Ponoka adopts finalized 2026 budget, mill rates

PONOKA -- Ponoka Council has officially adopted the town's finalized 2026 budget and mill rates.

According to the township, this year's budget includes a municipal property tax increase of two per cent, which equates to an annual municipal property tax increase of approximately $17.73 per $100,000 of assessment for residential, and $23.14 per $100,000 of non-residential properties. However, residents can expect another significant jump in the provincial education tax.

"While Council worked very hard to keep property taxes as low as possible, we are once again frustrated to learn that the provincial government – for the second year in a row – has increased the education tax by 11 per cent for Ponoka residents," said Mayor Kevin Ferguson. "Last year, they increased it by 10.8 per cent. That results in a significant increase to the annual property tax bill that residents receive from the town."

Ferguson notes that there are no new schools being built in Ponoka and that the town is required to collect the provincial education tax as part of the overall property tax bill it sends to residents each year. Money collected through the education tax is then sent directly to the provincial government.

"When residents get their property tax bill, they tend to just look at the total amount owing. Council wants them to know that roughly a quarter of the increase in their residential property taxes is due to the education tax increase, and more than a third of the increase in non-residential property taxes is due to the education tax," said Mayor Ferguson.

The Town of Ponoka's 2026 budget comes in at 39.6 million, which includes an operating budget of $24.1 million and a capital budget of $15.5 million. Some of the major investments include the next phase of the Highway 53 Improvement Project, Ponoka’s annual Roadway Improvement Program, and upgrades to both the town's Wastewater Treatment Facility and Waterworks System. 

"Citizen input is a critical part of the budget planning process," said Mayor Ferguson. "I think this budget does a very good job of balancing the needs of our community while positioning Ponoka for continued growth and success."

He adds that public input and priorities identified in the budget survey results were carefully considered and addressed in the 2026 Budget through ongoing upgrades and improvements to Town infrastructure, including roads and sidewalks.