Property owners in Grande Prairie, Alberta, will see a 4.34 per cent increase in their municipal property taxes this year following a decision by city council on May 11, 2026. The increase, which applies to both residential and non-residential properties, comes as the city works to fund municipal operations and the ongoing transition to a local police force.
According to City of Grande Prairie officials, the total tax increase is split into two parts: 2.42 per cent for general municipal services and 1.92 per cent to fund the Grande Prairie Police Service. The new 2026 Property Tax Bylaw was passed following a decade where the city maintained an average annual tax increase of 1.18 per cent, one of the lowest rates in the province. During that same ten-year period, the cost of living as measured by the Alberta Consumer Price Index rose by 25.9 per cent.
For an average single-family home assessed at $350,000, the new tax rate represents an additional cost of approximately $12 per month, or $144 annually. In addition to the municipal portion, residents will see a 6.7 per cent increase in the education portion of their property tax bills, a change directed by the provincial government that remains below the 15 per cent average seen elsewhere in Alberta.
The Grande Prairie Police Service is expected to become the official police of jurisdiction on October 21, 2026, marking a transition from the national police force two years earlier than originally planned.
To help guide the city’s financial decisions in the coming decades, council also authorized a budget of up to $200,000 to hire a consultant to create a new long-term financial plan. This project will be funded equally through municipal tax dollars and a provincial grant.
