A shift to the City of Grande Prairie’s Stormwater Drainage Bylaw will leave residents with an adjustment on their tax bills from the city.
According to the city, discussion surrounding how the city handles stormwater utilities began with the previous council in 2019, and Deputy Mayor Gladys Blackmore says the current council has debated the topic heavily in the past two years.
“It’s a complicated issue that has taken a lot of conversation over particularly the last two years,” she says.
The city says the adjustment will be a “cost-neutral” one, meaning residents should not have to pay any more or less than they are already paying for the service. Currently, stormwater utilities are covered by municipal taxes, and Deputy Mayor Blackmore says there will be no visible difference to the services provided.
“The intent is the overall cost difference will be neutral, so we’re not making money on the stormwater utility, it will just be a better way to manage that process,” she says. “They [residents] will still get the same delivery of the stormwater utility that they’ve always gotten.”
Blackmore emphasizes that the switch is “not a money grab” for the city, and residents are encouraged to share feedback and learn about the changes and can review information resources regarding the proposal on the city’s website.