Kamloops to hold one public budget information session as staff aim to wrap up engagement by December

“This will enable the corporation to move forward with a clear budget and give residents more time to engage meaningfully in shaping future initiatives.”

The provisional budget will be presented at next Tuesday’s (Nov. 18) Committee of the Whole meeting. Three supplemental business cases will also be presented that day, though Rutsatz said none of the supplemental items will impact the budget before 2027.

In previous years, the proposed supplemental budget was presented at an information session in February.

A more in-depth engagement process will be available on the Let’s Talk portal between Nov. 20 and Dec. 19. Paper copies of the survey will also be available for pick up at City Hall.

Residents can already share their budget priorities directly to city staff here.

The city is required to develop a balanced budget and five-year financial plan each year. Provincial regulations stipulate the budget be finalized by the middle of May, with property taxes then typically due in early July.

People will be able to get a first look at the provisional 2026 budget this Friday (Nov. 14) when the agenda for next week’s Committee of the Whole meeting is released.

Kamloops taxpayers were faced with a 7.42 per cent property tax increase in 2025 and a 9.55 per cent increase in 2024.

According to a report presented at the most recent Economic Health Select Committee meeting on July 10, taxpayers were looking at a property tax increase of 6.72 per cent in 2026, though it’s not clear how much that figure has changed over the past four months.

Summary of projected tax rate changes in Kamloops as of July 10, 2025. (Image Credit: City of Kamloops)

Earlier this year, the city also approved utility rate increases for 2026, though the increases were not as high as initially projected.

Water rates will increase 10 per cent instead of 15 per cent, sewer rates will increase by three per cent instead of five per cent, while solid waste rates will increase by 10 per cent.

According to the city, these utility increases will mean an extra $121 — or $10.08 a month — for the average residential property in 2026.

Summary of approved 2026 utility rate increases in Kamloops. (Image Credit: City of Kamloops)

by Victor Kaisar

Kamloops to hold one public budget information session as staff aim to wrap up engagement by December

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