HINTON – The Town of Hinton will not increase the municipal tax rate in 2025 following spring adjustments to the budget.
Council voted 4-1 to give third reading to the tax rate bylaw during a special meeting on Tuesday (May 13). Coun. Stuart Taylor voted against, while Couns. Kristen Chambers and Ryan Maguhn were absent.
First and second reading were given last week, but council failed to achieve unanimous consent to give third reading, meaning a special meeting had to be called this week so tax notices could be sent out as soon as possible.
The budget originally adopted by council in December requires the Town to raise $14.6 million through taxation and called for a 4.32 per cent tax increase, but due to spring budget adjustments, such as an extra $600,000 from linear taxation, this amount has been reduced to $13.6 million.
Last month, council discussed what to do with this surplus and leaned toward a zero per cent tax increase. This would mean a residential mill rate of 5.614 and a non-residential mill rate of 9.5461.
The remaining $800,000 will be earmarked for three major initiatives—a third to the recreation centre reserve, a third to a tax rate stabilization reserve and the final third to asset management.
Alicia Bourbeau, corporate services director, clarified that council could reallocate these funds to other reserves at its discretion but would otherwise remain on those three budget lines.
Coun. Albert Ostashek noted how the direction to split the $800,000 equally among the three reserves helped him justify approving the tax rate bylaw.
“If that wouldn’t have been split and allocated in that way, I likely wouldn’t have supported the tax rate bylaw that was put forward and was moved to accept,” Ostashek said.
Due to an increase in assessed property values, property owners will still pay more this year. On average, properties in Hinton saw an increase of 3.59 per cent in their assessed value. The Town also collects requisitions on behalf of the Province via the education property tax and the Evergreens Foundation.
