Moncton’s city council unanimously approved the 2026 budget in a series of votes on Thursday. The budget includes a $236 million operating budget, a $92 million capital budget, and a $47.8 million utility budget. Jacques Doucet, the city’s finance services general manager, described the budget as positive, maintaining the tax rate at $1.3614 per $100 of assessed value for most of the city. Areas amalgamated in 2023 will have a tax rate of $0.9908 per $100 of assessment.
Deputy Mayor Paulette Thériault, acting mayor due to Dawn Arnold’s Senate appointment, expressed satisfaction with the budget, noting it would be her last as she will not run in the upcoming election. The budget allocates funds for additional firefighters, the first significant staff increase in decades, following a review of the fire department.
The capital budget includes provisions for Codiac Transpo buses replacement, St. George Street reconstruction, a new east-west street in the Humphreys Brook area, and expansion plans for the Codiac Transpo garage. Additionally, $500,000 has been earmarked for purchasing land for a park in the Vision Lands area.
In a move to enhance traffic safety, city councillors agreed to increase spending on traffic calming measures by $250,000 to $750,000. The budget also allocates $1 million for active transportation projects along the Morton and Connaught avenues corridor to address cyclist safety concerns.
Despite requests from the Codiac Regional Policing Authority, Moncton decided against adding 15 new officers in 2026. The policing budget will still rise to $43 million due to other escalating costs.
Furthermore, a report revealed that there are currently around 30 vacant positions within the Codiac RCMP, with only 14 of the 17 approved officers for 2025 having been filled. Riverview also deliberated its budget, intending to maintain a tax rate of $1.3826 per $100 of assessed value, with an operating budget of $43 million and a capital budget of $43.5 million.
Dieppe and Riverview’s budgets similarly exclude the requested additional officers from the policing authority. Dieppe council is set to finalize its budget on November 24.