Due to an increase in population, there will be an estimated 5 percent increase in policing costs that the City of Cold Lake will have to cover. According to the latest Federal Census, the city has a population that has exceeded the 15,000 person threshold and will now be responsible for 90 percent of the municipal policing costs; which is up from 70 percent.

Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Kevin Nagoya, says this will have an impact on the City’s Operational Budget. “That is a significant impact to the budget.” The estimated increase to the budget is $538,000, says Nagoya. “I want to put that into perspective, when we raise the taxes by 1 percent, that generates $190,000 in new money. So to cover the policing cost that’s just over a two percent tax increase.”

“When it comes to RCMP, throughout Alberta, urban municipalities have to pay for their own policing. Of the urban municipalities there’s different thresholds of populations.” Nagoya explains the City is anticipating being bounced into the higher level due to the latest census results displaying the population above 15,000 people.

To cover the increase costs of policing, the City projects a 2 percent increase on municipal taxes. The City of Cold Lake has not raised since 2011. You may have seen an increase in your taxes due to the assessed value of your home and/or the education and seniors requisition that the City collects on behalf of the Provincial Government.