INNISFAIL - Town council has passed the 2017 Property Tax Bylaw, and many citizens, despite its own municipal government bringing in a zero per cent tax increase, will pay a little bit more.
And that is because the 2017 provincial school tax requisition for Innisfail is showing a 3.3 per cent increase over 2016. For an average residential home assessed at $370,323, residents will see an annual increase of $12.12.
Heather Whymark, the town's director of corporate services, said the town received its provincial school tax bill on March 16 - the same day as the provincial budget -- for $2,909,978. Last year the requisition came in at $2,790,514, almost $120,000 below the one for 2017.
"We work so hard to bring in a budget at zero (per cent) and the province just lobs their little increase on our tax bill and it looks like everyone is getting a tax increase and it doesn't come from the town. It comes from the province," said Coun. Mark Kemball at council's March 27 regular meeting when the 2017 Property Tax Bylaw was introduced and then approved. "I don't know how we ever get rid of that stigma. It is disappointing when the municipalities have worked so hard to keep budgets under control."
Earlier this year town council passed the municipal operating and capital budgets for 2017 with a zero per cent tax increase for property owners. But council and residents had to wait for the provincial school tax requisition before knowing where there would be any government imposed tax increase.
With town council's approval of the 2017 Property Tax Rate Bylaw, this year's assessment and tax notices will be sent out to property owners by the end of this month. Residents will have 60 days to file an appeal on or before June 29.
Whymark said local properties might see higher or lower tax bills depending on their assessment values, which dropped town-wide by one per cent over those in 2016.
"Some people are showing a decrease in their bills because their assessment went down so they are not going to feel the school tax," said Whymark.
And even with the small education tax increase, Mayor Brian Spiller was pleased the town will still be in a position where it can meet all its goals and needs without increasing taxes.
"The Town continues to be financially healthy while being mindful of the difficult economic times," said Spiller in a news release.
Coun. Mark Kemball
"We work so hard to bring in a budget at zero (per cent) and the province just lobs their little increase on our tax bill and it looks like everyone is getting a tax increase and it doesn't come from the town."
