Agenda Packet for 2026/27 Budget Deliberations Now Available

Today, Administration released the agenda packet for the 2026-2027 Budget Deliberations. Budget Deliberations are scheduled from Monday, December 15 to Friday, December 19.

“This package of documents demonstrates the amount of work that Administration devotes to develop fair, balanced and affordable budgets and showcases the magnitude of civic services and operations,” said Acting City Manager Jim Nicol. “As Council members head into budget deliberations in a few weeks, I want to express my appreciation for their willingness to engage with Administration and listen to our collective expertise over the last few months.”

In a departure from previous years, Administration is not bringing forward a Proposed Budget for 2026/27. Rather, Administration, at the direction of Council, has prepared a detailed agenda packet that includes forecasts for general operations, capital costs, utilities and service partner requests. As well as estimates to maintain current service levels, the package also lists potential service enhancement as well as budget cuts. The forecasted mill rate to keep current service levels is 15.69%.

The agenda packet prepared for Council is fulsome and will provide transparent background and forecasting; this report culminates the work of Council and Administration over the past several months, which involved a series of Special Council Meetings to discuss in detail the cost of providing each civic service.

The forecasts and report prepared by Administration provide a starting point for Council’s consideration. Council will now continue with discussions and decision-making, working towards an approved 2026 Budget.