The mayor pays taxes too: ‘It affects us all’

By Cal Braid
Taber Times
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

 In his efforts to impart a clearer understanding of how municipal taxes work, Mayor Andrew Prokop was forthcoming to a surprising extent. He provided his own tax summary for the last five years, providing a printout of his tax assessments and the associated amount he’s been charged for the years 2021 to 2025.

 The Times considered printing the statement as an anonymous example of a local resident’s taxes, but concluded that his transparency and permission to do so would be of more value.

 In 2024, Prokop’s home and property were assessed at a value of $357,000. He paid a total of $3,798.59 in taxes, inclusive of senior’s and school tax.

 In 2025, his home was assessed and valued at $397,000 — a $40,000 year-over-year increase. As a result, his tax bill was slightly higher at $3,891.32.

 Of that $3,891, about $1,000 of it will be collected by the Province as school tax, and just over $48 will go to senior’s programs. The other $2,842 and change will go back to the Town of Taber for municipal services.

 In 2025, the mayor’s taxes going directly to the Town are less than he owed in 2024 – by about $14. This is noteworthy because his property value increased by $40,000. Nevertheless, his municipal taxes decreased a little.

 However, in 2025, he will pay about $105 more for the Province’s school tax and $1.71 more for the senior’s tax than he did in 2024. Combined, he owes just over $90 more in taxes than last year.

 Council and the administration bear the task of making financial decisions on behalf of the residents, and the mayor said, “We always try our level best with fiscal responsibility, always try to keep the taxes as low as possible. I’m a taxpayer too. You’re a taxpayer. It affects us all.”

 “Do you think we want to bump taxes up, so our taxes go up too?” he asked. “We’re the bad guys making these tough decisions, and we’re responsible for their tax going up. Well, yes, we are, but we’re not the bad guys – we’re also the taxpayers that are making the decision for what’s good for all taxpayers.”

 Mill rates, tax levies, assessment values, and rate increases aside, the mayor was intent on proving to all that the Town quite simply had one of the lowest year-over-year tax increases he’s seen during his time in office (see related story in this edition).

 The numbers seem to hold up under scrutiny, and the Town has offered to provide a comparison between Taber and other southern Alberta communities.

 The Alberta government is currently run by the UCP party that Prokop supports, but he wasn’t hesitant to call it out for its sharp 14 per cent increase to the school. “I guess technically, we should throw the Province under the bus. But for the public at large to blame the municipalities, that’s dead wrong. That’s not what’s happening. We’ve got zero control.”

 Essentially, the Province uses each municipality as its ‘collector’ for the school and senior’s taxes. Once the municipality collects, those funds are transferred over to the Province.