meetings related to the 2026 Budget process take place at City Hall, 426 Brant St., in Council Chambers. Members of the public can also watch a livestream of the meetings at burlington.ca/calendar.

Before participating in a public engagement session, we encourage you to review the 2026 Budget Blueprint. This document is designed to provide a clear summary of what is currently projected for the 2026 Budget, based on economic pressures and service needs.

Please note: No formal budget has been proposed, and no decisions have been made. This document is intended to help get the conversation started.

The City of Burlington invites residents to take part in public engagement opportunities planned for the 2026 Budget. Work to build the 2026 Budget is underway and hearing from residents and business owners is an important step in the budget process. The City of Burlington's annual budget process impacts important services like welcoming parks and community centres, swift emergency response, resilient infrastructure, reliable transit, flood protection, and safe streets. Opportunities to share your feedback on investment priorities for the 2026 budget are open now until Dec. 2.

Engagement opportunities

• Online budget survey – Residents and business owners can share their feedback through the 2026 Budget Survey. Please note you must register to the Get Involved Burlington site to complete the survey. This feedback will help the City to understand how they prioritize and value City services. The survey is open until Oct. 5, 2025.

• Food for Feedback event - Saturday, Sept. 13 at Central Park (2299 New St.), from noon – 4 p.m.

• In-person 2026 Budget Town Hall meetings, with Mayor Meed Ward and participating Councillors:

1. Thursday, Sept. 18, from 7 – 8:30 p.m. – Ward 6 at Haber Community Centre (3040 Tim Dobbie Dr.)
2. Monday, Sept. 22, from 7 – 8:30 p.m. – Ward 1 at LaSalle Park Pavilion (50 North Shore Blvd.)
3. Tuesday, Sept. 23, from 7 – 8:30 p.m. – Ward 2 at Burlington Seniors’ Centre (2285 New St.)
4. Wednesday, Sept. 24, from 7 – 8:30 p.m. – Ward 3 at Brant Hills Community Centre (2255 Brant St.)
5. Monday, Sept. 29, from 7 – 8:30 p.m. – Ward 4 at Tansley Woods Community Centre (1996 Itabashi Way)
6. Thursday, Oct. 2, from 7 – 8:30 p.m. – Ward 5 at Appleby Ice Centre (1201 Appleby Line)

• Overview of proposed 2026 Budget at Committee of the Whole Council meeting - Monday, Nov. 3 at 9:30 a.m. at City Hall, 426 Brant St., or watch a livestream at burlington.ca/calendar. Register to speak to Council.

• 2026 Budget Telephone Town Hall - Wednesday, Nov. 5, from 7 – 8:30 p.m., by phone

• Divisional Budget Presentations at Budget Committee - Thursday, Nov. 13 at 1:00 p.m. at City Hall, 426 Brant St., or watch a livestream at burlington.ca/calendar

• Review of the Proposed 2026 Budget at Budget Committee - Monday, Nov. 24 and Tuesday, Nov. 25 at 9:30 a.m. at City Hall, 426 Brant St., or watch a livestream at burlington.ca/calendar. Register to speak to Council.

• Council review/approval of Proposed 2026 Budget at Special Council Meeting - Tuesday, Dec. 2 at 9:30 a.m. at City Hall, 426 Brant St., or watch a livestream at burlington.ca/calendar. Register to speak to Council.

• Investing in city operations and asset maintenance, including forestry service for improved air quality and vibrant outdoor recreational spaces; transit maintenance to limit service disruptions; and support to protect against cyber security threats to ensure continuity of essential city services and safeguarding of personal information.

• Capital program needs as identified in Burlington’s 2025 Corporate Asset Management Plan, including renewal of our aging roads to ensure they remain safe and reliable now and into the future; and stormwater system improvements and related infrastructure to help reduce the risk of flooding.

• Improving services, including better waste management in parks, for cleaner parks and public spaces now and in the future; an expansion of the windrow removal program to support accessibility and community well-being; new active transportation facilities to provide a wide range of safe, accessible options for getting around Burlington as our city grows; and the revitalization of aging recreation facilities to improve accessibility and enhance customer experience.

• Supporting the operations of new infrastructure investments made in previous budget years, such as expanded transit service to provide efficient, sustainable options for getting around Burlington as our city grows; and information technology capital projects to enhance City operations and proactively meet customer needs.

• Meeting inflationary pressures, including higher construction costs and tariffs on materials.

• Identifying efficiencies and establishing clear priorities to find savings, avoid unnecessary costs, and make the most of available resources.

• Addressing assessment growth which brings more tax revenue and increases the need for expanded services and infrastructure to support a growing community, such as roadways, parkland and facilities.

Burlington City Council approved the 2026 Financial Forecast report (FIN-24-25) on July 15, 2025, with a focus on limiting tax impacts for residents.

The forecast report is one of the first steps in the annual budget process and provides a preliminary look at the economic pressures and service needs that will shape the 2026 city budget.

As part of the budget process, Council endorsed a Mayoral Direction for City staff to prepare a proposed budget with a total tax increase (including the City, Halton Region, and Boards of Education) in the order of 4.5 per cent, with the City of Burlington share of the total tax increase being less than 3 per cent.

Forecasted impact on your property taxes

To understand how the budget will impact the property taxes you pay, we need to look at the budgets for the City of Burlington, Halton Region and the Boards of Education. Each of these organizations delivers services to Burlington residents and determines their own budgets.

Budget projections as of July 15, 2025:

Join the conversation

The next step in the budget process is to hear from you.

Take part in an upcoming public engagement opportunity for the 2026 budget to help City Council understand the priorities and needs of the community. Let’s work together towards a budget that remains affordable while making smart investments for today and in the future.