Lethbridge municipal tax rate increasing 5.1 per cent.

City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to approve the 2023-2026 operating budget. This means that the municipal tax rate is 5.1 per cent for each of the next four years. This is equal to $129.93 per year per single family house, based on an average market value of $285,800. Lethbridge Mayor Blaine Hyggen says this was a tough decision, but one that had to be made.

“It’s set as 5.1 and that’s what it is currently going forward. But I’m hoping that we could come back, find some additional efficiencies that we can find throughout the corporation and reduce that. Now, it’s something that that’s what our role is and as we give direction to city manager and his team. But it is 5.1, so let’s not think, well, the mayor said that we’re going to reduce this here in two years. We’re looking for those efficiencies and we hope to be able to do that as we find efficiencies within the corporation.”

In 2019, there was a 1.82 per cent municipal tax rate increase, which was the lowest in 20 years.