Over June, it was a great privilege to cross the province with the incredibleAlberta Municipalities Board and staff teams for our Summer Municipal Leaders Caucuses. We met with local leaders to discuss how we can work with provincial colleagues to improve financial oversight and water systems, and heard about the incredible impact preventative social services are having locally.

But my favourite part of each meeting? Talking Property Taxes Re-imagined.

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I want to talk about the biggest conversation going on in Alberta: the referendums we’re facing this October.

 

I haven't posted any thoughts yet. Not because I don’t have opinions, and not because I’m afraid of the conversation. But because I’ve had my head down. Work is incredibly busy, I'm getting as much time with my boys in as I can, and I’ve got some volunteer commitments heating up too. I just haven't had time to put pen to paper (or even think much about) the referendums yet.

 

And that’s the danger here.

 

I think there are a lot of people like me. People who are just going about their lives and not getting engaged in this conversation.

Which could have tragic consequences.

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This month we have been getting a huge amount of snowfall and cold temperatures, and our roads have been struggling. I’ve been hearing frustration from a lot of residents, and I get it! I drive a Camry and live on a Priority 2 road (the ones struggling the most), so I am living this too. I appreciate all the questions and feedback I have received. Hearing about resident experiences is how we are able to make our systems better.

City crews are working through the weekend. Additionally, the removal cycle for non-priority residential roads is being paused so that contractors can be re-tasked to Priority roads. Work is underway to get the main roads through neighbourhoods into better shape. You can learn more about the shift happening heres://cityofgp.com/culture-community/news-events/news/transportation-and-parks/city-and-contracted-crews-redirect.

I appreciate this change in approach. However, we should’ve switched contractors over to Priority 2 roads sooner. I recognize the hard work of our front-line staff and acknowledge that management was carrying out the Council-approved plan for snow removal. But Council should update its Snow and Ice Control Policy to allow for greater flexibility during months like this one when we see unusual amounts of snowfall. I’ll explain more on that below.

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But while that sounds like great news, it’s only half the story. The RATE is heavily influenced by rising home values, not just City spending.

Rates have gone down partly due to hard work by Council and City staff to become more efficient and reduce low priority programs. But they have also gone down in part because house prices have gone up.

And because property values are climbing, we could freeze the RATE and still see a massive 10% tax hike—something the City doesn’t need and residents can’t afford.

This is why I don't focus on tax RATES. They are a poor measure of performance and tell you very little about the actual bill residents pay.

I don’t see the value in comparing our high RATE to other cities without acknowledging that our lower property values are the primary driver of that difference. A house being more affordable here doesn’t mean a firetruck or a road crew costs any less.

The number we should be focused on is the tax AMOUNT. So, how has that changed over time?

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