REDUCING YOUR   TAX RATE

Every year since I was first elected in 2008, I have tried to convince Council to lower the property tax rate.

The rate was $1.6525 per $1,000 of assessment in 2008.

The rate is down to $1.3614 per $1,000 in 2026.

Since I was re-elected in 2021, Council reduced the rate by 17.5%.

We would have reduced it further in 2026, but could not because the Province froze existing property assessments. 

The freeze represented a loss of 12 million dollars in our 2026 budget, which we are obligated to balance.

Reducing the rate is not an ideological goal. It is a practical one. 

The rate is set to obtain the amount we need to provide the services required by our citizens. 

Before 2008, Council simply took in the amount received in property taxes and spent it. At that time, tax revenues increased by almost 5 %, so Council increased their budget by 5%. I convinced my colleagues that we should start from our expenses, which were increasing by 2 to 3 %, then set the tax rate to give us the required revenues. 

I took a break from Council between 2016 and 2021. During that time, Council maintained the rate at $1.6497 every year, regardless of revenues and expenses. Since my return, the rate has dropped by 17.5% ($1.6497 to $1.3614).

I commit to reducing the tax rate every year (unless prevented by external circumstances).

That said, reducing the tax rate does not mean your tax bill will be reduced. Tax bills are determined by (1) the tax rate applied to (2) the assessment. The City sets the tax rate, but the Province determines the value of your property. 

In 2026, the Province froze the values of existing properties. As a result, Council had to delay some of its projects. 

Provincial interference in the private real estate market will skewer it in the long term, so it would be silly to freeze assessments on a regular basis. If the market is left alone, as it should be, supply and demand will determine property values. All properties should gain value over time, but there may be occasional hiccups. If your assessment increases significantly, the City should reduce the tax rate to minimize impact. It has since I was first elected.