City council sets property tax increase at 5.7% for 2025

The provincial government accounts for about 25 per cent of your municipal tax bill, but it comes to your mailbox on city letterhead.

Edmonton’s municipal property tax rate for 2025 has been set: 5.7 per cent.

City council approved the final rate on Wednesday morning after reviewing its annual budget. City staff will now mail tax notices next month to Edmonton property owners.

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The city’s assessment and taxation branch says the property value estimates come from several sources of information and data, including rental rates, vacancy rates, property sales, construction costs and land value.

Changes to an owner’s tax bill depend on whether or not the assessed value of the property has changed in relation to overall market values.

An Edmonton homeowner will pay an average of $763 in municipal taxes in 2025 for every $100,000 of assessed home value, up $51 from 2024, the city said in a media release.

City taxpayers, however, can expect even-higher sticker shock when they get their bills as the municipal hike doesn’t include the education portion of property taxes.

The Alberta government will tack on its charges to property owners for it. The education levy is about a quarter of a homeowner’s final tax bill.

While the province cut income taxes in the spring budget, it raised residential property taxes by nine percent.

City councillors say they are “sick and tired” of being blamed for tax increases for which they’re not responsible.

Ward papastew Coun.Michael Janz said Wednesday it’s a confusing system and allows the provincial government to raise taxes without taking the blame.

“When Edmontonians open up their tax bill and they see a big jump, they need to understand that’s not going to snow removal, that’s not going to potholes, that’s not going to police, that’s not going to fire, that’s going to Premier Smith,” Janz told media.

City council passed a motion to work with the Alberta Municipalities organization to develop a proposal that would see the two tax streams collected separately, an idea Alberta Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver has dismissed.