Tax bills are going out in High River after council last week passed the property tax bylaw.

Mayor Craig Snodgrass says the over-all increase was 4.4 per cent but the Tax Stabilization Fund means there's only a 2.2 per cent increase.

"A minimal impact to our ratepayers when you compare it to other communities but we're happy with the budget and this is just passing the bylaw that puts it all in place," he says.

The fund was put in place by CAO Chris Prosser while other savings came through savings during the pandemic.

For property owners the impact on the property tax amount depends on the assessed value of their properties.

Property owners with increases in their assessment values may see an increase in the 2023 property taxes, while those with decreases in their assessment values may see a reduction.

The total 2022 assessed value of all taxable properties increased by 7.7% over the prior year, from $2,179,966,200 (2021) to $2,348,373,740 (2022).

For residential and farmland properties, the average property value increased by approximately $26,620 to $335,227, for a total average tax impact of $2,905 per property ($2,790-2021) per year, and a net increase of $115.

Eighty-one dollars of that comes from the municipality, $33 from Schools, $1 from Westwinds Communities per property per year. 

Mayor Snodgrass says the level of services will not be affected.