Calgarians will be asked to dig much, much deeper into their pocketbooks to fund city infrastructure and services, with a proposed residential property tax increase in 2027 of 15 per cent.
Citizens will get their first look at the proposed 2027-2030 four-year budget, called Investing for the Future, and it includes the aforementioned 15 per cent increase, followed by increases of 10 per cent, 7.7 per cent and six per cent.
For the typical Calgary single-family detached homeowner, when proposed water rate increases are included, it will be an increase of $53 per month ($37 for property tax, $16 per month for water, wastewater and recycling). According to City of Calgary admin, if approved, it would be the largest annual property tax increase since 1996.
Upcoming finalization of property assessments will influence the specific impact on each Calgary household.
“Calgarians expect reliable services today and a city that is prepared for tomorrow,” said David Duckworth, Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Calgary.
“We know affordability is important to Calgarians, and we also need to continue investing in the services and infrastructure that support a growing city. This budget is about balancing those pressures and making thoughtful choices that maintain the services Calgarians rely on today while preparing our city for the future.”
Some of the proposed investments include $420 million for pavement rehabilitation, $284 million for recreation projects, $192 million for the Calgary Police Service, $300 million for bus purchases, $142 million for the 194 Avenue and Macleod Trail interchange in south Calgary, and $71 million to advance the Blue Line LRT from Saddletowne to 88 Avenue NE.
A full breakdown of each department can be found in the interactive tool below, which is drawn directly from the City of Calgary’s business unit budget documents.
‘Everything’ from administration: Coun. Kelly
Ward 4 Coun. DJ Kelly said that 15 per cent is a big number, but they wanted to see ‘everything’ from city administration in this budget. Now it’s council’s job to get that number down.
“In years past, council has instructed administration to come back with a proposed budget to a lower percentage,” he said.
“We didn’t want to leave anything on the table. This council wanted to see all the options to be able to achieve our priorities. Now that we’ve seen them in this proposed budget, it’s our job to be able to get the number down to something that we think is more appropriate.”
Kelly said how it’s whittled down, if at all, will be dependent on what makes sense for Calgarians.
“While Calgarians are rightfully focused on what their tax bill will be, during the council debate I’ll be most focused on the outcomes the neighbours of Ward 4 will be receiving for every one of those dollars,” he said.
“That is what determines if we should be doing something, or leaving those dollars in their pockets.”
Each one per cent of the proposed property tax increase is the equivalent of $25.6 million.
The 2027 proposed budget includes operating expenses of $6 billion, with $21 billion in infrastructure spending over the next four years.
The 15 per cent increase for 2027 represents $384 million in required funding, based on $527 million in operating expenses against $143 in available funding.
Calgary’s five-year average for property tax increases is 3.28 per cent, second lowest among large municipalities in Canada.
More to come. This story will be updated throughout the day.
