Each year, Airdrie City Council decides how much money is needed to support the services we all rely on.

After factoring in other revenue sources like sales and user charges, license fees, and provincial grants, the remaining balance — about 40% of the City's total operating budget — needs to be covered by property taxes.

Of the property taxes collected, 32% goes toward the Provincial Education Tax, which the City is required to collect and send to the Province of Alberta. The City has no control over this amount — it’s set entirely by the Province. Another 1% is collected for the Rocky View Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides low-rental housing for seniors in Airdrie, which I personally love. The remaining 67% is made up of the Municipal Property Tax, which the City uses to fund vital services like community growth and protective services (such as policing and fire protection), administration (things like IT services and procurement), infrastructure (parks, roads, crews, and engineering projects), community services (such as transit and the new recreation centre), and of course, the operation of City Council itself.

Taxes are the primary way governments fund the services and infrastructure that keep a city running. They help maintain the roads we drive on, support the schools that educate our kids, and fund emergency services and social programs that protect our communities. In Airdrie specifically, the taxes we pay are also helping to fund community projects like the new recreation centre, the new library, the potential downtown revitalization, and they help Rocky View Schools (RVS) access the additional funds needed to build new schools for our rapidly growing population. Not everyone is a fan of every project, and that's okay. But a modern city does need modern amenities, and they need to be funded responsibly.

That said, we have to acknowledge that taxes do have some downsides. They reduce disposable income for individuals and businesses, which can limit spending and investment. High taxes can discourage work, innovation, and entrepreneurship, and in some cases, they can even slow economic growth. Plus, taxes come with administrative burdens and added costs for both governments and taxpayers.

Now let me be clear: I am not a fan of double-digit tax increases. They hit families and local businesses hard, and we simply can’t keep going back to residents for more every time we hit a budget crunch. If elected, I will be looking closely at how we can mitigate these kinds of increases in the future. That means prioritizing quality projects that come in on time and on budget. 

While none of us enjoys paying taxes, we do understand their importance and the role they play in supporting our city. But we must be thoughtful and responsible with how every dollar is spent. As citizens, we have the right to expect genuine progress and meaningful change, not just convenient promises rolled out during elections. Our community deserves consistent, transparent improvements that truly reflect the investment we're all making.

My commitment is to ensure that every tax dollar delivers real value to Airdrie. I’m all in for building great things like schools, libraries, and rec centres — but we must do it with discipline and accountability. Making sure that this happens isn’t just a priority for me, it’s one of the defining reasons that I choose to run for City Council.