Property tax time - Maintaining quality municipal services

In Strathcona County, residents receive great value for their property tax dollars that fund and maintain high quality municipal services and infrastructure that are relied on every day. This includes roads, fire, ambulance, police, recreation, parks, transit, economic development and community social programs.

Of the total 2022 residential property taxes collected in Strathcona County, 61 per cent pays for municipal services, 4 per cent supports the Strathcona County Library and Heartland Housing Foundation, and 35 per cent is collected on behalf of the Government of Alberta for education.

With all four of these tax requirements weighted together, the overall average residential property tax increase for 2022 is 2.28 per cent. This is based on the County’s 3.11 per cent municipal tax revenue increase, the provincial education 1.01 per cent increase, Heartland Housing Foundation 2.33 per cent increase and no increase for the Strathcona County Library.

Property owners may see a percentage tax change more or less than this, depending on how their property assessment (July 1, 2021 valuation) changed relative to the average.

For a sample single family residential property assessed at $431,000, property taxes will be a total of $68.84 more for the year, or $5.74 more a month.

Property owners can check their property tax allocation using the County’s online Property Tax Calculator. This tool provides the total amount, and annual and monthly property tax breakdown. It also shows how property tax dollars are divided toward municipal services.

“For several years, we have had low or no tax increases, that we achieved through efficiencies and focusing on priorities. Property taxes at 2.28 per cent this year help the County to deal with inflation, which is up 4.32 per cent over last year,” says Mayor Rod Frank. “Inflation is starting to squeeze municipalities in a real way. Add to this operational pressures, such as our need to add 12 full-time firefighters in 2022 to support our overstretched emergency services, and you see the challenge we’ve met in being able to maintain service levels and the upkeep of our facilities, parks and roadways at a tax rate increase lower than inflation.”

Some new projects in 2022 include the ‘on-demand’ local transit services pilot, the County’s contribution to the River Valley Alliance Footbridge, Deermound parking lot, and energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reduction projects.

Property tax notices will be mailed out mid-May, and it is important for property owners to contact the County if they don’t receive theirs. The tax payment deadline is Thursday, June 30, 2022.

More information about property taxes is available at strathcona.ca/assessmentandtax, including details on the County’s Tax Instalment Payment Plan program. County Connect is also a convenient way for property owners to inquire about their assessment or property taxes.

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Contact: Strathcona County Communications, 780-410-6595