Winnipeg unveils preliminary 2026 budget – Winnipeg

The city’s 2026 preliminary budget will see Winnipeg’s property taxes return to an annual 3.5 per cent increase, following last year’s decades-high hike of nearly six per cent.

This was previously promised in the city’s multi-year budget plan.

For the average homeowner with a home valued at $371,000, it means an additional $75 a year.

That means an additional $26.6 million annually for the city in 2026, with about $7.6 million of that going towards the renewal of streets, bridges, sidewalks and lanes.

The 2026 budget will see an expenditure growth of 5.2 per cent. The upcoming year will also see $1.2 billion in capital, or $3.8 billion over six years — a 43 per cent increase from the year prior, including upgrades to the North End Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The first two phases of the project are fully funded, but the city still requires funding for the third and final phase. Budget 2026 will see the city borrow $547 million for phase three of the project.

The city is spending $1.1 billion over six years on road renewal, including $13 million on design planning for the Route 90 expansion project and $5.2 million for land acquisition for Route 90 and the Chief Peguis extension project.

Other areas where Winnipeggers can expect to pay more include a 2.8 per cent increase to water and sewer rates in 2026. Waste management fees will rise four per cent (to $264 in 2026, up from $254 in 2025, for residential, and $134, up from $127 in 2025, for multi-units).

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Adult transit fares are going up to $3.45, a 10-cent increase.

The city will also be spending $239 million to expand and modernize the transit fleet, which will result in 143 new buses over six years. An additional $79 million is going towards renewed and new recreation and library facilities across the city.

The city is also adding 40 new full-time firefighter positions over the next four years. The positions will be flexible resources designated to fill shifts and not assigned to a specific station to address firefighter burnout and reduce overtime. The city says workers’ compensation claims have doubled in the last three years.

City council will vote on the 2026 preliminary budget on Dec. 17.

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