City Council approves 2025 Municipal Property Tax Bylaw

With a direct tie-in to the 2023-2026 City of Lethbridge Operating Budget, approved in November 2022, property tax rates for 2025 have now been set and notices will soon be sent to property owners in the city.

Lethbridge City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved both second and third reading of Bylaw 6483. This bylaw sets the property tax rates to be imposed upon property within the City of Lethbridge to raise required municipal revenues from property, as outlined in the operating budget and in accordance to Section 243 of the Municipal Government Act.

Each year, property tax rates must be approved by Council. Property tax revenues fund many City operations including roads, parks, fire and ambulance, transit, community services, police, and governance.

The bylaw also sets the tax rates required to raise the requisitions for the Alberta School Foundation, the Holy Spirit Roman Catholic Separate Regional Division 4, the Green Acres Foundation, and the Designated Industrial Property requisition.

The City of Lethbridge collects taxes on behalf of the Government of Alberta and the Green Acres Foundation. This is not additional City revenue. The City's role is strictly billing and collection, with no control over their budgets, allocations or operations.

Of each $1 on your property tax bill, 75 cents is for the City Operating Budget, 24 cents is for Alberta Education and one cent is for Green Acres Foundation.

Education tax supports the public and separate school boards. The Government of Alberta determines budget and amount of education tax each municipality in Alberta will pay.

For 2025, the requisition percentage change for the education tax is up 13.8 per cent. For comparison: in 2024, it was up 6.1 per cent, and for 2023, it was up 3.2 per cent.

This 13.8 per cent increase in 2025 contributes to equitable funding for K-12 education in the city. The provincial education requisition also plays a key role in supporting the city's growing student population.

All 2025 property tax notices will be mailed out on May 13, with a due date of June 30. For more information on how property taxes are calculated visit: www.lethbridge.ca/taxes.

Bylaw 6482, the 2025 Pre-Authorized Tax Installment Pre-Payment Plan (TIPP), was also approved by Council on Tuesday. More information is available here.