Lethbridge council approves 2.84% property tax hike

LETHBRIDGE – It’s about the cost of a fancy cup of coffee, but Lethbridge home owners will soon be saving their loonies for taxes, not lattes.

City council set property tax rates for 2015 on Monday and the bill for an average single-family home is going up by about $6 a month.

The city estimates the value of a typical single-family home at $254,600.

Property tax notices are being mailed out May 29 and when you open yours, you’ll see it reflects an average overall increase of 2.84 per cent.

The hike includes a budgeted municipal tax increase, the provincial education levy, as well as the levy for seniors’ housing.

The Alberta government previously paid the property taxes for 80 provincially-owned affordable housing and seniors’ accommodations in Lethbridge. However, this year’s elimination of that program means the city is left with a bill of $825,000, which has residents paying an additional $1 per month on their taxes.

“I’ve been working with 21 other mid-size cities to talk to the provincial government about paying their property taxes,” said Lethbridge Mayor Chris Spearman.

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“We think it’s a very poor precedent that they’re not paying property taxes, because otherwise the burden falls on the remaining taxpayers.”

Multi-family properties will see an overall average increase of 2.76 per cent in 2015, while commercial and industrial properties will see an overall average increase of 2.64 per cent.

Spearman said the city collects only enough revenue to meet budget requirements.

“Property taxes provide Lethbridge residents with a range of municipal services that they depend on every day such as police and fire protection, road maintenance, public transit, our beautiful urban parks, our libraries and our excellent arts and recreation facilities.”

June 30, 2015 is the deadline to pay property taxes.

Residents can receive an incentive discount by enrolling in the city’s monthly tax installment payment plan. You can learn more about that program on the city’s website.