Vancouver city council’s decision Tuesday on the 2026 operating budget was no surprise. But it was still significant, marking the biggest change in approach to municipal finances in many years.

As expected, council’s approval of the $2.39 billion operating budget — and its accompanying property tax freeze and hundreds of expected job cuts — fell along party lines, with ABC Vancouver’s seven members in support and the four other councillors opposing.

The majority party has been signalling this direction since June, when ABC Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim directed city staff to find “efficiencies” to avoid the six-to-seven-per-cent property tax hike they estimated would be needed to maintain existing service levels.

In September, Sim doubled down on that approach, directing staff to balance the

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