The City of Cambridge, Ontario, is moving forward with its 2026 municipal budget, which was formally adopted in December 2025 under the leadership of Mayor Jan Liggett. The spending plan, which covers more than 140 city services, was the second to be developed using the “Strong Mayor” powers granted by the provincial government.
According to the City of Cambridge, the 2026 budget includes significant upgrades to Riverside Park. These updates involve building a new pool house and replacing the existing splash pad, projects that were retained in the final plan after facing some scrutiny during council deliberations.
Throughout the budget’s development in late 2025, Mayor Liggett held individual meetings with members of the Cambridge City Council. The mayor’s office stated this approach was intended to help ensure the budget reflected many different voices from across the city while maintaining core services and investing in strategic infrastructure.
However, the new process sparked debate among local leaders. Several councillors expressed frustration and confusion during the drafting phase, noting that the centralized “Strong Mayor” process limited their ability to provide input as early as in previous years. Despite these concerns, the final budget was adopted after the mayor chose not to veto any of the amendments proposed by council members during the review period.
