Following recommendations from ABMunis, the Town of Rocky Mountain House has finalized language for its school tax requestion resolution that will be brought up at this fall’s convention.
Earlier in the spring, the town took the lead on drafting a resolution which reads in part:
[It is therefore resolved that Alberta Municipalities] advocate for the Government of Alberta to assume direct responsibility for the collection of provincial education property taxes, thereby relieving municipalities of this obligation and ensuring a more streamlined and accountable approach to education funding.
A report in a council package says ABmunis has received many resolutions over the years to advocate for the province to assume direct responsibility for the collection of provincial education property taxes.
The most recent being a 2020 resolution from the Town of Drayton Valley, while the Town of Cardston put forward a resolution in 2014, and the City of Lethbridge in 2011.
While none of these efforts have been successful, ABMunis says the province has expressed some openness to the conversations. It points to a 2023 mandate letter sent from the premier to the Minister of Municipal Affairs, to review the education property tax with a view of enabling municipalities to retain more funding for local priorities.
“In speaking with other municipalities, this is becoming a very important topic,” says Acting Mayor Len Phillips. “With the increasing costs from the provincial government to municipalities, it’s time to have the province collect the tax on their own behalf.”
With a few minor amendments, council adopted the language in the resolution at its May 20 meeting. It has also put out a call for a seconder, with the Town of Mayerthorpe expressing interest.
Phillips had said, especially with the school tax increasing 6.3 per cent this year, and potentially 10 per cent next year, the perception could be that the town is raising taxes on its residents.
You can read the draft resolution here.
The AB Munis convention is set to convene in Calgary Nov. 14-15.
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