Calgary homeowners may see costs increase with new budget

Calgary city council will soon be voting on a number of budget changes that could see household costs for residents to increase by close to five per cent.

Calgary city council will soon be voting on a number of budget changes that could see household costs for residents to increase by close to five per cent.

City administration forwarded a report on its annual plan and budget adjustments to council on Tuesday, saying that it has worked hard to keep property taxes and user fees low for Calgarians over the last several years.

However, administration noted that as the city grows, it has become more of a challenge to keep increases affordable while also making priority investments.

In the report, administration said that as cities can only rely on property taxes for revenue, Calgary faces "a municipal fiscal gap" of an annual average of $311 million based on increased costs and funding shortfalls.

"The City of Calgary has managed its finances responsibly over the last decade," the city said in a statement.

"Compared to other large municipalities in Canada, Calgary has had low increases, and even decreases, in property taxes with the average annual tax increase from 2019-2023 at 1.19 per cent."

Now that council is set to vote on a number of proposed investments to be included in the budget, the costs for a typical single residential home – property tax, water, sewer and waste and recycling – are expected to increase by $16 per month.