Photo by Curtis Galbraith.

By Curtis Galbraith

City Hall

City officials wanted a budget that balanced affordability and the need for services, says Grande Prairie’s mayor

Nov 28, 2025 | 6:00 AM

The proposed property tax increase for 2026 for Grande Prairie ratepayers stood at 4.34 per cent at the end of budget talks on Thursday.

Mayor Jackie Clayton says council has “put some significant work into decision-making.”

“We understand that there is a burden on people and businesses today because increased costs continually set people back financially.”

“We wanted to have a budget that was balanced with affordability and quality of life, but still delivers services that people were asking for, and also preparing and creating a strong tomorrow for our community.”

The increase includes 2.42 per cent for city operations and 1.92 per cent for the transition to the Grande Prairie Police Service.

Those numbers were 5.78 per cent for the city and 2.66 per cent for the police service at the start of talks.

The increase works out to $12 per month for the average $350,000 home.

Clayton says every line item in the budget has had the cost go up.

“We’re very thorough in going through those items and reducing where we needed to, finding alternative funding sources, not putting everything on taxes because that $12 a month does have impacts on people and the daily cost to run a family and live your life.”

Clayton thinks that Grande Prairie is still an affordable place to live.

“Rents are lower than the average mid-sized city and large community in Alberta. We continue to have lower than provincial average single family housing prices. We have higher than average paying jobs and so, it is very affordable to live in Grande Prairie.”

Clayton adds residential growth will help with city budgets in 2027 and other years after that.

The new budget includes $28.5 million for roads and infrastructure and another $194,000 for snow and ice removal. That includes money to hire another snow removal team.

There is also $100,000 to recruit healthcare workers and $540,00 for what a city release calls “parks and amenities, including projects such as urban forest groves and park furniture replacement.”

The budget will go to the council meeting set for December 8 for more discussion and final approval.