The High Cost of Living in Burlington: Why Our Fiscal Path is Unsustainable

I love Burlington. I love our waterfront, our trails, and the sense of community that makes this city one of the best places to live in Canada. But lately, when I look at my property tax bill, that "best place to live" label is starting to feel like a luxury I can no longer afford. Since 2022, we have watched our city’s portion of property taxes climb at a rate that defies logic and ignores the reality of the average household budget.

It is time for a honest conversation about City Hall’s spending habits, our depleted reserves, and the urgent need for taxpayer relief.

Neighborhoods just like this one in Headon Forest are experience crushing tax increases every year.

The 42% Problem

If you feel like your wallet is significantly lighter than it was four years ago, you aren't imagining things. Since 2022, the City of Burlington’s portion of our tax bill has seen a compounding increase of approximately 42%. While the "blended" rate—which includes the Region and Education—is often the number touted by Council to soften the blow, the city-controlled portion has been the primary engine of our rising costs.

In 2023, we saw a city increase of over 13%. In 2024, it was another 10%. Even the most recent 2026 budget, despite a "Mayoral Direction" intended to keep things under control, still landed at a 5.8% city increase. For a resident owning a $1 million home, these aren't just percentages; they represent hundreds, then thousands, of extra dollars being siphoned away from retirement savings, grocery budgets, and mortgage payments.

Spending vs. Stewardship

The narrative from City Hall is often that these increases are "investments" in our future. But as a resident, I have to ask: at what point does "investment" become "overspending"?

We are currently the slowest-growing municipality in Halton. While our neighbors in Oakville and Milton benefit from new assessment growth to spread the tax burden, Burlington is stagnant. Instead of tightening the belt to reflect this reality, Council continues to green-light "new and enhanced" projects while our core infrastructure renewal—the literal nuts and bolts of our city—faces a $350 million funding gap over the next decade.

We are behaving like a household that buys a brand-new home theater system while the roof is leaking and the savings account is empty.

The Reserve Fund Crisis

Our reserve funds—our "rainy day" accounts—are another point of serious concern. As of late 2025, a significant portion of our reserves were already "committed," leaving us vulnerable to the next major flood, economic downturn, or provincial policy shift. We are drawing on these funds to offset operating costs, a practice that is the municipal equivalent of using a credit card to pay for groceries.

To truly recover, we need a Council that prioritizes Infrastructure Renewal over "nice-to-have" legacy projects. We cannot continue to rely on a strategy that assumes residents have an infinite supply of disposable income.

A Path to Fiscal Sanity

What does relief look like? It starts with a commitment to the following:

• A Comprehensive Spending Audit: We need to look at every department, specifically the rising costs of internal administration and benefits, which have outpaced inflation.

• A Target Tax Freeze: For the 2027 budget cycle, Council should aim for a city-tax increase of 0%. We need at least year of stabilization to let residents catch their breath.

• Prioritizing Growth: We must find ways to increase our assessment growth—not through reckless high-rises that strain our current services, but through smart, business-friendly development that brings jobs and tax revenue back to Burlington.

Final Thoughts

According to recent surveys, nearly 70% of Burlington residents want the city to find efficiencies rather than increase taxes. We aren't asking for a decline in services; we are asking for a government that lives within its means, just like we have to.

Council needs to remember that they are the stewards of our money, not the owners of it. If we don’t demand a course correction now, the "Burlington Lifestyle" will soon be a memory for many of the seniors, young families, and hard-working residents who built this city.

It's time to stop the overspending, rebuild our reserves, and finally provide the tax relief we deserve.