At a Special Council Meeting on February 17, Council directed staff to proceed with public engagement on the proposed 2026–2030 Financial Plan, including a proposed 2026 property tax increase of 3.5 per cent (approx. $101 for a property assessed at that average value for Maple Ridge of $1.04 million).

The city pays for the services it delivers on behalf of residents by obtaining funding from multiple sources. The four main ways revenue is generated to fund services and infrastructure are; property taxes, user fees and charges, development fees, and grants, interest and other revenues.

We are working hard to diversify our tax base and reduce the burden on residential property tax by attracting and growing businesses here.

The proposed budget is affected by a number of external cost pressures.

• External inflationary pressures (e.g., rising cost of construction, materials and equipment)
• Increased regulatory requirements (e.g., Provincial Housing Targets)
• Increased demand for City services
• Increased maintenance required for aging City assets (e.g., roads, facilities)
• Public safety service staffing increases (e.g., more firefighters, police, and community safety officers)
• Mandatory Labour Contract Increases
• Regional fee increases

A property’s assessed value determines the portion of taxes payable on that property. Each January, BC Assessment releases updated assessments showing how much property values Maple Ridge have risen or fallen compared to the previous year. If the assessed value of an individual property has changed more or less than the average assessed value for Maple Ridge, its tax increase or decrease may differ.

Reduced projected revenue from lower-than-anticipated property value assessments impacted the City's 2026 budget.

The factors that influence the 2026 property tax increase may be different for each municipality. Each municipality has different infrastructure needs, geographical challenges and populations. This chart outlines the proposed 2026 property tax increases for nearby municipalities that have similar population sizes and growth rates to Maple Ridge. Some of these municipalities include utility levies in their tax notices and some bill these separately.

Visit MapleRidge.ca/Capital for full details.

The graphic shows the proposed amount and the relative share of the operating budget for each area of city operations in the draft 2026 budget. The investments in day-to-day programs, services and staffing respond to the demand from residents based on feedback we’ve received throughout multiple engagements during 2025 and from the Community Survey in Fall 2025.

These numbers will continue to be adjusted as the financial year end actual expenses are finalized and further input is received from the community on the budget priorities we’ve outlined.

At the end of each year, any surplus funds received that were not expended are either carried forward into the next year (if the work is still ongoing) or reallocated to new projects.

In December 2025 Council approved the use of surplus funds on a one-time basis to fund expansion of the City’s community events, enhanced traffic safety measures, developing community evacuation plans to support emergency preparation, and additional research and studies to support future planning.

For a full list of expenditures approved on a one-time basis using budget surplus from 2025 visit the Learn More section on this page.

On December 15, 2025 Council approved the 2026-30 Capital Plan that focuses on getting infrastructure built, supporting growth, and delivering the core services residents rely on, while minimizing impacts on taxes.

One-time priority projects were also approved, funded by surplus from 2025, grants, and reserves, aligning with Council’s strategic priorities, and having no direct impact on this year’s tax rate.

In 2026, the City has provided more detail on the specific projects and types of investments underway and a full list of all capital investments is included in the Learn More section on this page.

Learn more about the annual business planning and budget process at MapleRidge.ca/Budget.

Results of the independent 2025 Community Survey were presented to Council on January 27, 2026. Conducted by Earnscliffe and Leger in October–November 2025, there were 711 surveys submitted from residents and business owners. Results were then weighted by age and gender to reflect Maple Ridge’s population.

Thank you to everyone who completed our Community Survey.

Engagement Level: The engagement for this phase of the project is at the "involve" level of the International Association for Public Participation's (IAP2) Spectrum of Public Participation. This means that we will work directly with the public throughout the process to ensure that public concerns and aspirations are consistently understood and considered.

Feb 24 - Mar 29, 2026: Residents and businesses will be invited to learn more about the proposed budget and provide feedback through:

• Survey
• Pop-up information booths:
  • Feb 25, 3:30 - 6pm, Maple Ridge Library
  • Feb 27, 7 - 8pm, The ACT
  • Feb 28, 1:30 - 3:30pm, Planet Ice
  • Mar 11, 9 - 11am, Maple Ridge Seniors Activity Centre

Engagement Level: The engagement for this phase of the project is at the "consult" level of the International Association for Public Participation's (IAP2) Spectrum of Public Participation. This means that we will obtain public feedback on analysis, alternatives and/or decisions.

Spring 2026: The approved 2026 budget and 2026 - 2030 Financial Plan will be shared.