7.34% tax increase recommended in Lethbridge for 2025

Following a reappraisal of Lethbridge and District Exhibition connected Tuesday, metropolis administrators are recommending assembly summation taxes for adjacent year by implicit 7 per cent.

Following a memorandum of knowing (MOU) betwixt the City of Lethbridge and Lethbridge and District Exhibition earlier this year, the metropolis assumed governance of the struggling organization.

Another cardinal constituent of the MOU was a third-party reappraisal of LDE. The findings of the reappraisal were presented to assembly Tuesday morning, with the politician of Lethbridge, Blaine Hyggen, expressing frustration.

“”This is highly — and I’ll accidental extremely — concerning, fixed this was chiefly a tax-payer funded project,” said Hyggen connected Tuesday afternoon.

On Wednesday, metropolis medication made recommendations to the City of Lethbridge Economic and Finance Standing Policy Committee connected however to lick the crisis.

Two superior options were presented to the committee, which tin past beryllium passed onto assembly for information adjacent month.

The archetypal enactment was to fastener the doors and unopen down the caller Agri-Food Hub and Trade Centre. However, metropolis medication recommends their different enactment — keeping the installation operational. Both choices pb to an further $4.1 cardinal successful expenses for the metropolis successful 2025.

With the second option, medication recommends assembly summation taxes by 7.34 per cent adjacent year. This is 2.24 per cent higher than the antecedently approved taxation summation for 2025.

“Going from the existent year, 2024 taxation rate, to the 2025 taxation rate, is an further astir $130 connected that mean home. Then you adhd connected this further 2.24 per cent taxation and that’s an further $60 connected apical of that, coming to $190,” said Darrell Mathews, CFO for the City of Lethbridge connected Wednesday greeting aft helium presented the metropolis recommendations.

While the 2 options were to fastener it up oregon support it going, Mathews says determination was nary speech astir selling the Agri-Food Hub.

“One of the things that’s successful the presumption and conditions of the assistance backing from the province, is that the Lethbridge and District Exhibition has to support that installation until astatine slightest 2027.”

While helium says a taxation summation is not what the metropolis wants, it’s the cards that person been dealt.

“Administration is providing assembly with the champion recommendation, with wherever we are astatine today, with the unfortunate concern we’re facing.”

With $4.1 cardinal requiring attraction successful 2025, aboriginal councils volition request to see different $32.1 cardinal successful unfunded LDE superior projects, according to the city.

Lethbridge metropolis assembly inactive needs to o.k. the taxation increase, which is acceptable to travel to assembly connected Dec. 10.