Town of Rocky Mountain House

In 2026, the total property tax revenue will be:

Municipal tax $10,521,616
Education tax $3,440,457
Seniors' requisition $156,380
Designated Industrial Property $1,125

Total Tax Levy $14,119,578

Your property value is based on what it would likely sell for on the open market. This is called market value.

Here’s how it works:

For Residential Properties (homes)

• Your home is valued based on sales of similar homes in your area.
• These sales are looked at as of July 1 of the year before your taxes.
• Assessors use a method called mass appraisal, which means they look at many properties at once instead of just one.
• By law, your assessed value should be close to market value (between 95% and 105%).

To keep values fair and accurate, assessors:

• Visit properties from time to time
• Measure buildings
• Take outside photos
• Collect details about the property

They may visit if:

• You built or changed something (like a new garage or deck)
• Your property was recently bought or sold
• Your area is scheduled for regular review

For Non-Residential Properties (business, shops, offices)

• These properties are also valued based on market value as of July 1 of the year before taxes.
• This includes places used for retail, offices, or industrial work.
• If a property has both a home and a business, the business part is assessed as non-residential.

Factors that may affect residential market value include the total finished living area, quality of structure, age of structure, level of modernization, building type (i.e. duplex, etc.), structure type (i.e. bungalow, two-storey, etc.), unit type in condominiums, type and size of garage, lot size and zoning, lot topography and access, views from the property and location of the property to traffic, greenspaces, community services, commercial properties, multi-family properties, waterways, schools, trains, transmission lines and communication towers.

There are a number of factors that can affect the value of property. Consider the following factors when comparing the value of two neighbouring properties:

• Lot size and influences to each lot – i.e. traffic, parks, walk-out lot
• Type of house structure – i.e. bungalow, two-storey, or split level
• Size of the house
• Age and condition
• Basement development – i.e. finished or unfinished or a walk-out basement
• Presence and size of a garage
• Renovations and quality of interior and exterior finishes

Your property assessment is based on the market value of your property as of July 1 of the previous year and your property's physical condition as of December 31 of the previous year. Any changes to the real estate market or condition of your home after these dates are reflected in next year's assessment. 

Your assessment notice is provided in February to give you time to review your property’s assessed value and contact the Town of Rocky Mountain House if you have concerns about the assessment before property taxes are determined. Since you are not able to dispute your property tax bill, you must address any concerns with your assessment notice before the assessment complaint deadline closes.

Even if you file an appeal/complaint, you must still pay your taxes. If your payment is not made by the due date, you will be charged late penalties.

If your appeal results in a lower assessed value of your property, a refund of the difference owing will be issued to you as soon as possible.

If your appeal results in an increased assessed property value, you will have 30 days from the date of the appeal board's decision to pay any outstanding amount owing.

No, you cannot appeal your taxes. Property taxes are based on the municipal tax rates that are applied to the values of all properties in a municipality. You may appeal the assessed value of your property but it must be done during the period specified on your assessment notice.

The provincial education property tax rate is set by the Government of Alberta. The Town collects taxes on behalf of the Government of Alberta to help cover some of the costs to run kindergarten to Grade 12 (K-12) schools. The Town does not set or control provincial tax amounts; we just pass the money collected directly on to the Province. 

Like the education portion of your property tax bill, the Town has no control over the Westview Lodge requisition. Rocky Seniors Housing submits its requisition to the Town and we collect it, then remit the funds directly to Westview Lodge. 

As per Tax Penalty Bylaw 2022/09, the penalties on unpaid taxes will be applied as follows:

• August 1:  4% 
• October 1:  6% 
• January 1 of the following year: 10%

If you have questions about your municipal property tax, contact the Town's Property Tax Coordinator at 403-845-2866 or propertytaxes@trmh.ca.

If you have questions about your provincial property tax, contact our provincial Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA). You can find your MLA's contact details at www.assembly.ab.ca/members.