---
title: "Pete Fry says 2027 budget comes first as new Vancouver council gets to work"
description: "Mayor Pete Fry says he wants to see the full budget document before deciding on a 2027 property tax increase, signalling the end of ABC Vancouver's zero-per-cent freeze."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/news/pete-fry-2027-property-tax-budget-november-2026"
last_updated: "2026-11-06T02:58:37.776Z"
---

[Mayor Pete Fry](/candidates/pete-fry) says he will not decide on a 2027 property tax level until he has read the full budget document, which city council is expected to approve before the end of December. Vancouver Is Awesome reported the comments November 5, citing a scrum with reporters after the November 2 inauguration at The Orpheum Theatre.

"The opportunity to get a lot of things done is going to be predicated by how the budget goes," Fry said, according to Vancouver Is Awesome. "So we need to be kind of methodical and thoughtful about how we approach it."

## The ABC Vancouver promise is off the table

During the 2026 election, outgoing mayor Ken Sim and ABC Vancouver promised a second consecutive year of zero per cent property tax growth for 2027. Vancouver Is Awesome reports that scenario is unlikely under the new council, where the Green Party, COPE and OneCity hold a majority, with [Mike Klassen](/candidates/mike-klassen) as ABC's lone councillor.

Fry, [Sean Orr](/candidates/sean-orr) (COPE) and [Lucy Maloney](/candidates/lucy-maloney) (OneCity Vancouver) each said in the previous term that they favoured a moderate increase to avoid cuts to city jobs and services. A city staff report from that period included a resident survey. The most preferred option among respondents, according to Vancouver Is Awesome, was a five per cent property tax increase that keeps current service levels. Business improvement associations, the restaurant industry and the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade all opposed any increase.

## Council's early priorities

Maloney has five motions ready for the November 18 council meeting, the first of the new term. Vancouver Is Awesome reports they cover: Vancouver's role as an inclusive and resilient city; digital infrastructure risks; economic resilience against tariff pressures; safeguards against tax avoidance for unbuilt housing sites; and restoring a full-time seniors' lead planner position.

Fry said he wants to reverse the previous council's pause on new supportive housing and restore a renters' office, both common campaign commitments across his coalition. COPE's platform calls for tripling the empty homes tax, taxing non-resident investors and having the city purchase apartments to convert into permanently affordable public housing and co-operatives.

## A new majority, one opposition voice

Klassen told reporters he was ready to share his experience with the new councillors. Orr said the council intends to include him. "We're not going to shut Mike out of things," Orr said, according to Vancouver Is Awesome.

Residents can follow the budget process and register to speak at public hearings at [vancouver.ca](https://vancouver.ca). The November 18 council meeting is the first chance to watch the new majority act on its promises. Track each councillor's commitments at the [council tracker](/tracker).

## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](/sitemap.md) for all pages.