Tax Facts

Property Tax Breakdown

Property tax is a composite of several components, each serving a distinct purpose.

• Provincial Education (School) Levy: The Provincial Government determines the education tax for each municipality in Alberta. Your City is mandated to collect this tax on behalf of the Province.
• Green Acres Foundation Levy: This portion is determined by the Green Acres Foundation to support the operation of their senior facilities and services. Your City is required to collect this tax on behalf of the Foundation.
• Municipal Levy: Municipal property taxes fund crucial civic services, including police and fire protection, community services, parks and recreation, transit, roads, and other infrastructure.​

Setting Municipal Taxes

City Council, in its budget, approves the amount of money required to support city services and programs.

After subtracting revenues from sources of revenue other than property taxes, (such as provincial grants, license fees, and user fees), the remaining balance is to be raised from property taxes.

The assessed property values, annually compared to other homes as of July 1, determine each property owner's share of the total property tax revenue required.

Overall market value changes of properties do not impact the total revenue collected by the City from property tax. The City only collects the necessary taxes to meet the budgeted revenue required in the budget.

The Tax Rate

To calculate taxes, a tax rate is established. The formula used to determine the tax rate is as follows:

1. Changes in the Provincial Education tax mandated by Alberta Learning and distributed to the Public and Separate School Boards
2. Adjustments in tax requirements from the Green Acres Foundation for their senior facilities and supports.
3. Changes in the City's overall budget to meet the demands for city services.
4. Variations in your property's assessed market value compared to the average change in property values citywide.