Agglomeration tariffs bylaw moves forward

Summary#

On 28 January 2026, Montréal city council unanimously set its position in favour of adopting the 2026 agglomeration tariff bylaw, Règlement sur les tarifs de l’agglomération de Montréal (exercice financier 2026). The agglomeration council makes the final decision at a later meeting. City staff say the bylaw gathers tariffs for agglomeration services provided by Montréal; the stated goal is to fund some goods, services or activities through charges.

  • This decision sets Montréal city council’s position; it does not itself set or change any tariff.
  • The staff summary says the 2026 review produced some new tariffs, changes to existing tariffs and abolished tariffs.
  • The summary says tariffs were reviewed in light of costs incurred by the City.

What it means for you#

  • Residents and service users: This decision does not itself change what you pay. If the bylaw is adopted, people who use services with tariffs could be affected, but the materials do not identify which users or services.
  • Taxpayers: The decision does not state that taxes will change or that any particular service will be funded fully or partly through tariffs.

Money#

No cost estimate or tariff amounts are provided in the available material.

  • City staff say the tariff review considered costs incurred by the City. The summary does not say how much revenue the tariffs are expected to raise or how that compares with those costs.

What is unclear#

  • The tariff schedule is not included, so the specific services, amounts and changes are unknown.
  • The materials do not say who would pay each tariff, when any changes would start, or whether users can receive exemptions.
  • The summary does not explain how the tariffs relate to taxes or other funding for these services.

Case for#

  • City staff say the tariffs were reviewed against the costs incurred by the City. A possible argument for this approach is that charges can help fund the goods, services or activities they relate to.
  • The summary says tariffs are reviewed each year, which could allow changes to reflect updated costs.

Case against#

  • The materials do not show the actual tariffs or how they were calculated, so residents cannot assess the size or distribution of any changes.
  • The summary does not explain how the City balances cost recovery against affordability or other sources of funding.