The short answer
Burnaby's approved 2026 financial plan includes a 2.9% property tax increase, while regional water and sewer costs continue to put pressure on city finances. Vision 2030 would find savings in administration, duplication and delay first, with a target of keeping annual property tax increases around 3%.
Three things to know
- Burnaby's approved 2026–2030 financial plan sets the 2026 property tax increase at 2.9%.
- Regional costs add pressure: the city reports Metro Vancouver's 2026 water and sewer charges increased 6.4% and 7.6%, respectively.
- Renters pay too: property costs flow into rents and into the price of everything sold by a local business. Debt free is not waste free.
The honest comparison
What residents are asking
- After eight years, are we getting more for what we pay, or just paying more?
- How will City Hall keep local taxes near inflation while regional utility costs keep rising?
- Where did the money for the last big project actually go, and did it deliver what was promised?
My approach
- Look for savings in administration, duplication and process before looking at homeowners, renters and small businesses.
- Set a target of 3% and report every year on progress toward it.
- Having reserves does not justify burning through them. Publish plain-language budget reporting: what we promised, what it cost, what it delivered.
What you can hold me to
- 01A target of 3% annual property tax increases, reached through efficiency — reported on publicly each budget cycle.
- 02An annual efficiency review of city administration reported publicly before the budget vote, not after it.
- 03Plain-language reporting on every major capital project: approved cost, current cost, promised outcome, actual outcome.
Elect Bill Petrovas
For Mayor of Burnaby
“Announcements are not accomplishments. Debt free is not waste free. Let's measure what every tax dollar actually delivers.”
#Burnaby #TaxDollars #Accountability
Vote Oct. 17, 2026 · Your vote is your voice
Questions people ask
- Who decides Burnaby's property tax increase?
- Mayor and council approve it each year through the city's financial plan. The City of Burnaby publishes the budget and the tax rate bylaws at burnaby.ca.
- Can a mayor actually lower taxes?
- A mayor is one vote, but the mayor sets the agenda and the standard. Efficiency targets, honest reporting and comparisons with other cities change what council is willing to approve.
- Doesn't being debt free mean the city is well managed?
- It means the balance sheet is strong, which is genuinely good. It does not answer whether each dollar spent produced a result. Debt free is not waste free.
Public sources
These official sources provide context for the responsibilities and existing plans discussed in this brief.
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Read the briefAnnouncements are not accomplishments. Debt free is not waste free. Vote Saturday, October 17, 2026 — your vote is your voice.
Burnaby's next chapter needs you in it
Knock doors, host a coffee meeting, put up a sign, or simply pass this page to a neighbour. Every conversation counts before Saturday, October 17, 2026.