After two days of deliberations by Pembroke City Council, the 2026 budget is in the record books, and it’s described as a “modest” budget that won’t shock too many ratepayers as we head into the new year.
Angela Lochtie, Director of Corporate Services for the City of Pembroke, who spearheaded the annual accounting, says the property tax increase for the average homeowner in Pembroke is set to rise by $268.00 per year in 2026. The breakdown, according to Lochtie, is as follows:
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$68.00 towards capital infrastructure projects such as roads, sidewalks, parks and recreation facilities;
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$95.00 towards operating costs — maintaining the fire department and economic development in the community;
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$25.00 towards the increasing costs of OPP in Pembroke;
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The remaining $80.00 is earmarked for costs associated with the County of Renfrew and other shared services such as paramedics, homes for the aged, the local health unit, and various social services under this umbrella.
This works out to be an approximate increase of $22.00 per month to the ratepayers of Pembroke.
When asked what percentage increase this amounts to, Lochtie notes that the question is not as straightforward as it might seem. She explains:
Residents can note that this increase is less than last year’s hit of 8.92 percent.
One of the more notable elements of this year’s budget is the cost of policing, which Lochtie says is on the rise across the province, with Pembroke being no exception. She adds that the province is aware of the financial burden of this essential service and has tried to make it a less bitter pill to swallow:
Infrastructure is a major area of concern for council, says Lochtie, as the city’s structures continue to age with only so much money in the coffers to make necessary repairs and, in some cases, replace buildings and various city-managed structures:
What this means is that, in order for the city to stay on top of the necessary big-ticket expenditures, it will have to take on debt to bridge the gap. In plain terms, it means there will likely be a minimum two-percent increase each year to maintain infrastructure.
Among the larger projects on the city’s radar is the replacement of the floor and ice surface at the PACC, which is estimated to cost about $2 million and will be undertaken at the end of the 2027 hockey season:
Another item of note is a fairly significant increase in the cost of the city’s waste-disposal fee. Lochtie says the cost of the service has not changed in at least the past five years, but this year a sizeable increase is necessary to keep up with rising service-provider costs:
Water and sewer services are also slated to rise next year by an additional $94.00 annually, or $7.87 per month.
A public budget meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 13, in Council Chambers at 6:00 p.m. For those who cannot attend in person, the meeting will be streamed live on the city’s YouTube page.
(Written By: Richard Evans)