A Statement from CUPE BC: On Vancouver’s 2026 Budget, “zero” means cuts to services, layoffs for workers, and higher fees for families

Today, November 25, Mayor Ken Sim and the ABC Council members adopted a new budget without a property tax adjustment for 2026. Despite their claims, a zero percent property tax rise—one that fails to even account for basic inflation—will not come with zero impacts to the services and spaces Vancouver residents count on.

According to the City’s own reporting, the 2026 Vancouver budget will cut $120 million from core services, eliminate an estimated 400 City jobs, including approximately 270 CUPE positions, and shift costs onto working families through nearly $50 million in higher user fees. The new budget will mean reduced service hours, substantial deferred maintenance of facilities and infrastructure, and longer wait times across core City services, including parks and recreation, arts and culture, community supports, and planning and sustainability. 

A record-breaking 600 people signed up to speak to Council to oppose the Mayor Sim/ABC Vancouver budget plan, and thousands more have written letters or signed petitions calling for a different approach. Engaged citizens know that when it comes to this budget, zero doesn’t mean zero; it means reduced services, longer wait times, fewer community resources, and higher fees. Speaker after speaker told Council they were willing to pay their fair share in property taxes to maintain services, yet these residents were ignored.

CUPE BC represents City of Vancouver and Vancouver Library workers, plus thousands more who live in Vancouver, work for a diversity of different employers, and will be directly affected by this budget. Those residents, citizens and taxpayers, care about Vancouver—its beautiful parks, vibrant community centres, dynamic libraries, sustainable economy, welcoming public spaces, and clean streets.

On behalf of all CUPE members in the City of Vancouver, we express our extreme disappointment with this Council’s choices, and our concern about the negative impacts to the facilities, infrastructure and services our communities rely on.

Our union will continue to work with our members and our community to tell Council No Means No, and to listen to the voices of their constituents, and to the frontline workers who deliver the services residents, businesses and visitors rely on. In the longer term, we know that Vancouver’s future is not yet written, and it is incumbent on us to step up, and make a better Vancouver for everyone moving forward.