Home-owners and businesses wonder if the property tax bite will ever be less painful. With aging infrastructure and pressures of growth, Lethbridge faces real challenges to keep its fiscal house in order.
Is there any hope in sight for property tax relief? Is municipal spending and taxing out of control? What are other cities facing? Will there be a “New Deal” for cities in Canada?
While the Alberta and Federal governments have worked for a decade to balance their books, they have shifted increased responsibilities onto cities to deliver services and foot the bill. Municipalities are crying “foul” and banding together to seek a solution.
There is a groundswell of interest to change the way municipal government is financed. Success of this strategy hinges on increasing public awareness of workable alternatives to property taxes.
Speaker: Lethbridge Mayor Bob Tarleck is a property tax payer and veteran of Lethbridge municipal politics. Currently involved in work with an advocacy committee of the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA), Mayor Tarleck has participated actively in provincial and federal think-sessions to explore solutions to financing municipal government.
As a champion of sustainable growth, he meets regularly with other Alberta city mayors to develop common solutions for combating urban problems.