Providing Fair and Transparent Property Valuations
The Assessment and Taxation section of the Corporate Services department is responsible for the valuation and classification of all real property, personal property, and commercial occupancies within Vulcan County for the purpose of distributing taxes fairly to the ratepayers of the County. Property assessment is the process of placing a dollar value on property for taxation purposes and is governed by Provincial Legislation. This department provides the following functions:
- Establishes the assessed value for all properties within the County;
- Determines and calculates the applicable tax rates to cover the operational costs and requisitions of the County;
- Prepares the annual Tax Bylaws (for Council’s approval) for the collection of property taxes;
- Produces an annual assessment roll reflecting changes in property conditions, ownership, boundaries, and exemption status;
- Implements the regulated tax recovery process; and
- Provides guidance and communication to the public regarding statutory requirements and tax policies
Property taxes are not a fee-for-service, but a way of distributing the cost for local government services and programs fairly throughout a municipality.
As part of the municipal budget, County Council approves the amount of funds required to provide the municipal services. From this amount, all other sources of municipal revenues and transfers other than taxation are subtracted (such as provincial grants, investment income, user fee revenues, etc.). This net remaining amount is to be raised through property taxes.
To calculate taxes, a tax rate is established through the County’s Bylaws. The following is the formula to determine the tax rate:
Your property taxes are calculated by multiplying the assessed value of your property by the tax rate:
The County contracts the assessment services to Benchmark Assessment Consultants Inc. which are accredited municipal assessors for Alberta (referred to as the Assessor’s Office). Should you have any inquiries or concerns with your property assessment, please contact our Assessor’s Office at:
Logan Wehlage A.M.A.A
Benchmark Assessment Consultants Inc.
Phone: 403-485-2241 (Monday - Wednesday)
403-381-0535 (Thursday - Friday)
Toll Free: 1-877-485-2299
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
To provide additional details on assessment and taxation, please see the following sections:
- Tax Bylaws
- Property Tax Calculator
- Tax Installment Payment Plan (TIPPs)
- Forms and Brochures
- Important Dates
- Frequently Asked Question (FAQ)
- Tax Certificates
- Tax Recovery Process