The 2026 city budget passed Wednesday in a 21-4 vote, as last-minute windfalls added money to fix infrastructure and make the LRT run more often while holding the tax hike to 3.75 per cent.

Mayor Mark S utcliffe said the budget protects affordability while investing in key resident priorities like public safety, transit and roads.

The property tax increase amounts to an extra $166 annually for the average urban homeowner.

The budget boosts funding for police and transit by proportionately more than for other city services.

But city staff surprised councillors on Wednesday with a pool of unexpected funding for roads, sidewalks, parks and recreation facilities.

Part of the new funds come from a larger tax base of new homeowners, which will bring in $1.2 million more per year than st

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