By: Niveja Assalaarachchi, News Writer
On October 31, the Metro Vancouver Regional District passed its budget for the 2026 fiscal year. It focuses on “drinking water, waste management, solid waste management, regional planning, regional parks, and more,” according to a Metro Vancouver press release.
Initially, the draft budget faced public scrutiny due to significant projected increases in spending. It would have raised average household costs by up to 5% compared to the previous year. However, following the completion of a financial review on April 9, the Board approved a plan that eliminated nearly $364 million in operating savings and $1.1 billion in capital expenditures from the budget. This occurred by “lowering debt servicing costs through reducing capital infrastructure spending, adjusting project timelines, and optimizing work plans.” These steps reduced the burden on households from $918 to an average of $897.
Despite the efforts to reduce spending, critics have questioned whether these cuts address the region’s underlying financial pressures (such as the cost of living) and raised concerns about long-term infrastructure investment and the future of transit projects. The Peak interviewed Kennedy Stewart, an associate professor of public policy, to learn more. Stewart also served as the mayor of Vancouver from 2018 to 2022 and was a member of parliament.
Stewart condemned the budget, stating it would only benefit the richest in the region and would lead to massive service cuts, disproportionately affecting renters and lower-income residents. He also pointed out that the timing of the budget was inappropriate, with the Canada-US trade war and lower-than-anticipated growth in the global economy creating uncertainty. Stewart wished the budget would allow for an environment where people would not be overtaxed or experience any service cuts.
Among the budget’s various cuts, Stewart highlighted a service for “general government zero waste collaboration initiatives” that was eliminated for the upcoming year. He said the district’s direction “reflects the political agendas of the mayors and the councillors sitting on that Board. They are very keen to reduce services.” Here, Stewart referenced climate change and transit proposals that he and the community fought hard for.
“We are seeing a very herky-jerky kind of approach to policy making”
— Kennedy Stewart, former mayor of Vancouver and SFU associate professor
Metro Vancouver covers 21 municipalities and other local government authorities in the Lower Mainland. The body has faced heavy criticism for its slow speed in developing projects and infighting between municipalities. This situation has led to Vancouver’s mayor, Ken Sim, boycotting all regional district meetings, and the Surrey City Council passing a resolution disavowing some of the policies brought forward by the Board.
Stewart also argued that, through his experience as mayor, the separation of the Lower Mainland into different local authorities has driven away investment from the region as a whole.
Considering this, he has advocated for amalgamating all the municipalities of the Lower Mainland into one, leading to the eventual abolishment of the regional district. “I think it’s completely outlived its usefulness now,” Stewart said. “You have all the little mayors from little municipalities with very little capacity in their own organizations trying to navigate billion-dollar contracts, and failing.” So, “it’s not a recipe for success and the province should really review this.” Former BC premier Mike Harcourt and leader of the BC Conservatives John Rustad also share this perspective.
