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By Vernon Matters Staff

Draft Budget

Kelowna releases 2026 draft budget ahead of council deliberations

Nov 27, 2025 | 12:12 PM

Kelowna residents can now review the city’s draft 2026 budget a week before council begins formal deliberations on Dec. 4. The spending plan outlines how the city intends to fund services, infrastructure and major priorities in the year ahead.

City officials say the plan maintains ongoing investment in public safety, transportation and other key services while keeping Kelowna’s projected tax increase among the lowest in B.C.

“This budget is about stability and progress,” City Manager Doug Gilchrist said in a statement. He said the proposal reflects council’s commitment to community safety, housing, transportation, sustainability and economic development, while keeping taxes “low and predictable.”

The draft budget totals $1.051 billion and is tied directly to council’s Priority Action Plan, which includes 25 actions across six focus areas. Those priorities include crime and safety, transportation, homelessness, affordable housing, agriculture and the environment, and the local economy.

Key elements of the plan include a proposed 4.47 per cent tax increase, which the city says would add about $116 to the average homeowner’s annual bill. The city says more than 75 per cent of its revenue now comes from user fees, reserves and other non-tax sources.

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This marks the final budget before the next municipal election in October 2026.

More information on the draft budget is available at kelowna.ca/budget.