By Emily Keller

2020 taxes

City considering tax rebate for residents in 2020 due to COVID-19

May 12, 2020 | 7:38 PM

The City of Grande Prairie is looking at giving residents a tax rebate for the 2020 tax year.

At the City committee meeting on Tuesday, committee voted to recommend Council approve a 1.25 per cent tax rebate for residents, that would be equivalent to a zero per cent tax increase.

City Council originally decided on having the 1.25 per cent increase for property taxes at the 2020 budget deliberations back in November 2019.

Mayor Bill Given says the credit applies only to the municipal portion of the property taxes and not the provincial.

“But it does mean that the City will be spending approximately 1.5 million dollars to provide this credit to residents with the goal of keeping that money in the pockets of taxpayers and circulating out in the local economy.”

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He says that if the rebate is approved by Council, residents would still pay the original increase.

“It is a tax credit that is equivalent to a zero per cent increase. It does retain some flexibility for the City in the 2021 budget taking this approach of a tax credit, and I think that’s why you’re seeing a lot cities across the province move that direction, including Medicine Hat and others in our region, like Dawson Creek.”

Mayor Given says that it means property tax payers should not see an increase on their 2020 property tax bill, but will see the rebate labelled as a COVID-19 support credit.

The change will first have to go before City Council to be approved before it is put in place.