Sturgeon County residents will have almost $100 extra in their pockets this tax season due to steep cuts to the school and senior levies.
County council approved the 2021 tax rates April 13 with little debate.
Council pencils in a tax rate each fall at budget time based on predictions for property values, the Homeland Housing seniors levy, and the provincial education levy, the latter two of which were not under its control. The county sets the actual tax (or mill) rate in around April once those values and levies were finalized.
The 2020 budget featured a zero-per-cent tax hike with projected three- and six-per-cent hikes to the seniors and education levies, respectively.
Those two levies actually plummeted by about 40 and six per cent, council heard. Property values also rose about two per cent more than expected, netting the county $1.5 million more revenue.
Council chose to proceed with the zero per cent tax hike as planned. Under it, the owner of a typical $450,000 home in the county would pay $2,810.57 in taxes (not including utilities) this year – about $88.87 less than last year, which was enough to buy about eight dozen doughnuts at Tim Hortons.
A report to council noted that the state of the economy could make collecting taxes a tricky prospect this year. Some $555,666 of tax revenue had to be written off as uncollectable in 2020. They also heard that the county stood to collect some $100.5 million in property taxes this year – some $31.2 million more than last year. Most of that increase was due to taxes from the Sturgeon Refinery.
Tax notices will be mailed out by May 21.
