Chris Clegg
South Peace News
Taxpayers in High Prairie will pay a little bit more this year.
Council passed its operating budget at a special budget meeting April 23 meeting. The bottom line is municipal taxes will rise $41 for every $100,000 of property assessment on residential properties and $65.75 for each $100,000 of industrial (business) properties. The increases equate to an extra $3.42 per month for residential properties and $5.48 per month for industrial properties.
The numbers on an individual’s tax bill reflect a comparison in property assessment if unchanged. An increase or decrease in property assessment affects the tax bill accordingly.
The official mill rate bylaw will be set at the May 13 regular meeting of council. Little, if any, change is expected. CAO David Joy advises one change that will be included is an increase of $26,000 to support Big Lakes Family and Community Support Services and the bus service.
“. . . which will slightly affect the mill rate,” he writes in an email.
Again, if the budget is unchanged, council will collect $4,349,902 in taxes this year compared to $4,198,950 last year – an increase of $150,952. The total budget is $12,272.641 and is balanced.
Property assessment in the town rose by just over six per cent this year triggering a decrease in the mill rate.
“However, also due to assessment values increasing, tax revenue will increase somewhat below four per cent in order to balance the operating budget,” writes Joy.
All tax calculations exclude what the Alberta government collects in their requisitions. The biggest proportion is the education tax, which increases by 9.9 per cent this year.
“. . . which the municipality (Town of High Prairie) has absolutely no control,” writes Joy.
Education tax was frozen last year. This year, the Alberta government will collect about $3.1 billion in education tax compared to $2.7 billion last year.
The seniors housing portion of the tax bill increases by 0.33 per cent.