A first look at Budget 2026

Here is my early take on Ottawa’s 2026 budget and what it means for rural residents in Ward 21. Council has set the guardrails for the draft budget. The overall property tax increase will be held at 3.75 percent. That is below last year’s increase and once again among the lowest in Canada.

Through the Agile Government Working Group we have identified $253 million in efficiencies. That is the equivalent of avoiding a 12 percent tax increase or more than $530 in savings per household. This sustained effort is one of the reasons we have been able to keep property tax low year-after-year, giving Ottawa the lowest average rate among major Canadian cities. As Chair of the Agile Government group, I’ve been able to keep pushing this work forward and to keep rooting out red tape and delays so we can deliver better outcomes at lower cost.

I also brought forward a motion in September that Council passed to freeze hiring by capping the size of Ottawa’s public service. This complements the efficiencies work and helps ensure that the improvements we are making are permanent, not temporary.

For rural residents the basics still matter most, and Budget 2026 is built to reflect that. The plan includes $135 million to resurface roads next year, which brings the total road investment to more than half a billion dollars in the last four years and represents a 50 percent increase over the last term of Council. Sidewalk rehabilitation funding will rise to $25.4 million this year as part of a 77 percent increase since the last term. I will keep pressing for steady investment in road renewal and safety, better drainage through ditches and culverts, reliable winter maintenance on long rural routes, and practical traffic safety upgrades in our villages.

In the weeks ahead committees will dig into the specifics, and there will be many opportunities for you to have your say through Engage Ottawa and at public consultations. My priorities are clear. Protect core rural services. Invest where it counts in our villages. Keep costs under control. With the hiring freeze in place, with major efficiencies already delivered, and with a firm cap on the overall tax increase, I will keep pushing for a budget that reflects our rural values and delivers practical, disciplined, and fair results.

Over the next few weeks, my office will share specific budget investments for each village after we have had time to read all the budget materials.