Budget 2026 Focuses on Core Services and Planned Growth

Beaumont Council approved the budget for 2026 last week, prioritizing the planning of responsible growth, the protection of core services and infrastructure, and strengthening the City’s financial health.

“This Council started our first budget facing the challenge of looking after basic community services and restoring the City’s reserves along with the combined impact of inflation, tariffs and lower provincial funding – and we delivered,” said Mayor Lisa Vanderkwaak. “It took difficult choices, but this budget limits the impact on homeowners, provides resources to keep our neighbourhoods safe and orderly, and begins rebuilding our savings so that we can continue to look after our roads, sidewalks, community facilities and other infrastructure into the future.”

Operational highlights

The 2026 budget provides resources for parks and roads operations to begin catching up with Beaumont’s growth, along with funding to:

• Review Beaumont’s Municipal Development Plan and Land Use Bylaw to guide the responsible growth of the city in line with the community’s expectations.
• Recruit two additional full-time firefighters to maintain fire services.
• Recruit two additional full-time community peace officers to manage the growing volume of citizens’ concerns related to municipal bylaws and traffic safety.

Capital highlights

Capital projects for 2026 are focused largely on improving the reliability and safety of Beaumont’s transportation network, including:

• Upgrading the intersection of Township Road 510 and Range Road 243.
• Designing intersection updates for Highway 625 at 50 Street and Range Roads 241 and 243.
• Continuing to renew 50 Street.
• Designing a multi-use trail along 50 Street to connect Le Rêve neighbourhood to the existing trail system at Township Road 510.
• Completing the path adjacent to 30 Avenue up to the 60 Street intersection.

Other capital projects planned for 2026, include:

• Developing the sports field in Ruisseau next to École Quatre-Saisons.
• Resurfacing the tennis courts near Gobeil Park.
• Upgrading pumping capacity and constructing an additional feedline between the main and St. Vital pumphouses to maintain the reliability of Beaumont water system and support growth.
• Improvements to the Beaumont Sport and Recreation Centre roof to prevent falling ice and snow.

Strengthening our financial health

The cumulative impact of budget shortfalls, inflation, reduced provincial funding and other factors have reduced the City’s capital and fiscal stabilization reserves. Capital reserves fund the ongoing maintenance and renewal of infrastructure such as roads, community facilities, and playgrounds, as well as new projects. The stabilization reserve is used for unforeseen events, budget shortfalls, and to help smooth tax rates year over year.

The 2026 budget includes an additional transfer of $2.8 million above the 2025 allocation, to begin restoring the reserves to optimal levels.

Household impact

Council started deliberations with a recommended tax revenue increase of 8.87 per cent, but reduced it to 4.79 per cent. As a result, the owner of a sample home assessed at $500,000 will pay $164.74 a year – $13.73 per month – more for municipal property taxes in 2026 than in 2025. Utilities will increase $15.46 per month for the typical home, reflecting the costs of maintaining water and wastewater services, storm water management, and waste collection. There are no recommended changes to municipal franchise fee rates on electricity or natural gas.

Impact for a sample home assessed at $500,000

	2025	2026	Annual Change	Monthly Change
Municipal property tax	$3,439.21	$3,603.95	$164.74	$13.73
Utilities*	$1,904.23	$2,089.79	$185.56	$15.46
Total	$5,343.44	$5,693.41	$350.30	$29.19

*Based on annual utility consumption of 215 cubic metres of water.

Impact per $100,000 of residential assessed value**

	Annual	Monthly
Municipal property tax	$32.95	$2.75

**Based on an equal change in assessment for all residential properties in Beaumont for the purpose of illustration. Homeowners’ actual tax bills will depend on their individual change in assessment relative to the overall change in the assessment base. Learn how municipal property taxes are calculated >>.

Most building and development fees, particularly those related to new development, will increase an average of 15 per cent in 2026. Transit fares will also increase January 1, with a single ride fare going to $6 from $5.

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Media contact:

Mike Berezowsky
Director, Communications & Information Technology Services
780-243-0458