For the first time in four years Clearwater County will be raising taxes.

During their council meeting on May 9, council adopted the 2023 Tax Rate Bylaw 1147/23, reflecting a 3 per cent municipal tax rate increase for farm and residential classes of assessed property, and a 3.5 per cent rate increase to non-residential assessed property.

Officials say, the provincial school requisition has decreased by $383,281 with an additional credit of $114,996 for overcollection, thereby decreasing the school requisition by about $500,000.

Officials note, the decrease in the rate is also due to the increase in the pool of assessment that hasn’t been included in the County’s equalized assessment numbers, which officials say is an additional year behind. Equalized assessment isn’t finalized until all opportunities for a change in the assessed value have passed, requiring the additional year.

According to County officials, the Seniors Westview Lodge total requisition has decreased by $226,796. The operating requisition has increased while the capital requisition has decreased.

Meanwhile, the Designated Industrial Property requisition rate decreased slightly from .0766 per thousand to .0746 per thousand. Officials say, this rate is set by ministerial order by the province.

“We have been fortunate the last four years to have had a 0 per cent tax increase. This year’s increase was a tough decision for council but required to continue our fiscally responsible to our ratepayers because of the increasing cost of inflation and demand for more services,” said Clearwater County Reeve Daryl Lougheed. “Our community has many infrastructure projects in the coming years and it is projected that there will be less Municipal Sustainability Initiative (MSI) funding in the coming years from the province of Alberta.”

County officials add, the 2022 Combined Assessment and Tax Notices will be mailed on May 19, 2023. All taxes are due upon receipt of tax notices, and penalties taxes on a monthly basis. This bylaw, for the second time, has a penalty date noted in April of the year following the levy. This was to encourage payment of unpaid taxes before the first penalty date in September will apply if not paid before 4:30 pm on September 15, 2023. The next penalty dates are December 15, 2023 and April 19, 2024. Clearwater County also offers a Tax Instalment Payment Plan (TIPP) allowing taxpayers to pay property.