Red Deer City Council has approved the 2026 Tax Rate Bylaw, as required under the Municipal Government Act (MGA).
Council gave first, second and third readings to the bylaw on April 14, 2026, to meet legislative timelines and ensure critical assessment and taxation processes can continue in a timely manner.
The MGA requires Council to pass an annual Tax Rate Bylaw to establish the property tax rates needed to collect the property tax revenue approved in the 2026 Operating Budget, along with the 2026 requisitions. Requisitions are collected on behalf of external organizations to support non-City services and account for approximately 25 per cent of an average residential tax notice.
Red Deer City Council previously approved a 3.97 per cent increase to The City’s portion of property taxes. At the same time, the Provincial education portion is increasing by 12.83 per cent. Because tax notices include both the municipal and requisition amounts, the total increase appearing on tax notices will be higher than The City’s increase alone.The overall 2026 property tax increase is:
- 5.49 per cent for residential properties
- 10.79 per cent for multi-family properties
- 5.49 per cent for non-residential properties
The higher increase for multi-family properties reflects a higher-than-average increase in market value for that property class in 2026. Last year, multi-family properties had a lower-than-average assessment change and lower-than-average tax increase.
For every $100,000 of assessed residential value, for a property with an average assessment change, the annual tax increase is $50.60, or $4.21 per month. Of that amount, $31.26 annually is for requisitions, primarily the Government of Alberta for education.
“Passing the annual tax rate bylaw is an important legislative step that allows The City to collect the revenue needed to fund essential municipal services and required requisitions,” said Mayor Cindy Jefferies. “Red Deer continues to benefit from a strong assessment base and a competitive tax environment, which supports community and economic growth while helping us maintain the high-quality services, programs and infrastructure residents rely on.”
Property taxes remain a critical part of Red Deer’s financial sustainability, funding 41 per cent of The City’s total budget and 61 per cent of the tax-supported budget. This revenue supports essential services residents rely on every day, including roads, transit, recreation facilities, emergency services and policing, while also supporting long-term financial planning and reserve strategies.