Council locks in a 3.95% tax increase for 2026

Port Moody council has unanimously approved the city’s 2026 budget, setting a 3.95 percent property tax increase — the lowest council has approved this term. For the average household, assessed around $1.22 million, that works out to about $121 more a year, roughly $2.35 a week.

Coun. Callan Morrison called it a “tough balance,” describing it as one of the hardest budget years council has faced while trying to keep the rate manageable for residents. The approved plan includes a $27 million capital budget for 2026 and more than $92 million in infrastructure projects over five years, with sewer, water and road work among the largest line items.

Council also paused the planned one percent increase to the Climate Action Levy for 2026, though the levy itself stays part of the longer-term financial plan. Some councillors flagged the trade-off directly, warning that deferring climate and asset-renewal funding now could mean steeper costs later.

What to watch next: whether the climate levy increase returns in next year’s budget cycle, and how the $27 million capital program rolls out through the rest of 2026.