On February 4, 2026, the Chatham-Kent Council gave final approval to the municipality’s 2026 budget, which includes a 4.63 per cent property tax increase. The budget funds local priorities for the 2026 fiscal year, including road and bridge repairs and increased police service costs.
For a typical home assessed at roughly $173,000 (per municipal briefing), the 4.63% increase is estimated to add about $150 to $180 to an annual tax bill. (CBC News previously reported that an earlier recommended update would have raised the average homeowner’s bill by about $176; that CBC story was published Nov. 28, 2024 in relation to an earlier recommended 4.99% update.)
The final 4.63% tax levy is lower than the original forecast included in the municipality’s 2024 multi-year budget (about 7.7%), reflecting council and staff efforts to reduce the rate through identified efficiencies and reserve use.
Municipal documents and local reporting note much of the new funding is directed to asset management — repairing aging bridges, roads and drainage — and that a dedicated portion of the increase (about 0.62 percentage points) is aimed at addressing social issues such as homelessness and addiction supports.
Local leaders said they reduced the projected tax increase by identifying operational savings and efficiency measures. The municipality’s official 2026 Budget Presentation and related materials show those efforts helped keep the final increase below five per cent.
Residents can view the full breakdown of revenues and spending on the municipality’s Budget 2026 consultation page. Local reporting in the Chatham Daily News quoted Mayor Darrin Canniff saying the budget seeks to balance the reality of inflation with the need to maintain infrastructure and support community growth.
