The Town of Turner Valley managed to do something remarkable in 2018, and that was reduce their municipal tax levels.

But can they do it in 2019?

That's the question Mayor Gary Rowntree and Council hope to answer when they get down to serious budget talks in the New Year.

"If nothing else, we should be able to stabilize it at the same level that we were at for 2018. But as far as any dramatic increases in taxes, I really don't feel that that will be happening. But to stabilize it is an important step as well."

Rowntree says with Alberta's current economic situation, something is happening around small town Alberta, including in Turner Valley, that's beyond their control and may force them to get creative when it comes to the 2019 budget.

"One thing for sure that we are concerned about, and it's due to the economy, is the fact that housing prices are dropping. So, that's going to have an effect on our assessed values as well when it comes to the taxes. Because as you well enough know, taxes are based on assessed values of the homes. So as they go down, how do we address that?"

Rowntree says the Province is also winding down the Municipal Sustainability Initiative, or MSI Funding, which is concerning, since the Province hasn't replaced it with another formula for financing Alberta Municipalities.

 

Send us your news tips, story ideas and comments at news@highriveronline.com