Calgary city council will also send the Government of Alberta an invoice to recoup costs of collecting the provincial share of property taxes this year.
Calgarians will be paying more than originally expected on their property tax bills this year, largely due to the province requesting more in property taxes from Calgary homeowners this year.
Calgary city council finalized the property tax increase Tuesday, which includes how much the city has to pay to the province as part of its education property tax requisition.
The overall property tax increase for residential properties is now 8.9 per cent, which includes both the municipal and provincial portions.
For the typical single family homeowner with a median assessment of $697,000, the changes result in an increase of $29.25 per month, or nearly $350 yearly.
The changes will also mean an increase of 15.96 per cent for condo owners, which is an extra $25.50 per month, or an additional $306 more per year, for the typical residential condo assessed at $359,000.
During November’s budget deliberations, the city estimated the property tax increase would result in a $11-per-month increase for the typical residential homeowner.
However, the increase is larger than originally anticipated due to a 15 per cent increase in the province’s property tax requisition, which totals more than $1 billion in Calgary this year.
It’s the highest amount of any Alberta municipality classified as a city on a per-capita basis, according to city officials.
The provincial requisition prompted some councillors to express frustration over the provincial requisition during Tuesday’s debate.
“How do I possibly circle this square with my constituents that we as a city are doing our damnedest to stay within our first appointed recommended rate, and the province just comes in with whatever they want,” Ward 14 Coun. Peter Demong said.
“I’ve been doing this for 14 years and this is the most egregious situation I’ve ever come across. It’s absolutely laughable.”
City of Calgary to bill Government of Alberta
Following a discussion over optics and blame for the tax increase, city council unanimously supported an amendment that will see the City of Calgary sending an invoice to the Government of Alberta to recoup the administrative costs of collecting the provincial share of property taxes.
“This isn’t a political stunt, this wasn’t just a whim, this is something we need to take seriously,” Mayor Jyoti Gondek told reporters.
“We have been asked to manage taxpayer money, and in order to do that, if we’re providing services to another order of government, we should be compensated for it.”
City officials estimated those costs would be around $10 million, but some councillors aren’t confident the province will send the city a cheque.
Ward 1 Coun. Sonya Sharp called the move a benign gesture, and said council should focus on the municipal portion of property taxes.
“We have to start being smarter when it comes to our budgeting process because the province does what they want and it’s out of our control,” Sharp told reporters.
In a statement to Global News, a spokesperson for the finance minister accused council of attempting to “save their re-election campaigns by blaming their rampant overspending on the province.”
The statement also pointed to the recent announcement that 18 new schools would be constructed in the Calgary area, if the provincial budget is approved.
“The intent of education property tax is to fund one-third of education costs, which has not been happening for several years, and the additional property tax being requisitioned from Calgary will not come close to funding the cost of these schools,” the statement read.
However, some councillors said they wondered if Calgarians even care who is responsible for the jump on their bill.
“People don’t take the time to look at who it is and what money is going to where,” Ward 10 Coun. Andre Chabot said. “All they see is this is how much I have to pay.”
Council approved the property tax hike with councillors Dan McLean, Jennifer Wyness, Sean Chu, Terry Wong, Sharp and Chabot voting in opposition.
Property tax bills will be mailed out the week of May 12.
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