On December 10, Halton Regional Council approved the Region’s 2026 Budget and Business Plan. This plan details key investments and how they advance the themes and actions in the Region’s 2023–2026 Strategic Business Plan.
“Our annual Budget and Business Plan is our roadmap for a strong future—keeping tax and rate increases as low as possible while making strategic investments in the infrastructure and services our fast-growing community needs today and for years to come,” said Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr.
2026 investment highlights
The 2026 Budget builds on a strong foundation, introducing additional investments to advance and strengthen priority programs and services. Key investments include:
- An additional $8.6 million, to a total of $155.2 million, to support the ongoing state-of-good-repair of the Water and Wastewater system.
- $3.0 million to provide an additional 14.0 FTEs and associated relief hours to address growth and maintain response times in Paramedic Services.
- A $2.0 million increase to support the continued implementation of the Region’s Digital Strategy and improve digital services.
- Adding $1.3 million to enhance the Region-Wide Basement Flooding Mitigation Program.
- An additional $1.1 million contribution to deliver new housing opportunities and support assisted housing.
- A $1.0 million investment in food security programs.
- $500,000 to enhance the Halton Region Community Investment Fund, bringing the total annual funding up to $5.5 million to support Community Safety and Well-Being priorities.
Taxes and rates
- Property tax impact:
- Regional services: 3.3%
- Police services: 6.4%
- Combined property tax increase for Regional and Police services: 4.6% ($14.65 per $100,000 of assessed property value)
- Water and wastewater rates:
- 6.0% increase to maintain the system in a state of good repair and ensure reliable, high-quality drinking water and wastewater services for residents and businesses.
“For more than 30 years, Halton's AAA/Aaa credit rating has helped us build a strong community that our residents expect and deserve,” added Chair Carr. “These top ratings mean we can borrow at the lowest possible cost, so every public dollar goes further when financing major infrastructure projects.”
More information
- Visit halton.ca/budget to read the full 2026 Budget and Business Plan, including detailed breakdowns of investments and services.
- Subscribe to get Regional news, notices, monthly highlights and more by email.
- Follow @regionofhalton on Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn.
About Halton Region
The Regional Municipality of Halton serves more than 650,000 residents in the City of Burlington, the Town of Halton Hills, the Town of Milton, and the Town of Oakville. Halton Region is committed to meeting the needs of its residents through the delivery of cost-effective, quality programs and services, including water and wastewater; Regional roads and infrastructure planning; paramedic services; waste management; public health; social assistance; children’s and seniors’ services; housing services; and emergency management. For more information, call 311 or visit Halton Region’s website at halton.ca.