When Markham's newly elected council takes office after the October 26 election, the decisions it makes in its first months will set the direction for the entire term, and many of those early decisions directly affect property owners. Understanding what a new council decides early, and why it matters, helps property owners engage with the governance that shapes their real estate.
Michael John Lau, top real estate agent in Markham Ontario, explains what to watch for.
Why Early Decisions Set the Term
A newly elected council's early period is genuinely consequential. This is when the council establishes its priorities, sets its approach, and makes foundational decisions that shape the term ahead. For property owners, several of the decisions a new council typically addresses in its early months directly affect real estate.
While the specific agenda of the council elected in October 2026 will depend on the priorities of the elected members and the issues facing the city, several categories of decisions are typically addressed early in a council term. Property owners should pay attention to all of them.
What to Watch For
The Budget and Tax Rate
The most consequential early decision. Markham's 21-year record of the lowest average GTA tax increases reflects council budget discipline. The new council's approach directly affects carrying costs.
Development and Planning Matters
A new council inherits ongoing matters including CF Markville's redevelopment, the SmartCentres development, and Downtown Markham's growth, plus applications in progress.
Development Charges
Markham's development charges are among the highest in Canada. A new council may review or adjust them, directly relevant to pre-construction buyers, developers, and housing supply.
Infrastructure Priorities
The transit, roads, community centres, and amenities the council prioritizes early shape the investments that affect communities throughout the term.
Policy Direction
Housing policy, short-term rental rules, heritage and zoning matters. The approach established early signals how the council will address real estate issues.
Committee Appointments
Who chairs planning, development, and finance committees shapes how matters are brought forward and how quickly they move.
Neeraj Moolchandani on Municipal Policy Direction and Markham Real Estate
Neeraj Moolchandani, REALTOR® at Kaizen Real Estate, works alongside Markham clients navigating exactly the situation this article describes. His specialty is translating complex market dynamics into a clear plan of action, whether that involves timing, negotiation strategy, or protecting long-term family wealth.
When Neeraj advises clients on municipal policy direction and markham real estate, the conversation always starts with what matters most to the family, not what the market is doing this week. That is the difference between transactional advice and the kind of counsel Markham buyers return to for a decade.
The Budget and Tax Rate Decision
Of all early decisions, the budget and property tax rate is the one that reaches every Markham property owner without exception. Markham's record here is genuinely unusual. 21 consecutive years of the lowest average property tax rate increases in the GTA, and the lowest property tax rate in the region at approximately 0.700278%. For 2026, the approved City-portion increase was 3.90%, amounting to roughly $54.99 for the average household.
Budget Element | What It Affects |
|---|---|
City-portion tax rate | Direct annual carrying cost for every property owner |
Capital budget | Infrastructure investment shaping community desirability |
Operating budget | Service levels: parks, recreation, roads, waste, community programming |
Reserve policy | Long-term fiscal resilience and ability to absorb shocks without tax spikes |
Development charge revenue assumptions | How growth funds infrastructure versus tax-base funding |
Why and How Property Owners Should Engage
The decisions affect your property. The budget, tax rate, development decisions, development charges, and infrastructure priorities directly affect your property value, carrying costs, and community. Paying attention allows you to understand and respond.
Early engagement is influential. Engaging with council early in the term, through community meetings, deputations, contacting your ward councillor, and participating in consultations, is an opportunity to influence the decisions that shape your community. The priorities and approaches established early set the direction, so engaging early is engaging when it matters most.
Understand the Governance Behind Your Investment
Council decisions shape carrying costs, neighbourhood character, and long-term value. Book a private consultation with the Kaizen Real Estate Team.
Informed Property Ownership
Understanding the governance that shapes your real estate is part of being an informed, engaged property owner. The new council's decisions are part of the context of your investment. Paying attention keeps you informed and positioned to protect and advance your interests.
Michael John Lau, top real estate agent in Markham Ontario, encourages property owners to pay attention to the new council after the October election, to understand the early decisions that shape the term, and to be informed, active participants in the decisions that shape Markham's future. Council agendas, meeting schedules, and deputation procedures are published at markham.ca.