Taxation & Assessment

How Taxes are Collected

The Town of Edson issues an annual combined tax and assessment notice to all property owners during the month of May each year. This notice contains the levy for municipal tax as well as the school tax levy which is collected on behalf of the Province.

Taxation and Assessment Pamphlet

Property Assessment and Taxation Presentation

2023 Mill Rates

The 2023 final budget was passed in April and uses a 8.25% tax increase. For full details visit www.edson.ca/budget.

With the taxation set, Council has also given three readings to the 2023 Mill Rate Bylaw. The Town of Edson’s overall taxable assessment has increased by 2.12%. This is used to generate the taxation revenue and is what drives the mill rate calculations for Municipal taxes, School, and Evergreens Requisitions. The mill rate refers to the amount of tax payable per $1000 of a property’s assessed value. 

2023 Residential Mill rates:

Municipal mill rate – 6.7376 mills (2022 mill rate – 6.3126 mills)
Evergreens Foundation mill rate – 0.5625 mills (2022 mill rate – 0. 5195 mills)
School mill rate - 2.5826 mills (2022 mill rate – 2. 6631 mills)
2023 Total Combined mill rate – 9.8827 mills (2022 mill rate – 9. 4952 mills)

2023 Non-residential Mill rates:

Municipal mill rate – 15.8317 mills (2022 mill rate – 15.2443 mills)
Evergreens Foundation mill rate – 0.5625 mills (2022 mill rate – 0. 5195 mills)
School mill rate - 3.6881 mills (2022 mill rate – 3. 8880 mills)
2023 Total Combined mill rate – 20.0823 mills (2022 mill rate – 19. 6518 mills)

In addition, the Mill Rate Bylaw also reflects the Ministerial Order sent by the Province to address the Designated Industrial Properties Requisition. For 2023, the mill rate provided by the Province for the Town of Edson is set at 0.0746.

Payments and Penalties

Due to the wildfires and evacuation in May, tax notices were delayed. Council has approved the following extensions.

  • Taxes due – July 31, 2023.

  • First penalty run – August 1, 2023.

  • Second penalty run – September 1, 2023.

  • Third penalty run - January 1, 2024.

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Payment Options: A monthly pre-authorized payment plan by automatic bank withdrawals is available for your convenience. The monthly plan runs from January to December each year. Contact the Finance Department by December 1st of the preceding year to enroll for the following tax year.

Payments may be made at the Civic Centre, through internet banking, at your financial institution, or through the mail by the deadline.

If you have appealed your current year property assessment, payment in full is still required by the deadline to avoid penalty. In the event that your appeal is successful an adjustment will be made and a refund will be issued to you.

PAYMENT OPTIONS

Late Payment Penalty: Any outstanding balance on your tax account after each penalty deadline is subject to a 6% penalty.

New Title Holders: Due to ongoing delays with Alberta Land Titles document registration processing times, recent ownership and mailing address changes may not be reflected on municipal property tax notices. The TOE will be mailing their 2023 Combined Assessment and Tax Notices on June 9, 2023. If you have purchased a property in the TOE in the last 4 months and have not received your tax notice by the end of June, please contact TOE office.

Assessment Practices

Market value assessment has been recognized around the world since the 1970s. It is considered to be the most fair and transparent manner to distribute property taxes.

The market value of residential properties is calculated through a method known as mass appraisal.

Your property assessment notice indicates the Town’s estimate of your property’s market value—the amount it would have sold for in the open market—on July 1 of the previous year. And, it is adjusted for any changes in physical condition recorded by December 31. Provincial legislation establishes these dates and requires that property assessed values be estimated every year.

To ensure assessed values are fair and accurate, they are reviewed at three levels:

  • Edson’s internal checks and balances,
  • The Alberta government's annual assessment audit process and
  • Individual property owners’ review of their notice.

Those with concerns regarding assessment are encouraged to contact the Town’s assessor first. If still unsatisfied, please contact the Town Office for details on the appeal process.

Market Value

Factors that affect residential market value may include

  • Location
    • greenspaces
    • community services
    • commercial properties
    • multi-family properties
    • waterways
    • schools
    • trains
    • transmission lines
    • communications towers
    • fire hydrants
  • Land Use (zoning)
  • Size of home/lot
  • Other influences (restrictions, environmental concerns, access, servicing, etc)
  • Total finished living area
  • Quality of structure
  • Age of structure
  • Modernization level
  • Building type (i.e. duplex, etc.)
  • Unit type in condominiums (i.e. townhouse, apartment, basement unit, end unit, penthouse unit, etc.)
  • Garage type and size

Assessment Appeals

If you are not satisfied with the assessment after speaking with the Town’s assessor (aaron.steblyk@compassassessment.com), you may file a written complaint with the Assessment Review Board.  An assessment complaint must be filed using the Government of Alberta’s “Assessment Review Board Complaint Form,” available at the Town Office (605 50 St) or online at http://www.municipalaffairs.alberta.ca/documents/as/LGS1402.pdf.

A complaint must be submitted with the appropriate Assessment Appeal Fee as follows: 

  • Residential - $25.00 per Tax Roll
  • Non-Residential - $75.00 per Tax Roll

A separate appeal must be made for each parcel of land (ie Tax Account). The fee will be refunded if the Board rules in favour of the complainant.

Please submit assessment appeals to:

Assessment Review Board
c/o Assessment Review Board Clerk
Town of Edson
Box 6300
Edson, AB   T7E 1T7

Please Note

Your complaint must be made on or before the end of regular business hours on the final date of complaint as shown on the front of your Property Tax and Assessment Notice. 

A complaint against your assessed property value does not exempt you from paying taxes on time or, from late payment penalties.  If a complaint is successful, the adjustment will be applied to the tax roll.  Refund requests must be made in writing.    

Designated Industrial Property Assessment

An Assessment Review Board has no jurisdiction to deal with complaints about assessments for designated industrial property.  The Municipal Government Board has jurisdiction to hear complaints about assessments for designated industrial property.  Complaints on designated industrial property assessments must be submitted to the Municipal Government Board by the deadline shown on the designated industrial assessment notices.

Questions?

For specific assessment information please contact the Town of Edson Assessor:

Compass Assessment Consultants Inc.
Aaron Steblyk
Phone:  1-800-251-9711
Fax: (780) 466-5406
Assessor email

 

For all inquiries regarding your property tax and school support contact:

Tax Clerk Phone: (780) 723-4401
Fax: (780) 723-8617
Tax Clerk email