2026 Town of Ajax Budget
The Town of Ajax budget is presented annually and reflects the strategic direction of Council and continues to build on our course of being a leader in best practices, continuous improvement, excellence and good governance.
Get involved! Upcoming 2026 Capital & Operating Budget Meeting
Mayor Shaun Collier will present the 2026 Capital & Operating Budget on Monday, December 15, 2025 at 9 a.m.
The public is invited to attend in-person at Ajax Town Hall, Council Chambers (65 Harwood Ave. S.) or watch online at ajax.ca/live.
The full agenda and related documents will be available one week prior to the meeting at ajax.ca/meetings.
If a member of the public wishes to comment on the 2026 Budget, they can do so in-person or remotely on December 15 (see full agenda). Each member of the public will be allotted 5 mins to speak. Pre-registration is only required for online delegates and in-person delegates with material to share. To pre-register, please email clerks@ajax.ca no later than Friday, December 12 at 12 p.m.
Agenda:
- Opening remarks
- Capital and Operating Budget presentation and review
- Public comments/feedback
- Discussion and opportunity for amendments
- Closing
How the budget process works
Mayor's budget:
The 2026 budget is being brought forward under recent legislation. Section 284.16 of the Municipal Act (“the Act”) assigns the Mayor the responsibility of preparing and distributing a proposed budget to Council no later than February 1 of each year.
The Act lays out timelines for the budget process, including timelines for Council to bring forward amendments to the budget, for the Mayor to veto Council-approved amendments, and for Council to override such a veto with a two-thirds vote. The Act also includes the opportunity to shorten the timelines, which were condensed as follows:
| Period | Legislated timeline | Shortened timeline | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
Council Amendment Period | 30 days | 15 days | December 1 to December 15, 2025 |
Mayoral Veto Period | 10 days | 1 days | December 16, 2025 |
Veto Override Period | 15 days | 6 days | December 17- December 22, 2025 |
Total days | 55 days | 22 days |
The proposed budget will be released to the public on December 8 with a presentation at the Monday, December 15, 2025 public meeting.
Click here to read more about the Mayor’s duties and responsibilities under the Act.
Budget basics:
Learn more about how your tax dollars are used by the Town of Ajax and the Region of Durham through the following informational videos produced by the Municipal Finance Officers’ Association (MFOA) and the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC):
How Your Municipal Budget Works
The World of Development Charges
You can also take a listen to the Town's municipal podcast - TOA Talks episode with the Town's former Director of Finance/Treasurer, Dianne Valentim. In the episode Dianne provides important points to remember about the budget process, how to learn more about the budget and property taxes. Take a listen here. To check out other episodes of TOA Talks visit ajax.ca/TOATalks.
Many residents ask how the Town of Ajax uses their Property Taxes. Property Taxes are broken down by percentage with the Town of Ajax receiving 33%, while the Region of Durham receives 56%. The remaining 11% goes to the Province of Ontario.
The general budget process includes both the Capital and Operating Budgets:
- The Capital Budget covers major infrastructure projects. Three quarters (75%) of the 2026 capital budget is funded by external sources such as the Canada Community-Building Fund, development charges, community benefit funding collected and grants. Major infrastructure projects may include:
- Roads
- Vehicles/equipment
- Parks
- Sidewalks
- Trails
- Streetlights
- Playgrounds
- Buildings
- The Operating Budget covers the day-to-day services of the municipality and is mainly funded by property taxes and fees. Some of the things that are supported in the operating budget include:
- Community Centres
- Road Maintenance (pot holes, snow clearing)
- Parks and sports field maintenance
- Fire and emergency services
- Community Development
Have your say!
To effectively and efficiently deliver services to the community, public input, feedback, comments, and suggestions are essential. There are numerous ways for Ajax residents to get involved:
- Participate in the budget meeting. Pre-registration is required to participate in the budget meeting online. To participate remotely, please email clerks@ajax.ca no later than noon on the business day preceding the meeting (Friday, December 12 at 12 p.m.). This year's public budget meeting is scheduled for December 15, 2025 at 9 a.m., the full agenda and related documents will be available one week prior to the meeting at ajax.ca/meetings.
- Ongoing correspondence and interaction with Mayor and Council
- Contact, correspondence, and discussions with Town staff
- Public forums
- Regularly scheduled Council, General Government Committee, and Community Affairs and Planning meetings
- Quality system customer feedback
- The Town’s public engagement forum, In My Opinion (IMO) Hub (this page)
- Social media platforms
- Customer Polling
Finally, receiving comments and questions from the public is one of the first items on the agenda at the Capital and Operating budget meetings.
Follow the 2026 Budget process on this page to stay informed about key dates, budget meetings, FAQ's and more.
Questions about the budget process? Ask below!
Previous years' budget meetings:
- 2025 Budget Meeting - December 13, 2025
- 2024 Budget Meeting - January 15, 2024
- 2023 Budget Meeting - February 16, 2023
