Your Durham Budget

Durham Region's 2026 Budget balances delivering quality services with maintaining affordability for residents with a property tax increase of 4.8 per cent. For an average homeowner, Regional property taxes will increase by about $14 per month where approximately $10 dollars funds police services and $4 will be invested in other essential services across the Region including transit, housing, paramedic services and regional roads and bridges.

We held a Budget Town Hall, conducted a public survey, and invited public feedback to help shape the priorities for this budget – we heard clearly that a focus on affordability and ensuring that essential services continue to evolve and meet demand are important to residents. The 2026 Budget invests in our community through programs and services such as:

• Region of Durham Paramedic Services: 36 hours of additional paramedic response daily and an expansion of the Primary Care Outreach program;
• Durham Region Transit: 4.5 per cent growth in total revenue hours to deliver more frequent and reliable scheduled service, along with additional capacity for On Demand riders and 11 electric buses and supporting electrification infrastructure to advance the transition to a zero Greenhouse Gas emission battery electric fleet;
• Housing and Homelessness Supports: Redevelopment of Housing Durham community housing properties and the development of new affordable housing units, supporting the Region’s At Home Incentive Program, piloting a new Community Housing Providers Capital Support Program and increasing supports for the Region’s homelessness support, outreach and winter warming programs; and
• Durham Regional Police Service: Investments in adequate and effective policing including 78 uniform positions to respond to growth and an increase in frontline work, 33 civilian positions supporting investigative and operational support units and five tactical flight officers.

Like many municipalities, we are experiencing rising costs to deliver existing services, maintain our aging information and meet growing demand for critical frontline services and infrastructure to support our expanding community. These challenges are compounded by economic uncertainty – such as inflation and tariffs – and an increasing need for provincial and federal funding.

The 2026 Budget focuses on keeping costs manageable while still funding the services residents rely on every day – important services that keep our community safe, connected, and supported.

To guide future planning the Region will carry out a Core Services Review that will assess existing service delivery, examine service level requirements, and identify opportunities for sustainable efficiencies. The review will also quantify areas where Regional funding exceeds senior‑government mandates, helping to inform the Region’s ongoing advocacy for predictable and adequate funding.

Residents are reminded that the Municipal Property Tax Assessment Corporation (MPAC) sets the assessed value for each individual property. Questions about property valuation should be directed to MPAC at 1-866-296-6722 or mpac.ca.

Read the full news release.