Calgary city council finalizes 3.6% property tax rate increase

Calgary city council finalized a property tax increase of 3.6 per cent on Wednesday, after initially approving an increase last year.

In November, the increase was set at 3.87 per cent, but council opted to lower the increase and when factoring in provincial property tax requisition, the combined provincial and municipal increase is now 3.61 per cent. 

The province is also raising the education tax, taking nearly $13 million more from Calgary property owners this year.

Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek was absent for Wednesday's meeting, while representing the city at a conference in Vancouver.

Councillor Sonya Sharp chaired the meeting as this month's deputy mayor. Sharp expects the total impact of the increases will not be popular with Calgarians, but council can only control the municipal tax rate — not the entire bill.

"Fast forward to what's happening today, with the province adding on, the assessment values, which are outside of our control, I don't feel that citizens are going to be happy about this at all," she said. 

With the provincial increase considered, council finalized a 3.6 per cent tax hike for this year. That's a different picture from last year in 2021, when Calgarians were given a 0.2 per cent tax reduction. 

For the median-priced Calgary home, assessed at $485,000, the increase in both the municipal and provincial property taxes will result in an overall tax increase of $172 for this year.

Some types of business properties saw their assessments drop or stay flat last year, so those landowners will see tax reductions.

Tax bills are set to be issued in May. For property owners not on the city's monthly payment plan, taxes will be due on June 30.