Calgary council approves 2026 budget with lower property tax hike
Posted Dec 3, 2025 5:01 pm.
Last Updated Dec 3, 2025 9:15 pm.
After eight days of deliberations, Calgary City Council approved the city’s 2026 budget on Wednesday, settling on a property tax increase far lower than initially proposed.
Heading into the discussions, the new council was considering a 3.6 per cent hike. Mayor Jeromy Farkas had pledged to cut that figure in half, and the final decision reflects a significant reduction.
The approved increase now stands at 1.64 per cent. For homeowners, the change translates into an estimated $4.50 more per month in property taxes beginning next year.
“The typical homeowner went from a projected 5.4 per cent increase down to 1.6,” says Farkas. “That’s a yearly cost savings of more than $100 per year, and that’s money that needs to be in Calgarians’ pockets right now.”
While there was overwhelming support for the budget, with council passing amendments to it by a 12-3 vote, not everyone is happy with it.
Couns. Landon Johnston, Mike Jamieson and Jennifer Wyness opposed amendments to it.
Their votes came after a motion to further reduce the 2026 property tax increase to zero failed over concerns that the effects of the $41 million that would have to be found in the budget to achieve the freeze were not spelled out to council in advance.
“I don’t think we did enough because there was a pathway to get to zero,” Jamieson says.
Council closed out its eighth and final day of budget deliberations by providing millions more in funding for several areas, including $11.25 million for Calgary Transit to help procure new buses, $7.55 million for road safety and nearly $9 million towards the Calgary Fire Department, which includes money for a fire truck and additional staffing.
As council concludes the multi-year budget set by the previous council, they will now have the opportunity to make their priorities known as they gear up to enter a new four-year budget cycle.
“Fire, police, all of these things will add to the operational costs to the city,” says Ward 10 Coun. Andre Chabot. “You start adding all of those proposed operational increases, we’re facing probably a minimum five per cent tax increase next year, as I see right now.”
