Lacombe County council approves zero per cent municipal tax increase for 2023

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The 2023 tax rates and tax rate changes are as follows:

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Lacombe County 2023 tax rates and changes (Supplied)

The County say that based on the new rates, 2023 property taxes on a $400,000 residence will be $2,048.36, decreasing $76.44 from 2022.

They state residential market values will vary significantly in 2023 and as the assessed value of each residential property is based on this measure, the actual property tax change will vary for each property.

Impact of Levies on Tax Rates

In April 2020, the province began charging urban municipalities with populations less than 5,000 and all rural municipalities for policing. In 2023, these municipalities will be responsible for 30 per cent of the costs of policing, compared to 20 per cent in 2022.

For the County, officials say this will be a cost of $1,206,980 in 2023, compared to $802,920 in 2022. Council directed that funding of the policing levy be collected through a uniform tax rate applied to all taxable properties and will appear separately on property tax notices.

Education taxes represent 45 per cent of the 2023 tax bill for residential property owners in Lacombe County, and 38 per cent for non-residential property owners.

The official 2023 Alberta School Fund Requisition was released early in the year and identified a $0.09/$1,000 decrease for residential and farmland and a $0.14/$1,000 decrease for non-residential provincial school tax rates.

Operating Budget Details

The 2023 operating budget of $65,149,770 includes $12,470,190 in requisitions for the Lacombe Foundation, Designated Industrial Properties (DIP) assessment preparation, and Alberta Education, as well as $1,206,980 for Policing.

The County says several other changes have been made to the operating budget as part of this final approval, including:

• Reduction of funding from tax rate stabilization reserve – $48,690
• Cameras for the office parking lot as part of a waiting area for the Safe Exchange Program – $13,250
• Contribution to the new Lacombe Fire Hall – $250,000
• Contribution to the Protective Services Reserve for future contributions to Lacombe Fire Hall – $1,031,440
• Increase cost for upgraded Air Photos – $73,300
• One-time increase to Municipal Sustainability Initiative Operating Grant from the Province – $149,490

Capital Budget Details

Council also approved amendments to the $20,327,210 capital budget, such as:

• Land acquisition and additional culvert costs for road construction projects
• Purchase of a server for video storage – $7,000
• A decrease in contract services for the Sandy Point Trail ($410,000)

The capital budget also includes:

• $11.02 million in road construction
• $2.75 million in bridge replacement projects
• Equipment and vehicle replacements of $5.85 million, decreasing by $2.82 million from 2022

County council directed that municipal tax rate increases be as low as possible while continuing to provide sustainable funding for operating and capital expenses in the year ahead to ensure that County infrastructure, assets and services are maintained at appropriate levels.