By Curtis Galbraith

City Hall

City looking at change in how stormwater services are paid for

Jan 24, 2023 | 6:00 AM

After a lengthy discussion at Monday’s meeting, Grande Prairie city council approved some ideas for its new Stormwater Utility.

Councillor Dylan Bressey says this would mean a change in how handling stormwater is paid for.

“Right now, stormwater is paid through general taxes, which would mean how much you contribute is only based on the value of your property.”

“If we adopt a utility model instead, you’ll receive a bill that reflects how much hard surface you have on your property, and you’ll also see a reduction in your taxes because it will be based on how much stormwater surface you use rather than the value of the property how much you pay.”

Bressey explains the bill would be based on hard surfaces on someone’s property.

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“The model being considered right now would be for residential properties, it would basically be the roof area of the property.”

“For commercial properties, it would be the entire hard surface area of the property.”

He says this will mean a net reduction in what most residential properties pay to the city every year.

Bressey adds reasons for the change include it acting as an incentive to build a green roof or more green space, meaning less runoff, and that this is a way to align Grande Prairie’s ways of doing things with best practices in other communities.

He says any infrastructure grants used for stormwater now could be used for other projects.

The ideas approved at council Monday include having this be revenue neutral and having a corresponding decrease in property taxes. Bressey says there will be no change to stormwater services.

Administration will do more work on the idea.

It would come into place no sooner than January 1, 2024.

Council discussed but voted against an exemption for kindergarten to Grade 8 schools, deciding it wanted this to apply to all properties equally.