Lethbridge budget deliberations underway: affordable, social housing among topics discussed

Lethbridge city hall is seen in a photo from Nov. 14, 2022.

Lethbridge city council has held the line on property taxes with no increases over the last three years because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but that's likely about to change.

Residents are looking at a 3.77 per cent tax hike annually over each of the next four years.

City administration says most of the increase is needed just to maintain the current level of service in a growing city.

"Keeping a zero per cent tax increase is not feasible to maintaining existing levels of service," said Darrell Mathews, city treasurer.

If all proposed budget initiatives are approved, taxes could climb increase an additional 2.3 per cent.

City council began day one of budget deliberations on Monday, focusing on new program initiatives including Salute our Veterans, affordable and social housing and Lethbridge outreach programs.

As a way to bring more affordable housing to the city, Coun. Belinda Crowson brought forward the affordable and social housing capital grant motion.

The initiative would see an increase of more than $412,000 each year for the next four years.

"The next time community groups come in front of us and tell us they're not getting grants, remember that the barrier is us," Crowson said.

"The barrier is the fact that our predevelopment costs are stopping them from moving forward, stopping them from getting federal and provincial money into our community. They're now risk-adverse, they've reached out us and have said this is where we need help, this is what we need more than anything else."

However, the motion was defeated in a 7-to-2 vote.

"We just can't keep encroaching on a lane that is held by someone else and that is the province," said Coun. Rajko Dodic.

"I know we want to help the folks that this resolution targets, but every time we weighed in, we think we're getting in ankle deep, but we get in deeper and deeper and before you know it… we're swimming in it."

Other items discussed and approved on Monday include fire hydrant drinking fountains, Highway 3 twinning membership, land use bylaw update, parking fines and city wide sponsorship program.

Once the budget deliberations are over, city council will formally vote to approve the budget, likely during their Nov. 29 meeting.