Concerns about rising property taxes returned to Prince Albert City Hall Monday after a homeowner told council his annual bill has climbed from about $2,400 to $4,700 over several years.
Yohannes Zerai raised the concern in an Aug. 5 letter to council. Zerai said his home was purchased through Habitat for Humanity and that rising property taxes were making it more difficult to maintain the affordable homeownership the program was intended to provide.
He asked council to consider the effect rising taxes are having on families and whether programs, relief options or other policies could help homeowners facing similar pressures.
Coun. Bryce Laewetz pulled the property-tax concern from Monday’s Executive Committee consent agenda for discussion.
“I’m assuming all of us have had many, many people reach out in regards to the increase in property tax,” Laewetz said.
Laewetz pointed to his own experience, saying his property taxes were about $2,700 a year when he bought his house four years ago and are now about $4,500.
“It’s significant and it makes a difference,” he said.
Laewetz said receiving a formal letter from a resident was a good indication that others in Prince Albert are dealing with the same concern.
“I know that it’ll be taking extra, extra effort in this year’s budget to make sure that we keep this as down as we can,” he said.
There was no extended debate on the issue. Executive Committee voted to receive Zerai’s correspondence and refer it to the City’s Financial Services Department.
The concern comes months after council approved its 2026 property-tax plan. The plan required an additional $3.49 million in taxation revenue to balance the City’s approved operating and capital budgets and reserve allocations.
The tax pressure comes as the City faces higher costs for goods and services, along with aging infrastructure, capital needs and demands for municipal services. Those pressures come during a period of sustained inflation that has also increased costs for households.
For residential properties used as examples in the City’s report, total 2026 tax increases ranged from 3.39 per cent to 3.85 per cent depending on assessed value. A home assessed at $250,000, for example, was projected to see taxes rise from $3,984 in 2025 to $4,131 in 2026, an increase of $147.
The 2026 package also increased the residential base tax from $365 to $400, the residential roadway special tax from $204 to $215 and the snow-management special tax from $75 to $76. The City’s $35 police special tax was eliminated.
Property taxation was the subject of lengthy debate at council in April. Councillors questioned the City’s use of base taxes, special levies and different tax structures before ultimately approving the 2026 bylaws. Council also directed administration to return before the 2027 budget deliberations with a review of the City’s taxation model, including tax classes, mill-rate strategies and base-tax structures.
The City’s draft Housing Strategy identifies a broader challenge behind that pressure. It says Prince Albert property-tax revenue climbed 22 percent over five years, from $40.7 million in 2020 to $49.7 million in 2024 while growth in the number of taxable properties failed to keep pace. The report also notes that hospitals, schools, churches, correctional facilities and government properties make up a significant tax-exempt portion of the city.
The taxation-model review is expected to come back to council ahead of deliberations on the 2027 budget.
