Vernon City Council received the draft financial plan at the regular meeting Monday, Nov 10 (photo by Liam Verster / Vernon Matters)

By Liam Verster

10.24% Proposed Tax

Public engagement open for Vernon’s draft financial plan

Nov 10, 2025 | 3:28 PM

Vernonites have the opportunity to have their say in the city’s finances.

Vernon City Council was presented with the draft 2026-2030 Financial Plan.

The plan outlined an operational tax increase for 2026 of 6.74 per cent, as well as a 3.5 per cent tax for the Active Living Centre, for a total 10.24 per cent.

The operational tax broke down as followed:

• 2.88 per cent to maintain service levels
• 2.15 per cent to offset investment declines
• 1.35 per cent for RCMP Contract and Support Costs
• 0.36 per cent in Council pre-approved increases for a Transportation Planner and enhanced cyber security

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The plan can be seen online, and the city opened its public engagement portal Monday, Nov. 10, to get insight and feedback on the document from residents.

There will also be Open Houses for people to provide their feedback on November 18 from 3 to 6 p.m. at Silverstar Brewing, and on November 19 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the council chambers.

The deadline to submit input on the financial plan was set for November 24.

Speaking with Vernon Matters after receiving the draft financial plan, the mayor said the taxation figures were not finalized.

“I think we have to wait, that [10.24 per cent tax] is the expense side, and we’ll look at the revenue side and get a better look at this and we’ll know in December [during budget deliberations],” Mayor Victor Cumming said following the regular council meeting Monday, Nov. 10.

“Last time we had an eye opening number, more than 11 per cent [for 2025] and it came down to more than nine per cent, so it came down about two per cent. So wait until we see the rest of it in December and we’ll get an idea of what the final is.”

The mayor noted there were some things that could not be altered, such as the ALC costs and the RCMP pay, but there could be other cost saving measures identified and incorporated into the budgeting process.

“The key thing is we told operations that they have to be very lean, and it’s under three per cent for continuing operations, that is critical,” Cumming told Vernon Matters.

“These other things, there are some that don’t have flexibility that agreements have been signed, and some of those are signed external to us like the RCMP. That’s just a cost that comes down once they make agreements with their police officers.”

Council received the draft financial plan for information Monday.