Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas proposes a city-wide plebiscite to gauge public opinion on the property taxes allocated to the provincial government. City council discussed this option during a special meeting addressing the provincial budget’s effects on residents.
Provincial Budget Impacts Calgary Taxpayers
The province’s 2026 budget reveals a $9.4 billion deficit and a $200 million rise in property taxes collected from Calgarians for education funding. Officials project $3.6 billion in total education property tax revenue, with $1.2 billion from Calgary and $639 million from Edmonton.
Combined with the city’s approved 1.6 percent property tax increase, typical Calgary homeowners face an extra $388 annually, while average commercial properties see a $2,945 hike in 2026.
Ward 6 Coun. John Pantazopoulos highlights the disparity: “The fact that Calgarians are paying double what the City of Edmonton pays, there’s something wrong there.” He adds, “I think it’s a bit disappointing.”
Rising Requisitions and Unmet Needs
Data shows Calgary’s provincial property tax requisition surged 58.6 percent over four years. Mayor Farkas notes, “We’ve seen nowhere near a 60 per cent boost in the services or the infrastructure that the City of Calgary receives from the province.”
City requests for shared funding on utility and transportation infrastructure via Prairie Economic Gateway, expanded low-income transit passes, and mental health initiatives remain unaddressed. Positively, the province increased support for the Affordable Housing Partnership Program and approved 14 new schools in Calgary.
Province Defends Education Investments
Garrett Koehler, spokesperson for Alberta’s education minister, states that Calgary’s major school boards receive $2.24 billion in operating funds this year. With 45 school projects underway, including $144 million for charter schools, Koehler asserts, “So clearly the province is investing far more than it receives from Calgarians, back into the city’s school system.”
He acknowledges the mayor’s push for tax transparency to clarify service improvements.
Ward 13 Coun. Dan McLean comments, “I’m not here to defend the province. But everybody asked for more teachers, more schools, more supports, and that comes at a cost.”
Plebiscite Proposal and Challenges
Mayor Farkas suggests separate billing for municipal and provincial taxes, with the provincial portion bolded, though legislation blocks multiple bills. He draws parallels to the 2021 municipal referendum on equalization payments.
No formal motion emerged from the meeting. Elections Calgary’s chief returning officer, Kate Martin, estimates six months and over $12 million to conduct a plebiscite.
Farkas clarifies, “At this point, we’re just asking questions.” Some councillors, like Ward 14’s Landon Johnston, deem the session performative: “Just performative, we didn’t really accomplish anything today.”
Lori Williams, associate professor of policy studies at Mount Royal University, explains municipalities’ limited jurisdiction but notes potential for political pressure: “There’s a lot of latitude for the province, and not much, at least jurisdictionally… But I think there’s something that can be done politically.”
