Over the past month or so, Langley City Council has been reviewing the proposed 2026-2030 Financial Plan, which includes a base level of service, proposed enhancements to services and infrastructure investments, as well as the proposed one-time capital projects for 2026.
As I mentioned earlier, maintaining the same services as today would require a 3.57% or approximately $1.6 million property tax increase. As our population grows, we need to increase services to keep up with demand; otherwise, service actually declines.
For example, if eight people eat one piece of pie, they get a lot more than if 16 people try to eat the same pie. If we want people to have the same amount of pie, we need to bake another pie. This is why service level enhancements are important.
Every year, City senior management provides a list of potential enhancements. Rarely do all the proposed enhancements make their way into the final approved budget.
Last night, Council gave first and second reading to the 2026 - 2030 Financial plan with the following service level enhancements:
2 Additional Firefighters - $400,000
2 Additional RCMP Officers - $320,000
Extending Al Anderson Pool to Open April 13 - $68,900
Increasing the Annual Amount Contributed to Capital Projects - $224,000
These enhancements total $944,000, representing a 2.25% increase in property taxes.
In total, the proposed 2026 budget will include a $2.54 million or 5.82% property tax increase.
The 2026 budget is bare-bones with increased investment in public safety and the basics.
If you would like to provide feedback on the budget, please visit Let's Chat, Langley City! There will also be an in-person open house next week. For more information, please visit the 2026 Financial Plan webpage.
Council still needs to hold a formal public hearing on the budget, and consider third reading and final adoption of the budget over the next month.
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