High River residents will see a 3.4 per cent property tax increase next year.
Council approved the Town’s 2025 municipal budget this month, with a capital budget of $31.85 million and an operating budget set at $34.2 million.
The tax increase means an additional $81.60, or $6.80 per month, on the property tax bill of the average home assessed at $476,000, the Town said.
Town staff said the tax increase will bring in about $370,000 in revenue that will be used for capital expenses that are not being funded through grants or reserves, such as equipment, building maintenance and construction work on an outdoor skating rink.
None of the tax increase will be used for Town operations or the aquatics expansion project.
The budget funds what’s needed to keep the town a vibrant and attractive place to live, Mayor Craig Snodgrass said in a press release on Dec. 16.
“We are confident that the 2025 municipal budget will enable the Town to move forward with certainty that resources and funds are in place for the provision of Town programs and services,” Snodgrass said.
Town council's strategic priorities for the coming year include a recycling and composting program, skatepark design, an outdoor skating rink, development planning work and a water strategy.
The Town added that costs were reduced across the organization in an effort to keep the tax rate affordable.
