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Budgets and Financial Plans

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We want to hear from you

Engagement on the 2026 Budget and Five Year Financial Plan is now open. Staff will provide your feedback in a report to the Board as they give direction on how the 2026 Budget should be prepared this spring.

  • ​​Watch the video on the annual budget
  • Complete a five-minute questionnaire​

    Complete a survey​

  • Email your comments to budgetengagement@metrovancouver.org
  • Call​ 604-432-6200 to provide your comments​​

​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 primarily through utility fees for drinking water supply, 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 is 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.

​About the budgeting process​​

Our budgeting process begins each year with a review of the capital plan and program. Then, the budget is developed to respond to risks and strategic directions from the Board.

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​​​Budgeting​​ schedule​​

  • Spring - Public input to support budget planning, and a Board Budget Workshop on the financial plan
  • ​​​​Spring-Summer - Ongoing opportunity for public input, review of long-term plans (including what assets or infrastructure need upgrades or what needs to be built), and engagement with member jurisdictions on their own capital work
  • Fall - Ongoing opportunity for public input and Board Budget Workshop on final proposed budget
  • October - Metro Vancouver Board of Directors considers the next year’s budget and five-year financial plan and approves as appropriate

2025 budget and 2025-2029 Financial Plan

The 2025 - 2029 Metro Vancouver Financial Plan was prepared following direction received at the Metro Vancouver Board Budget Workshop.

  • Reprioritization of projects and programs, resulting in approximately $650 million deferred costs and savings for the region
  • Household impact targets of 9.9% for 2025, 5.0% for 2026 and 5.0% for 2027
  • Implementation of Liquid Waste Development Cost Charges (DCCs) and Water DCCs to a 1% assist factor
  • Implementation of a new Regional Parks DCC and move it to a 1% assist factor over the financial plan

​​2025 budget at-a-glance

In the 2025 budget, Metro Vancouver residents will pay an average of $875 annually per household — or $73 a month — for all regional services. These services include drinking water, sewage treatment, waste management, regional parks, affordable housing, regional planning, air quality management, and more.

Due to the impact of the Norths​hore Wastewater Treatment Plant Program budget increase on the 2025 household impact rate projections, the Board’s direction was to find strategies to reduce the originally planned 11% increase in the household impact rate for all other Metro Vancouver programs. Major multi-year capital programs were reviewed, and this resulted in a revised rate increase of 9.9%, which helps accommodate the Northshore Wastewater Treatment Plant Program increase.​​

2025 e​stimated average cost per household​​​
​​​​Per ye​​​ar​
Per month
Regional PlanningRegional Planning Per year: $4
Per month: $0.33
Air QualityAir Quality Management Per year: $7 Per month: $0.58
Regional Parks​Regional Parks
Per year: $63 Per month: $5.25​
Solid Waste ServicesSolid Waste Services Per year: $71 Per month: $5.91​
Water ServicesDrinking Water Services Per year: $200 Per month: $16.66​
Liquid waste services​Liquid Waste Services Per year: $510 Per month: $42.50​
​ ​Other Regional District Services Per year: $20 Per month: $1.66​

​Where the money comes fr​om​

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  •   ​ Liquid waste levy Liquid Waste
  •  ​  Water sales Water
  •    Solid waste tipping fees Solid Waste
  •    MVRD requi​sition*​
  •    DCC reser​ves​
  •    Other rev​​​enues
  • ​​    Housing rents Housing rents
  •    Other reser​ves​**
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*Represents MVRD's portion of property taxes charged by ​member municipalities to taxpayers that help pay for MVRD services.

**Covers many different revenue streams including grants, energy sales and user fees.

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Where the mone​y goes​

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  •   ​ Liquid waste services Liquid Waste services
  •  ​  Water services Water services
  •    Solid waste services Solid Waste services
  •    Parks services Parks services
  •    Housing services Housing services
  •    *​Other regional district services
  •  ​  Air quality​​ services Air quality services

*​Includes E-9-1-1 telephone service, policy and planning, Invest Vancouver, and other services.

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2025 budg​et docum​ents​ and reports​ ​

2026 preliminary ​budget ​engagement

Figures are available for a preliminary 2026 budget, and are based on the 5% increase supported in 2024 through the Five Year Financial Plan. ​

​​​​Per ye​​​ar​
Per m​onth
Regional PlanningRegional Planning Per year: $4
Per month: $0.33
Air QualityAir Quality Management Per year: $7 Per month: $0.58
Regional Parks​Regional Parks
Per year: $50
Per month: $4.16​
Solid Waste ServicesSolid Waste Services Per year: $74
Per month: $6.16​
Water ServicesDrinking Water Services Per year: $211
Per month: $17.58​
Liquid waste services​Liquid Waste Services Per year: $549
Per month: $45.75​
​ ​Other Regional District Services Per year: $23
Per month: $1.92

Related links

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Resources

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Contact


Budget Engagement​

Share your feedback any time about Metro Vancouver’s budget

Information Centre​

Monday to Friday
​8:00 am - 4:30 pm

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Awards


The​ Canadian Award for Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada recognizes Canadian local governments that go beyond the minimum requirements of generally accepted accounti​ng principles to prepare annual financial reports in the spirit of transparency and full disclosure.

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