Vancouver residents delivered a powerful message to city council this week, repeatedly urging politicians to reject the proposed 2026 operating budget until officials provide specific details about how millions in cost savings will be achieved.
Public Demands Budget Transparency
During what will likely be a multi-day budget meeting that began on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, concerned citizens and stakeholders voiced their frustration with the lack of detail in ABC Vancouver's 'back to basics' budget. Both the public and council members themselves remain in the dark about how exactly the city plans to achieve substantial cost reductions while implementing a zero per cent property tax increase.
The level of public engagement has been extraordinary, with more than 600 people registered to address council about the budget. Council veterans noted they couldn't recall a time when so many speakers had signed up to discuss a single item.
Stark Contrast in Budget Documentation
The draft operating budget presented to council and the public stands in sharp contrast to previous years' documents. This year's budget proposal consists of a relatively brief 23-page document, compared to the 373-page document from last year and 501 pages the year before.
This dramatic shift comes after ABC Vancouver approved cumulative property tax hikes of more than 21 per cent over their first three years in office, while the operating budget ballooned by 17 per cent from $1.97 billion to $2.3 billion. The party has now dramatically changed course for the final budget before the October 2026 election.
Substantial Cuts and Job Losses Expected
Last month, Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim and his ABC colleagues directed city staff to identify ways to cut costs or increase revenues by $120 million to balance the budget while freezing property taxes. According to an internal memo distributed to city hall managers, this is expected to mean reducing the city's workforce by around 400 full-time jobs.
The draft budget presented to council includes only overall budget amounts for different municipal departments, with most departments facing year-over-year reductions between one and 15 per cent. However, the document provides no specifics about which positions might be eliminated or what services could be affected.
Green Coun. Pete Fry expressed the frustration shared by many when he asked city staff about the lack of detail, noting this is his seventh year on council and they've always had much more specific information during budget discussions. His question to staff summarized the concerns of many: 'I appreciate the presentation today — but where's the beef?'
Concerns about transparency were repeated throughout Wednesday's meeting by the four council members not affiliated with ABC, followed by labor representatives, private company representatives, and members of the public. The substantial public response indicates that Vancouver residents want more than just promises of fiscal responsibility—they demand to see the specific plans that will affect their city services and workforce.
