Calgary city council decides against property tax rebate in 2024

There will be no property tax rebate this year.

Calgary city council decided Tuesday night not to ask administration to find $23 million in budget cuts that would have led to a one-time rebate for homeowners.

Earlier this month, councillors Wong, Chabot, Sharp, Wyness, Chu and Mclean instigated a new motion to try to find savings to give taxpayers a bit of relief from the 7.8 per cent property tax increase approved by council as a whole back in November.

The motion needed approval by two-thirds of council to move forward, but was defeated 8-7.

If passed, it would have led to about $4 of savings per month for the average homeowner.

Supporters of the rebate say every penny counts, but other councillors say budget cuts would hurt Calgarians.

"In this exercise, you're going through and finding the $23.1 million while restore some trust in our constituents that you know, we are listening to them," said Ward 7 Coun. Terry Wong. "We are following their lead, doing the right things doing things the right way."

"Do we believe that the spending on mental health, that the spending on affordable housing, that the spend on transit safety that has brought us to almost, not fully but almost whole, is something we want to put at risk again?" said Ward 11 Coun. Kourtney Penner.

Sharp, after Tuesday's meeting, said she was "disappointed."

"You know, we have over $5 billion in the budget (and) we can't find $23 million -- we're doing something wrong."

Council did pass a motion 10-5 to have administration look at possible cuts to services in the 2025 budget.