Municipalities are once again asking for changes to the way the provincial government collects the education levy.
Property tax notices go in the mail next month in Okotoks, and about one-third of the bill goes to the Province to fund education.
Okotoks Mayor Tanya Thorn said the way the tax is collected leaves municipalities taking the blame for increases that are determined by the Province.
It shouldn't be up to towns or cities to collect money from residents on behalf of the provincial government, Thorn said.
“The education property tax, (the Province) should be collecting themselves,” she said.
Organizations of rural and urban municipalities in Alberta have advocated for changes to the way the tax is collected for over a decade.
The issue is front and centre again after the Province announced an income tax cut in its 2025 budget, but is asking municipalities to collect significantly more through the education levy, she said.
“They get to sell that they’ve provided a tax decrease,” Thorn said. "Municipalities get to deliver the news that there's an increased bill coming.”
The education levy is increasing by about 21 per cent in Okotoks, which Thorn said adds about $320 to the average home's tax bill.
She said the way education is funded through property taxes should be reconsidered altogether.
With house prices rising more than average in the Calgary region, including in Okotoks, homeowners there will pay a higher share of the increase.
“Where you live in the province really shouldn't be dictating how much you need to contribute to education,” she said.
"I think it could be done a far more equitable way."
Municipalities are encouraged to clarify to residents that the education portion of property taxes goes to the Province, said Kevin Lee, press secretary for Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver, in a statement shared with media.
The tax has been collected by municipalities for more than 30 years. It historically funded one-third of education, but it decreased in recent years, Lee said.
“By restoring the education property tax to previous funding levels, we are making record investments into education to the tune of more than $9.8 billion to address growing enrolment pressures,” Lee said.
Thorn doesn’t expect the Province to make any changes to the way the tax is collected.
“It could be a substantial change to shift it,” she said. “This isn’t a new conversation.”
