The Town of High River will start the process of getting tax arrears back from 46 separate properties in the Town.

Those properties owe $115,124.50 in municipal taxes from 2018.

And the Town is also proceeding with public auction for a handful of properties that are two or more years in the red, totalling $117,086.16

Mayor Craig Snodgrass says it's not fair to other taxpayers.

"When people are in arrears like that, the rest of us are subsidizing that. So, it's important to us to respect our other taxpayers and we go after these guys. Nobody likes taxes, but it's a part of life and taxes give you things, like the roads you drive on."

Snodgrass says the 2019 amount is close to what a 1 per cent hike in the tax rate would amount to.

"A one percent tax increase in High River is $180,000, So, at $117,000 in arrears, we're getting close."

Snodgrass says they collected almost all the money owed for 2017, and he expects to be successful again this year.

 

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