Edmonton council aims for lower property tax increase [Video]

Edmontononians will end up paying more in property taxes in 2025, but city council is still working out how much more.

Two years ago, the tax increase for 2025 was forecasted to be five per cent. Last fall, it was estimated to be seven percent and then, in August, it increased to 13 per cent.

• City council, administration wrestle with potential double-digit tax hike for 2025

On Wednesday, city staff said they had trimmed millions of dollars from Edmonton’s budget to get the property tax increase down to 8.1 per cent.

“I think we have a path forward, I think we have caught up significantly in underfunding of the core services,” said Mayor Amarjeet Sohi.

For the average Edmonton homeowner, an 8.1 per cent increase would mean paying an extra $265 dollars in property taxes next year.

City spending can afford to slow down now that council has bolstered the budgets for …