Okotoks, like all municipalities across Alberta, is facing growing challenges in how we pay for the local services residents rely on. The pressures identified below have made it more costly for the Town to deliver everyday services, which is why municipal property taxes have increased.
The top 5 reasons why property taxes are increasing:
- Increasing Education Taxes: The provincial property tax is going up to help pay for schools (i.e. education requisitions). It increased by 14% in 2025. This tax is collected by the Town through your municipal property tax bill.
- Funding cuts from the Province: The Alberta government is giving less money to municipal governments (50% less since 2009), so councils have to raise municipal property taxes to make up for it.
- Downloaded Costs from the Province: The province has created new rules and downloaded costs onto municipal governments, like election rules and policing.
- Taking on Provincial Services: Residents are asking councils to spend money on services that are historically handled by the province, like social services, recruitment of doctors, and affordable housing.
- Inflation & Rising costs: Prices are rising (inflation) so municipal governments have to spend more money to buy the things they need (e.g. the price of a fire truck increased by 70% since 2020).
Learn more about each of these challenges, and find short videos and fact sheets that break each one down at shapeourtown.okotoks.ca/taxes101.