Wrenford City Council approved the 2026 operating and capital budget during a meeting at Wrenford City Hall on January 22. The approved plan allocates $165.2 million for day-to-day operations and $42.5 million for capital projects, supported by a 2.8 per cent property tax increase.
For a typical single-family home assessed at $500,000, the tax increase will add about $14.00 per month to the property tax bill. These funds cover the core services that keep the city running, including Public Safety, road maintenance, Water & Wastewater, and Parks & Trails.
“This budget reflects the careful choices we made to keep taxes predictable while investing in the infrastructure and services our neighbourhoods need,” said Mayor Danielle Okafor-Price. “We heard from residents during Budget engagement that they want reliable transit, safe streets, and well-maintained parks. This plan delivers on those priorities without overburdening homeowners.”
Key decisions from Council include:
- Increasing the annual budget for Public Safety by $1.8 million to support expanded community outreach and equipment upgrades for the Wrenford Police Service Headquarters and Fire Station 1 (Headquarters).
- Allocating $3.2 million to the Roads & Winter Maintenance program to accelerate pothole repairs and resurface 45 kilometres of residential streets across all wards.
- Funding a $1.5 million expansion of the Tamsin Valley Leisure Centre fitness centre and adding two new program rooms for Seniors and youth Youth programming.
- Reducing the planned contribution to the Major Renewal Reserve by $2.0 million, bringing the total 2026 contribution to $12.0 million, to keep near-term tax rates lower.
- Maintaining flat fees for Garbage & Recycling and Transit services for the coming year.
City Manager Robert Eng noted that the budget builds on years of financial discipline. “By holding the tax increase to 2.8 per cent, we are keeping the budget affordable while still meeting our 20-year infrastructure renewal targets,” he said. “The plan also strengthens our reserves, so we can handle unexpected costs without having to ask taxpayers for more later.”
The approved budget documents, including a detailed breakdown of all departments and the 2027–2037 capital plan, are available online. Property tax bills will be mailed in February and April, with final payments due in June and September. Residents can view their assessment, set up pre-authorized payments, or read the full budget summary on the View the current annual budget page.
For more background on how the City plans and approves its budget, visit Understand the budget process.