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Local improvements are construction projects that Council considers to be of greater benefit to a particular area of the municipality rather than to the whole municipality. Examples include curb and gutter, sidewalks, and roadways specific to a street that do not serve the entire community.
Through the local improvement process, the City and property owners facilitate and support efforts to improve neighbourhood assets. Local improvement projects maintain or improve amenities, increase attractiveness and accessibility without burdening all City taxpayers with the full financial responsibility of improving these areas.
Initiating a Local Improvement
Local improvements can be initiated by residents or the City. If residents wish to initiate a local improvement, please contact the Engineering Department to obtain instructions and package information.
Once the City or residents initiate a local improvement, the local improvement process must be followed.
Petitioning Against a Local Improvement
If you wish to petition against a local improvement plan, a sufficient petition must be submitted to the Engineering Department within the 30-day petition period. You may obtain a petition information package, which clearly outlines the petition process online or at Wetaskiwin City Hall.
For a petition (for or against) a local improvement plan to be sufficient, it must have:
If it is determined to be a valid petition, the City will not proceed with the local improvement.
When you petition against the local improvement project, you are only petitioning against the portion of work that you, as the property owner, would be responsible for (sidewalks, curbs and gutters, road surface, and medians). The City of Wetaskiwin will proceed with all necessary utility work funded through Utility Reserves. This also means that if a petition is successful against a local improvement, the road may be patched instead of fully paved and will not receive any surface upgrades.
Successful Petition Against a Local Improvement
When a local improvement is defeated by petition, the project moves to the bottom of the rebuild list for the City and will be revisited according to the 10-year capital plan. The redevelopment will also be moved to the bottom of the priority list, which could result in a lower level of service by this reprioritization (e.g., you could be left with asphalt patches or a gravel road).
If residents want to have the project reconsidered, they must wait five (5) years from the last petition to reapply for the work to be completed.
Local Improvements FAQs
What if I cannot afford to pay for the local improvement levy?
Senior citizens who are local homeowners can apply to the government for tax relief as long as they have a minimum of 25 per cent equity in their home. Visit www.seniors-housing.alberta.ca for more information. All other tax payment options can be discussed if required, however, penalties will be applied in non-payment situations.
Will the completed work affect my future property assessments?
As you would expect improved road, sidewalk, curb, and gutter in front of your home may make your property more valuable, but no, the assessed value of your property will not increase as a direct result of the local improvement.
What am I paying for with the local improvement tax?
Property owners in your area will be asked to contribute a percentage of the cost of roads and sidewalks only. The utility work is funded through the City of Wetaskiwin utility reserve.
Do all Wetaskiwin residents have to pay for the local improvements?
The local improvement charge is only charged to properties that are deemed to benefit from the proposed reconstruction. Notices are only sent to the residents where a local improvement is being considered. There is a specific order of events which either the City or residents initiate a local improvement. Please refer to the local improvement process.
Do I still have to pay the local improvement tax if I move?
No, the local improvement tax stays with the property and the remaining payments become the responsibility of the new owner, unless paid out at the time of sale.
Do other communities have local improvement tax?
Yes, communities such as Ponoka, Edmonton, Calgary, and Camrose — to name a few — all use local improvement taxes.
Below is some information the City of Wetaskiwin has collected regarding other communities that have local improvement plans.
| Community | Utilities | Roads | Lanes | Sidewalks | Medians | Curbs & Gutters | Streetlights |
| Camrose | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – |
| Calgary | – | – | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – |
| Edmonton | – | – | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Grande Prairie | ✔ | – | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | ✔ |
| Medicine Hat | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | ✔ | ✔ |
| Ponoka | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – |
| Red Deer | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | – | ✔ |
| Wetaskiwin | – | ✔ | – | ✔ | – | ✔ | – |
What can I do if I disagree with the classification of my road?
If you disagree with the road classification, please contact legislative services directly. They will explain how you can approach council to have your concerns heard.
Contact Engineering
City of Wetaskiwin
Operations Facility
5520 50 Street
Wetaskiwin
Alberta, Canada T9A 2G9
Phone: 780.361.4436
Email: engineering@wetaskiwin.ca
