Lethbridge operating budget can lower property tax increase to 2.67%

Members of Lethbridge City Council are moving forward with recommendations of dozens of budget reduction measures ahead of next years operating budget.

Council’s Community Issues Committee sought to ensure that residents will pay a lower municipal property tax increase of 2.67%. That’s about half the rate of increase residents have been subjugated to from 2023 to 2026 at 5.1% each year.

But in order to make up for a lesser tax, services will have to be either cut or altered in order to accommodate. One major change put forward is to eliminate some Transit routes to the University and Polytechnic from May to August when demand is lower. The routes affected will be 51, 52, 53 & 62.

Mayor Blaine Hyggen claims the cost of rides provided from those routes during the summer months came to an average of $400 per person. Eliminating those rides could save the city over $241,000.

Other notable measures include eliminating free Saturday disposal at the city’s Waste and Recycling Centre and it’s extended summer hours. Combined, that results in $340,750 in savings.

Some park maintenance service would be reduced, concession prices at the VisitLethbridge.com Arena would slightly increase and residents who receive printed mailed invoices will be issued a fee of $2 and a reprint fee of $5.

2027 acts as a one year stub budget before the city resumes a four-year budget cycle from 2028-2031. The resolutions are expected to pass at the next city council meeting on June 23rd.

The summery of of what was discussed on Wednesday can be found on the City of Lethbridge website.