What are your priorities for City spending? How would you balance those priorities while delivering a balanced budget?
The City of Courtenay is launching the Balancing Act budget simulator, an online tool that gives residents a hands-on way to explore City finances and share their priorities as part of the 2026 financial planning process.
The simulator allows participants to adjust spending and revenue across City services and see how their choices affect the overall budget. Residents are required to balance the budget, reflecting the legislative requirement for municipalities in British Columbia to adopt a balanced budget each year.
The Balancing Act budget simulator is available at www.courtenay.ca/budget
Courtenay Mayor Bob Wells says the simulator provides an accessible way for residents to understand how the City budget works and offer input before the financial plan is brought forward to council.
“This tool makes it easier for people to see how budget decisions are connected,” said Mayor Wells. “It walks residents through real choices and shows how those choices affect the budget as a whole. We hope it helps people learn more about the process and share what matters most to them.”
Input collected through the simulator will help inform the City’s 2026 financial plan. Additional budget information, reports, and updates will be shared on the City’s website as the process continues.
The survey is open January 6 to January 27, 2026.