Calgary

Tax hikes and service cuts expected as Calgary rolls out new 4-year budget

Calgary city council will debate and finalize the budget during the last week of November.

City already announced plans to spend $2.8B on infrastructure over next 4 years

Calgary city councillors will debate and finalize the new four-year budget during the last week of November. (Scott Dippel/CBC)

Property tax and utility rate hikes, as well as service cuts are expected Wednesday when the city unveils Calgary's new four-year budget to council.

Council directed administration to aim for property tax hikes of about three per cent for each of the next four years.

City council has also given administration targets that could result in $17 per month increases in wastewater and stormwater utility rates by 2022.

The budget is expected to include a property tax hike between 2.95 and 3.45 per cent for 2019. Council has also set targets for annual property tax hikes up to three per cent for the years 2020, 2021 and 2022. 

The city has already announced its plans to spend a total of $2.831 billion on infrastructure over the next four years. That figure does not include previously approved capital projects.

Council will debate and finalize the budget during the last week of November.


With files from Scott Dippel