Metro Vancouver’s budgets and financial plans
Metro Vancouver provides services that are key to the prosperity, resilience, equity, and livability of the region through four legal entities: Metro Vancouver Regional District (MVRD), Greater Vancouver Water District (GVWD), Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District (GVS&DD), and Metro Vancouver Housing Corporation (MVHC).
The majority of Metro Vancouver’s operating and capital budgets are financed through utility fees for drinking water, sewerage, and solid waste management.
Property taxes account for a small portion of the Metro Vancouver budget and support the regional parks system, as well as other services including air quality management and regional planning activities.
Metro Vancouver Housing Corporation is a non-profit organization owned by the Metro Vancouver Regional District. Ongoing operations of Metro Vancouver’s housing are financed almost entirely through rents paid by tenants. Investment in new affordable housing over the next 10 years comes from Metro Vancouver in conjunction with various affordable housing funding bodies.
A financial report including audited consolidated financial statements of the four legal entities is posted annually.
2026 budget and 2026-2030 Financial Plan
In 2026, households will pay $897 for the year — about $75 a month — on average for all of Metro Vancouver's services.
2026 estimated average cost per household by service area
| | Per year
| Per month
|
|---|
|
Services of Metro Vancouver Regional District |
 Regional Planning |
Per year: $4
|
Per month: $0.33
|
 Air Quality Management |
Per year: $7 |
Per month: $0.58
|
 Regional Parks
|
Per year: $50
|
Per month: $4.17
|
Other Regional District Services*
|
Per year: $20 |
Per month: $1.67
|
|
Services of Greater Vancouver Water District |
 Drinking Water Services |
Per year: $208
|
Per month: $17.33
|
|
Services of Greater Vancouver Sewerage & Drainage District |
 Solid Waste Services |
Per year: $74
|
Per month: $6.17
|
 Liquid Waste Services |
Per year: $534
|
Per month: $44.50
|
* Includes regional economic development, the E9-1-1 call centre, and regional emergency management.
Finding cost savings
In recent years, Metro Vancouver has heard consistently from residents that, while they value and support paying for the essential services they rely on, affordability remains a concern. We have also heard the interest in greater transparency, stronger governance, and careful management of major projects. In response, the organization has undertaken a series of major actions to manage costs and strengthen oversight.
On April 9, 2025, the Metro Vancouver Board completed a
Services and Cost Efficiencies Review, directing the organization to apply $364 million in operating budget savings to its 2026 Budget and 2026-2030 Five-Year Financial Plan.
Savings were found through:
- Adjusting timing of when projects will be delivered, based on deliverability and market conditions
- Reductions in capital infrastructure spending across multiple programs
- Reduced consulting services, business support costs, and scope across departments
- Adjusted workplans and focused on resource optimization and efficiency strategies
- Reducing debt servicing costs as a result of $1.1 billion in adjustments to infrastructure spending
These savings were on top of work done in 2024 to reduce the impact on ratepayers, including:
- Reprioritization of projects and programs, resulting in approximately $650 million deferred costs and savings for the region
- Implementation of Liquid Waste Development Cost Charges (DCCs) and Water DCCs, transitioning to a 1 per cent assist factor
- Implementation of a new Regional Parks DCC with 1 per cent assist factor
Additional steps taken to strengthen Board governance and improve cost management include:
- Rescoping the Iona Island Wastewater Treatment Plant Project, reducing costs from $9.9 billion to $6 billion over the next 15 years
- Undertaking a Board Governance Review and rapidly implementing recommendations
Even with these changes, Metro Vancouver continues to face pressure on the annual budget. These pressures are driven by the rising costs of delivering new and upgraded infrastructure required to meet regulatory requirements, keep critical systems in a state of good repair, provide services for a growing population, and continue protecting human health and the environment.
About the budgeting process
Spring
- Review of the current five-year financial plan and capital plan
- Public engagement on existing projections from five-year financial plan
- Board meeting: the
Boards provide direction on the financial plan
Early summer
- Review of long-term plans (including what assets or infrastructure need upgrades or what needs to be built)
- Budget is developed to respond to risks and strategic directions from the Board
- Ongoing public engagement
- Engagement with
member jurisdictions on their own capital work
July-August
- The proposed capital programs are presented to applicable Board Standing Committees
- Public comment period on the draft budget
September-October
- The proposed budget is presented to member jurisdictions and Board Standing Committees.
- The proposed budgets are presented at Council of Councils, a meeting of all elected officials from member jurisdictions
- The Boards consider the next year’s budget and five-year financial plan at a special meeting and approves, as appropriate, at the regular October meeting
Get involved: 2027 Budget and 2027-2031 Financial Plan
At Metro Vancouver, we make decisions that impact over 3 million residents that live in our region. Metro Vancouver engages municipalities, businesses, and the general public whenever we are working on a new program, policy, or project across our service areas. Learn more about our
engagement principles.