Where every party stands on budget
5 of the 6 parties on the October 17 ballot have published something on taxes and the city budget. Here they are side by side, each with its source.
BEFORE YOU COMPARE
Who actually decides this
Under the Community Charter a municipality adopts a five-year financial plan by bylaw each year (section 165), and Council then sets the year’s property tax rates by bylaw before May 15 (section 197).
Read the commitments below against that. Where a party proposes something the city cannot do on its own, the commitment carries a line naming who holds the power. That is not a criticism of the promise. A council can lobby, fund and argue, and saying so plainly is more useful than pretending the limit does not exist.
WHAT THE COMPARISON SHOWS
Reading this ballot on budget
5 of the 6 parties have published something here, and between them they have made 23 separate commitments. Advance Richmond has published the most, with 6.
Not one of these commitments carries a dollar figure, a count or a percentage. They set a direction, which means there is nothing here to check against a budget later.
SIDE BY SIDE
Every published position on budget
| Party | Published position | Commitments |
|---|---|---|
| Advance Richmond | In October 2026 posts the organization promised to freeze municipal property taxes for restaurants and grocery stores, to make all City-run parking free for Richmond residents while visitors keep paying, and to publish timelines and costs for City projects. Kevin Lai's statement promised "a builder's discipline" on municipal projects. The posts give no cost for any of these. | 6 |
| Richmond Forward | Richmond Forward's accountability pillar promises a value-for-dollar review, service targets and a public dashboard of key measurements for programs and services. Howard's statement to the City calls it an external value-for-money review to keep taxes low. The prosperity pillar promises economic development targets reported annually, a vision for a trade and exhibition centre, and incentives for commercial and industrial land. | 5 |
| Common Sense | The second pillar promises strict fiscal responsibility. The platform also promises spending: a municipally operated medical clinic, AI traffic light systems, digitized municipal forms and housing for first responders. It gives no cost for any of them and no tax target. | 4 |
| Richmond United | Hobbs told the Richmond News he supports a core services review on a priority basis to deliver services more efficiently, that lower taxes would mean cuts to police, fire or parks, and that the goal is to keep tax increases to inflation. He said yes to raising taxes to pay for more police officers and firefighters, and said Richmond United would press for more policing in the next budget. | 4 |
| RITE Richmond | RITE Richmond's platform page promises to keep taxes reasonable through strict oversight of spending. Gillanders told the Richmond News she does not believe taxes can be lowered, but increases can be kept to a minimum by finding efficiencies, and that one percent of taxes should keep going to the facilities capital budget. Wolfe said he would raise taxes to pay for more police officers and firefighters. | 4 |
| Richmond Education Party | Nothing published. Checked October 30, 2026. | — |
ADVANCE RICHMOND
A property tax freeze for restaurants and grocery stores, free City parking for residents, and cost reporting on City projects
In October 2026 posts the organization promised to freeze municipal property taxes for restaurants and grocery stores, to make all City-run parking free for Richmond residents while visitors keep paying, and to publish timelines and costs for City projects. Kevin Lai's statement promised "a builder's discipline" on municipal projects. The posts give no cost for any of these.
- Freeze municipal property taxes for restaurants and grocery stores
- Free City-run parking for Richmond residents
- Clear plans, realistic budgets and firm timelines on municipal projects
- Public timelines and cost reporting on City projects
RICHMOND FORWARD
A value-for-money review, service targets, a public dashboard, and economic development targets reported each year
Richmond Forward's accountability pillar promises a value-for-dollar review, service targets and a public dashboard of key measurements for programs and services. Howard's statement to the City calls it an external value-for-money review to keep taxes low. The prosperity pillar promises economic development targets reported annually, a vision for a trade and exhibition centre, and incentives for commercial and industrial land.
- An external value-for-money review of City services
- Service targets and a public dashboard
- Economic development targets reported every year
- A vision for a Trade and Exhibition Centre
COMMON SENSE
Strict fiscal responsibility, a City-run medical clinic, and AI traffic lights
The second pillar promises strict fiscal responsibility. The platform also promises spending: a municipally operated medical clinic, AI traffic light systems, digitized municipal forms and housing for first responders. It gives no cost for any of them and no tax target.
- Strict fiscal responsibility
- A municipally operated medical clinic
- AI traffic light systems
- Digitize municipal forms
RICHMOND UNITED
A core services review, tax increases held to inflation, and more policing in the next budget
Hobbs told the Richmond News he supports a core services review on a priority basis to deliver services more efficiently, that lower taxes would mean cuts to police, fire or parks, and that the goal is to keep tax increases to inflation. He said yes to raising taxes to pay for more police officers and firefighters, and said Richmond United would press for more policing in the next budget.
- A core services review
- Keep tax increases to inflation
- More policing in the next budget
- Equal community amenities for every part of Richmond
RITE RICHMOND
Keep taxes reasonable through strict oversight of spending
RITE Richmond's platform page promises to keep taxes reasonable through strict oversight of spending. Gillanders told the Richmond News she does not believe taxes can be lowered, but increases can be kept to a minimum by finding efficiencies, and that one percent of taxes should keep going to the facilities capital budget. Wolfe said he would raise taxes to pay for more police officers and firefighters.
- Keep tax increases to a minimum through efficiencies
- Keep the one percent of taxes that goes to the facilities capital budget
- Raise taxes if needed for more police officers and firefighters
- No increase in taxpayer money for community events for now
NOTHING PUBLISHED YET
1 party has published nothing on this
A blank records that we looked on the date shown and found nothing on the public record. Some parties are not contesting the race that decides this subject, which is a reason to publish nothing on it.
Richmond Education Party
Nothing published on budget. Checked October 30, 2026.