Everybodys favourite subject. 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, procurement, and assessment), infrastructure (like parks, roads, and engineering projects), community services (such as transit and new recreation centre), and of course, the operation of City Council itself.

When you look at it compared to other cities in Alberta, Airdrie’s municipal property tax rate is actually one of the lowest — second only to Calgary. At least for the years leading up to 2025. 

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 all things, but a modern city will require modern ammenties and they will need to be funded.

That said, taxes do have some potential drawbacks. They reduce disposable income for individuals and businesses, which can limit spending and investment. High taxes can discourage work, investment, and entrepreneurship, potentially slowing economic growth. Additionally, taxes often come with administrative burdens and added costs for both governments and taxpayers. 

However, while we all understand the reasons why taxes are necessary, and why it’s important to support our city by paying them, we also have to be smart about how these dollars are spent. As citizens, we have every right to expect real progress and meaningful change, not just the promise of projects that conveniently appear around election years. Our community deserves steady and transparent improvements that reflect the true investment we are all making.

For my money, literally, I want quality projects that are kept on budget and on time. Making sure that happens isn’t just a priority for me, it’s one of the defining reasons I chose to run for City Council“