COQUITLAM, B.C., September 2, 2025 – How should Coquitlam balance funding and service levels in the 2026 budget? Share your views in the City’s online budget survey, open until September 14 at LetsTalkCoquitlam.ca/budget2026. 

The annual budget survey is your chance to weigh in on service priorities for the City of Coquitlam. Because property taxes and utility fees fund a majority of City services, your feedback helps to strike the right balance between the levels of service you expect and the taxes and fees you are willing to pay. 

Balancing Costs and Community Needs

Like households across B.C., the City is facing higher costs driven by external pressures such as the rising costs of goods and services, labour shortages and potential tariffs. At the same time, new provincial legislation is limiting how we can recover costs for growth — putting added pressure on property taxes to fund new parks, recreation centres and housing.  

As Council and staff prepare the 2026 budget, our priority is to maintain essential services and City assets while balancing affordability. We are committed to managing costs responsibly so Coquitlam can continue to provide a high quality of life — now and in the future.

Why Your Input Matters

Public participation plays a key role in shaping the City’s budget to reflect community priorities while addressing today’s economic challenges. Through this process, you can also learn more about how City budgets are created, and how your property tax dollars and other revenues are spent. 

The Budget Planning Process

Coquitlam’s budget is developed over several months with input from Council, staff, the City’s cultural partners (Coquitlam Public Library, Evergreen Cultural Centre, Place des Arts and Coquitlam Heritage Society) and the broader community — that’s you. Guided by Council-approved financial policies, the process ensures essential services and infrastructure are planned responsibly for today and the future.

Learn more about the City’s financial approach at coquitlam.ca/FinancialPlan. 

Explore Coquitlam’s Budget Data 

Residents interested in learning more about City spending can access Coquitlam OpenBook, a data visualization tool that allows users to explore City data through informational text and clickable maps, charts and graphs. 

For those who want a deeper look, Openbook provides data on:

• 2025 – 2029 approved capital budgets, detailed by budget groups
• 2025 capital project explorer, including maps, budgets and background details on 16 major projects
• 2025 operating budget, broken down by department
• 2024 Annual Report, overview of expenses and revenues

For more information, visit coquitlam.ca/budget to view the 2025 – 2029 Financial Plan or contact Financial Planning staff at FinancialPlanning@coquitlam.ca.  

Media Contact:

Jamie Mahal
Manager Financial Planning
604-927-3030
FinancialPlanning@coquitlam.ca 

We acknowledge with gratitude and respect that the name Coquitlam was derived from the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ (HUN-kuh-MEE-num) word kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (kwee-KWET-lum) meaning “Red Fish Up the River”. The City is honoured to be located on the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm traditional and ancestral lands, including those parts that were historically shared with the q̓ic̓əy̓ (kat-zee), and other Coast Salish Peoples.