Rocky View County (RVC) property owners will be facing their first tax increase since 2019.

At a Jan. 18 special meeting, Rocky View County Council approved a 4 per cent increase for the 2022 operating and capital base budget, following years of low or no increases.

The Rocky View County operating budget is $197.3 million, with an additional $19.7 million slated for capital projects.

County officials state inflation and the rising costs of goods and services continue to increase pressure on the cost of delivering services within the county.

“This year’s budget shows we are not without our challenges and must react to maintain service levels amid rising costs outside of our control,” states County Mayor Don Kochan in a news release. “While we understand any increase may be challenging for some residents and business owners, we believe this is a responsible budget that allows us to deliver on our commitments now and into the future.”

It has been several years since Rocky View property owners have seen a tax increase of more than two per cent. There was no increase in 2021 and a three per cent drop in 2020 in response to the onset of the pandemic. Taxes increased two per cent in 2019 and 1.7 per cent in 2018.

On Dec. 14, RVC council approved an interim budget for January and February to provide the newly-elected council more time to deliberate the overall budget.

Normally, the council passes the operating and capital budget in December and then debates new initiatives and unfunded projects before budget finalization in April.