Municipal spending increased across Metro Vancouver

In Metro Vancouver, municipal governments are spending more than they used to, even after accounting for inflation and population growth. And residents should ask whether they get good value for their tax dollars.

In 2024, the latest year of available data, the average major municipal government in Metro Vancouver spent $2,387 per person. That was $303, or 14.5 per cent, more than in 2009 (the earliest year of comparable data) after accounting for inflation. Unsurprisingly, greater municipal government spending has required greater revenue. In 2024, the average Metro Vancouver municipality collected $3,101 per person. That’s $670, or 27.5 per cent, more than in 2009 after adjusting for inflation.

These increases were not merely driven by a few high-spending cities—every major Metro Vancouver municipality increased its spending and revenue faster than population growth and inflation combined between 2009 and 2024.

Of course, some Metro Vancouver municipal governments spend much more than others. These differences are important because they reveal how decisions made at city hall can affect how much taxpayers must pay to cover that spending.

Consider Metro Vancouver’s two largest municipalities, Vancouver and Surrey. In 2024, Vancouver city hall spent $3,076 per person compared to $1,646 in Surrey—a difference of $1,430 (or 87 per cent) for every resident. Likewise, even smaller city centres can differ greatly in their per-person spending. In 2024, Port Moody spent $2,464 per person compared to $1,842 in the City of Langley—a difference of $622 (or 34 per cent) per resident.

Of course, no two municipalities are perfectly alike, and each face unique challenges. Still, in light of the size of these spending gaps, residents have good reason to ask whether those differences justify the additional cost.

These spending gaps did not emerge overnight. They reflect the cumulative effect of decisions made by local governments. And data on spending growth reveal that some Metro Vancouver municipalities have increased their spending much faster than others.

For example, between 2009 and 2024, spending (again, on a per-person basis) rose by 24.3 per cent in Port Moody but only 3.8 per cent in the City of Langley (all numbers adjusted for inflation). Has this increased spending produced a commensurate improvement in municipal services? That’s for residents to decide.

Residents of Metro Vancouver should also pay attention to the Metro Vancouver Regional District (MVRD), which uses taxpayer dollars to provide services across the region’s municipalities. In 2024, the MVRD spent $295 per person—that’s 10.6 per cent higher than in 2009, after accounting for inflation.

Again, it’s ultimately up to residents to decide whether their municipal and regional governments provide good value for tax dollars. But scrutiny should be high because property taxes, fees and other charges—which fund government spending—contribute to the cost of living and doing business in Metro Vancouver. Residents should hold local politicians accountable to ensure they get the best possible value for their tax dollars.