Your tax bill might just shock you, Red Deer.
Morning from Central Alberta — five communities, one correspondent, and all the stories the big papers forgot.
Well now, I'll tell you what, there's a buzz going around town that's got folks at the Co-op coffee bar mighty exercised. You know how every spring we kinda brace ourselves for that property tax notice to show up in the mail? Well, this year, it might sting a little extra. The City of Red Deer council approved a municipal tax increase of just under four percent, but when you factor in the education requisition the province tacks on, your total residential tax bill is looking at a jump of 5.49%. That’s like when you think you’ve got a good deal on a combine, then they hit you with all the add-ons.
### What This Means for Your Wallet
A nearly five-and-a-half percent hike is more than just pocket change for families trying to make ends meet in places like Timberlands or down by the Red Deer River valley. For a lot of folks, especially those on fixed incomes or running small businesses out of their homes, every dollar matters. It’s a good reminder that even when things feel like they’re improving, like the unemployment rate dropping, there are still these underlying costs that keep on climbing. It's not just the price of diesel at the pumps, is it?
* The municipal portion went up by 3.97%.
* The education requisition from the province adds to the total.
* Your final residential tax bill could see a 5.49% increase.
This ain't just some number crunchers in City Hall playing with figures. This is real money coming out of your pocket, money that might've been earmarked for hockey registration at the Collicutt Centre, or a family trip out to Sylvan Lake this summer. It’s the kind of thing that makes you sit down and look at your budget a little closer. For a town like Red Deer that prides itself on being a place where a family can build a good life, these kinds of increases can certainly make folks tighten their belts.
Darcy and the crew dig into these numbers every morning. Catch 'em live at mornings.live.