2026 Budget | This is Your Niagara

Your dollars are doing things

Every year as a homeowner, you pay your Regional property tax bill. Or if you're renting, you pay your landlord who then pays their Regional tax bill. By paying that bill, those dollars go towards the Niagara Region budget.

Learn how the Niagara Region budget is built.

What your budget supports

Niagara Region's 2026 Budget is focused on maintaining the programs, services and key projects that impact the Niagara community while focusing on taxpayer affordability.

A lot of what we do is required by the Ontario provincial government. Some of what we do is delivering traditional services that you and your neighbours believe to be important to your community. The rest of what we do are the good things that make the community function safely and smoothly and in the end, better. The way we make these things happen is guided by our Council Strategic Priorities and the budget pays for all of it.

Council approved the 2026 General Tax Levy Budget with an increase of $42.3 million in 2026 equalling an estimated 6.30 per cent property tax increase on the Regional portion of the tax bill.

What this means is that Niagara residents will see an approximate increase of $211 on the Regional portion of their tax bills. This increase amount is based on the approximate market value of a home in Niagara priced at $620,600. This will start to appear on tax bills starting in the middle of this year.

The 2026 General Tax Levy Budget also provides support for Niagara's agencies, boards and commissions. This includes the Niagara Regional Police Service, Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, Niagara Regional Housing and Niagara Regional Court Services. Excluding incremental contributions to capital, the agencies, boards and commissions will see an increase of 4.40 per cent on the 2026 General Tax Levy Budget, with Niagara Regional Police Service making up 4.21 per cent of that total increase.

If you'd like more details on the 2026 Budget breakdowns, view the 2026 Water and Wastewater, Waste Management Budget media release and the 2026 General Tax Levy and Capital Budgets media release.

Key priorities

In 2026, we are looking forward and focusing on the four areas we think are most important. Here's what we'll do.

Infrastructure

Strengthen and modernize the Region's infrastructure to support future growth and climate change impacts.

Housing

Address housing shortages and affordability, ensuring that community needs are met through sustainable solutions and partnerships.

Homelessness

Implement initiatives to combat homelessness, focusing on prevention, support services and long-term solutions.

Advocacy for funding

Pursue funding opportunities, advocate for resources and align the organization's needs with provincial and federal funding programs.

Key areas of investment

In 2026, we are focused on two key areas:

Programs and services
Key priorities

Here are a few examples of what your dollars support.

Seniors

1,500 residents in long-term care homes

Seniors

10,500 companion visits to help families caring for loved ones

Children

20,525 elementary school dental screenings

Social support

6,200 affordable homes created by supporting 51 housing providers

Healthy families

86 per cent decrease in drivers speeding in automated enforcement zones

Healthy families

18,000 face-to-face mental health visits

911 services

Emergency services provided 99,625 responses to 911 calls

Growth

500,000 potholes patched

Other highlights

Service area	Community impact
Children	21 EarlyON Centres
Children	750 children cared for across home and child care centres
Healthy families	25 family physicians recruited in 2024
Healthy families	30,171 vaccinations administered
Healthy families	15,007 health inspections completed
Growth of the Region	1738 km of Regional roads maintained
Seniors	2,600 seniors supported through Seniors Community Programs
Seniors	1,000 seniors in need helped by rapid response support
Social assistance	5,588 people kept in housing through emergency benefits
Social assistance	2,438 rent supplements to create affordable housing
Social assistance	3,072 community housing units operated

Learn about all the programs and services we support.

Get involved

Let's talk about what your dollars are doing for your community.

Tell us what is important for you and your Regional tax dollars.

Want to follow along throughout the budget process?

Watch all of the budget meetings live.

Next up: 2027 Niagara Region Budget

As we prepare for the 2027 Budget, you can learn more about how the Niagara Region budget is built, the process, timeline and who is involved.