2025/26 municipal budget

On April 8, 2025, Regional Council approved the 2025/26 municipal budget, including an operating budget of $1.33 billion and a capital budget of $314 million.

The residential tax rate remains unchanged at 0.770. Due to higher assessment increases, commercial rates have decreased in each assessment tier and tax area.

The average residential and commercial property tax bill is increasing by 5.2 per cent. This means the average single-family home tax bill will increase by $117 in 2025/26.

2025/26 Budget at a glance
2025/26 Budget highlights
Budget and Business Plan 2025/26 cover page


Read the 2025/26 Budget and Business Plan here. 

2025/26 Capital Plan cover page


Read the 2025/26 Capital Plan here. 

Budget process overview

Regional Council approves a Budget and Business Plan and a Capital Plan every year. The municipal budget funds all costs associated with servicing a growing municipality.

This includes day-to-day municipal operations (i.e., transit, police, fire, garbage collection, snow clearing), capital priority initiatives approved by Regional Council (i.e., HalifACT, the Cogswell District project, the Integrated Mobility Plan) - as well as capital projects and investments to purchase, construct, rehabilitate and replace municipal assets like buildings, roads, active transportation, parks and bridges.

2025/26 municipal budget planning process

Draft documents:

Key dates:

There are several milestones in the annual municipal budget process. Below are the upcoming key dates for the 2025/26 municipal budget process:

  • Wednesday, Feb. 12 to Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025 – Business Unit and Budget Presentations
    Each municipal business unit will present their proposed budget and business plan. Below are the scheduled presentation dates for each business unit:
  • Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025 – 2023/24 Strategic Performance Report and Snapshot
    • Regional Council will receive the 2023/24 Strategic Performance Report, outlining progress on strategic key performance indicators intended to assess advancement on approved priorities from the Strategic Priorities Plan 2021-25
  • Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025 – Budget Introduction and Capital Plan Recommendation – agenda
  • Wednesday, Feb. 12 (contingency: Friday, Feb. 14)
    • Public Safety (including Community Safety; Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency; Halifax Regional Police; and Royal Canadian Mounted Police Halifax Regional Detachment) – agenda
  • Wednesday, Feb. 19 (contingency: Friday, Feb. 21)  – agenda
    • Operations (including Major Projects Office; Strategic Infrastructure & Transportation Planning; Public Works; and Parks & Recreation)
  • Thursday, Feb. 20 (contingency: Friday, Feb. 21)  – agenda
    • Operations (including Halifax Transit; Planning & Development; and Property, Fleet & Environment) 
      Note: the public participation component for the Operations presentations will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 19 only
  • Wednesday, Feb. 26 (contingency: Friday, Feb. 28) – agenda
    • Corporate Services (including Chief Administrative Office; Finance & Asset Management; Human Resources; Information Technology; and Legal & Legislative Services)
  • Wednesday, March 19, 2025 – Budget Adjustment List (BAL) Review (contingency: Friday, March 21) – agenda
    • The BAL includes all additional items that business units have presented beyond their proposed budgets, including add-ons (“overs”) and subtractions (“unders”)
  • Tuesday, April 8, 2025 – budget approval – agenda
Other resources