2026 Budget

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2026 Budget engagement has concluded.

Council unanimously approved the 2026 Budget on March 24, 2026.

There is no increase to the municipal tax rate from 2025, however, Lakers will see an increase on their taxes this year due to an increase in property assessment values and an increase to the provincial education tax.

Lakers can read more about what was proposed (and eventually approved) in the 2026 budget.

The Town is sending out combined assessment and taxation notices the week of May 22, 2026. Here’s what you need to know:

2026 Budget engagement has concluded.

Council unanimously approved the 2026 Budget on March 24, 2026.

There is no increase to the municipal tax rate from 2025, however, Lakers will see an increase on their taxes this year due to an increase in property assessment values and an increase to the provincial education tax.

Lakers can read more about what was proposed (and eventually approved) in the 2026 budget.

The Town is sending out combined assessment and taxation notices the week of May 22, 2026. Here’s what you need to know:

Ask questions about the 2026 Budget

Questions about the 2026 Budget?

  • We are listening
  • If you have questions about the budget or property taxes, ask them below
  • We are doing our best to answer as quickly as we can. Some questions need information from multiple departments and several staff members


Questions about something else? 

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  • Share What percentage of our taxes goes to roads and roundabouts, etc, paving roads on Facebook Share What percentage of our taxes goes to roads and roundabouts, etc, paving roads on Twitter Share What percentage of our taxes goes to roads and roundabouts, etc, paving roads on Linkedin Email What percentage of our taxes goes to roads and roundabouts, etc, paving roads link

    What percentage of our taxes goes to roads and roundabouts, etc, paving roads

    Naturelove asked about 2 months ago

    Thank you for your question. Here's what we can tell you...in 2025, we spent $4.432 million on servicing, maintaining, and contributing to roads in our community. That equates to approximately 6.5% of your tax dollars last year. This number fluctuates year over year due to a number of factors including, but not limited to:


    • Weather impacts on road infrastructure, year over year (specifically winter to spring)
    • New projects
    • Emergency situations (ie; digging up road to access broken pipes, etc.)

     

    As you can see, there are a number of factors that can impact how much of your tax dollars are specifically dedicated to roads on an annual basis. As some areas near the end of their lifecycle, more work is required to service these roads so that they can meet the needs for many years to come. Each area of the community has different needs based on age and wear. We monitor and review our roadways every year to ensure Lakers get where they need to go, safely.

    Also, not all roads that run through Sylvan Lake are overseen by the Town. Highway 20, for example, is handled by the Province of Alberta. Road maintenance, roundabouts, and other items related to that stretch of road are handled by them.

    We hope that helps to answer your question. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask and we’ll do our best to answer them.

    Sincerely,

    Town of Sylvan Lake Staff

  • Share Does Council have the authority to lower the tax rate, thereby lowering the financial impact to residents when assessments have increased? on Facebook Share Does Council have the authority to lower the tax rate, thereby lowering the financial impact to residents when assessments have increased? on Twitter Share Does Council have the authority to lower the tax rate, thereby lowering the financial impact to residents when assessments have increased? on Linkedin Email Does Council have the authority to lower the tax rate, thereby lowering the financial impact to residents when assessments have increased? link

    Does Council have the authority to lower the tax rate, thereby lowering the financial impact to residents when assessments have increased?

    Danny Scott asked about 1 month ago
    Thank you for your question. Yes, Council does have the authority to set the municipal tax rate, even though we do not control property assessments themselves. Assessments are determined independently by the assessor, but Council decides how much revenue is required to deliver municipal services and sets the tax rate accordingly.


    Over the past several years, Council has repeatedly asked residents for input on tax strategy through our resident feedback survey—specifically asking whether residents prefer lower taxes with reduced service levels, or maintaining (or modestly increasing) service levels even if that means tax increases in line with inflation. Year after year, we have consistently heard that residents prefer to maintain service levels, rather than see reductions to services in order to lower taxes. That feedback has guided the approach taken in this budget.


    Council had the opportunity to review the budget line by line and did remove a number of proposed projects to keep the overall budget as low as possible. We also worked to significantly increase revenue where feasible to help offset costs. You are correct, however, that Council did not choose to reduce service levels as part of this budget.


    If reducing taxes through service reductions is something you are interested in discussing further, I would very much welcome that conversation. The upcoming Budget Open House is a great opportunity to talk in more detail about which specific services you feel could be reduced or changed.


    Thank you again for sharing your perspective. I appreciate the feedback and look forward to continuing this conversation.


    Sincerely,
    Mayor Megan Hanson

  • Share Why are we spending an absorbent amount of money on the library? Why new washrooms and new lights? Why am upgrading of the staff room? The cost of the library which is a business in our town spends almost $700,000 to keep it open and operating? Seems like a giant waste of money? on Facebook Share Why are we spending an absorbent amount of money on the library? Why new washrooms and new lights? Why am upgrading of the staff room? The cost of the library which is a business in our town spends almost $700,000 to keep it open and operating? Seems like a giant waste of money? on Twitter Share Why are we spending an absorbent amount of money on the library? Why new washrooms and new lights? Why am upgrading of the staff room? The cost of the library which is a business in our town spends almost $700,000 to keep it open and operating? Seems like a giant waste of money? on Linkedin Email Why are we spending an absorbent amount of money on the library? Why new washrooms and new lights? Why am upgrading of the staff room? The cost of the library which is a business in our town spends almost $700,000 to keep it open and operating? Seems like a giant waste of money? link

    Why are we spending an absorbent amount of money on the library? Why new washrooms and new lights? Why am upgrading of the staff room? The cost of the library which is a business in our town spends almost $700,000 to keep it open and operating? Seems like a giant waste of money?

    RW asked about 1 month ago
    Thank you for reaching out with your questions. I appreciate you taking the time to ask about library spending and how municipal funds are being used.

    I do want to clarify that a number of the items you referenced—such as staff room upgrades and lighting upgrades—are not included in the approved budget, so it is difficult for me to address those specifically as they have already been removed. Council did approve a small amount to upgrade the door to one washroom to ensure it is accessible. However, the larger washroom renovation project was not approved and was removed from the budget.


    Overall, the library is a community service, similar to our recreation centre or other municipal facilities, rather than a business intended to generate profit. It is also one of the most heavily used public facilities in Sylvan Lake, serving residents of all ages through programming, learning resources, and community space.


    That said, I agree with you that we must be strategic and responsible in how the library is supported—especially given the age of the building and broader financial pressures facing the Town. This is precisely why Council chose not to proceed with the larger projects you mentioned and focused instead on only one essential, accessibility‑related improvements.


    Thank you again for sharing your concerns. 


    Sincerely,
    Mayor Megan Hanson

  • Share I notice Protective Services and the RCMP budget appears to be the same. What is all included in the protective services budget and why does it cost around the same as the RCMP? on Facebook Share I notice Protective Services and the RCMP budget appears to be the same. What is all included in the protective services budget and why does it cost around the same as the RCMP? on Twitter Share I notice Protective Services and the RCMP budget appears to be the same. What is all included in the protective services budget and why does it cost around the same as the RCMP? on Linkedin Email I notice Protective Services and the RCMP budget appears to be the same. What is all included in the protective services budget and why does it cost around the same as the RCMP? link

    I notice Protective Services and the RCMP budget appears to be the same. What is all included in the protective services budget and why does it cost around the same as the RCMP?

    Jord asked about 2 months ago
    Thank you for the question!


    The Protective Services department includes more than just policing. Our Protective Services team includes: 
    • Police (RCMP) 
    • Fire 
    • Emergency Management 
    • Municipal Enforcement 
    • Paid Parking 
    • Health & Safety 
    The Town owns the detachment and the RCMP leases their portion from the Town. As it’s housed in partnership by both the RCMP and Municipal Enforcement teams, we also have Town staff in those buildings and wage dollars are included in those totals. 
    In 2025 the RCMP budget was $3.3 million. The Protective Services total budget was also around $3.3 million.
     
    Although the RCMP is Canada’s national police service, most day‑to‑day community policing is considered a local responsibility, similar to roads, fire services, and bylaw enforcement. For that reason, all municipalities share the cost when the RCMP provides local policing services under formal agreements.  


    RCMP policing costs are shared between federal, provincial, and municipal governments, depending on population size and the type of agreement in place: 

    • Over 15,000 population: municipality pays 90% 
    This is where Sylvan Lake lands on the scale. We pay for 90% of the RCMP costs, while the federal government covers the remaining 10%.


    We hope that helps to answer your question!

Page last updated: 26 Mar 2026, 08:08 AM