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- calendar_today November 5, 2026
Moncton Council Approves 2027 Budget
Moncton’s city council has unanimously approved the 2027 municipal budget, which features a cut to the residential tax rate but will still result in higher property tax bills for most homeowners. The decision was finalized during a council session on Thursday, November 5, 2026.
Residential Tax Rate Decreased
The newly approved budget lowers the tax rate for most residential properties by eight cents, to $1.2779 per $100 of assessed value. For properties in areas amalgamated with Moncton in 2023, a two-cent rate cut was also approved. Mayor Shawn Crossman emphasized that the budget was designed to balance affordability for residents with heightened concerns about public safety, which emerged as a priority during recent elections.
Property Assessment and Tax Bill Impact
Despite the reduced tax rate, the majority of Moncton homeowners will see an increase in property tax bills, averaging a 3.2 percent rise. This outcome is largely due to increasing property assessment values set by the province. Jacques Doucet, the city’s general manager of finance services, explained that most residential properties are protected by the province’s spike protection mechanism, which limits yearly tax increases to 10 percent. Newly purchased homes that do not yet qualify for this mechanism may actually receive a lower bill.
Public Safety and Service Investments
The 2027 budget prioritizes public safety by allocating funds for additional staffing within emergency services. Specifically, it provides for ten more firefighters, six new officers for Codiac Regional RCMP, and four additional community safety officers. The budget also increases spending on transit, the fire department, police, and bylaw enforcement.
Water Rates and Utilities
The council-approved budget will slightly increase water and sewer rates. The average Moncton household is projected to pay $1,166 annually for these services, representing a 2.46 percent increase over 2026 rates.
Additional Spending Initiatives
City councillors introduced several amendments and funding proposals during their review of the budget, all of which passed unanimously. These include:
- Studies on changing overnight parking rates for city parking lots and the Alma Street parking garage
- Replacing vandalized lighting in the Main Street subway underpass
- Installing a basketball court in Renton Park
- Conducting a study to convert part of Lutz Street to one-way traffic with improved transportation connectivity
- Engineering work to expand sidewalks along Assomption Boulevard
- Increased funding for snow removal around schools
- Hiring two new staff to focus on housing and homelessness
- Enhanced maintenance around Jones Lake
- Funding for studying the establishment of additional library branches
Budget Overview and Outlook
The 2027 budget allocates more than $396 million across various city needs. Breakdown includes an operations budget of $253 million, a capital budget of $94.6 million, and a utilities budget of $49.3 million. According to Doucet, the city expects revenue growth from property assessments to continue for the next five to seven years. If property values begin to decline, he noted that Moncton’s financial position remains strong and adjustments could be made if necessary.
Source: cbc.ca.
