City of Prince Albert Budget Committee Approves 2026 Budget

After three full days of careful review and discussion, the City of Prince Albert’s Budget Committee has concluded deliberations on the proposed 2026 budget. The initial estimated increase funded by property taxes was $4,422,153.

Following committee decisions and a comprehensive review of departmental spending, the taxation requirement has been reduced by $1,112,686 to $3,309,467 to be funded from property taxes.

“Our City faces very real challenges. We have aging facilities and other infrastructure that require maintenance, capital requirements for new fire and police stations and growing citizen expectations when it comes to services like bylaw response, police service and snow clearing,” says Sherry Person, City Manager. “We recognize the financial challenges facing households due to sustained inflation in recent years, and we have worked diligently to minimize the impact on residents while ensuring the City remains on a solid foundation as we plan for the future.”

Following an internal spending review earlier this year, City departments achieved over $2.1 million in savings while maintaining core services residents rely on.

“The spending review was designed to challenge departments to dig deeper than usual to find savings. This kind of spending review is a big effort. Still, it is increasingly becoming an expected part of refining our operations to ensure we are spending taxpayer dollars effectively,” - Sherry Person, City Manager.

“City Council worked hard to find places to cut, but the reality is that Administration has spent months doing detailed internal reviews and tightening department budgets wherever possible. We appreciate the work they’ve done to keep costs down while protecting the services residents rely on.” – Mayor Bill Powalinsky

The major cost drivers for the 2026 budget include:

• $524,300 – Lake Country Co-op Leisure Centre Operations (including savings from Frank Dunn and Dave Steuart Arenas)
• $2.51M – Salaries, wages, and benefits for City Departments
• $723,853 – Police Service funding increase
• $1M – 6th Avenue Viaduct – Bridge Rehabilitation

The $1M budget for the 6th Avenue Viaduct West Lane Rehabilitation is needed to address damage that could become costly and disruptive if left unchecked. Public Works has identified areas on the viaduct that require immediate expert investigation to prevent further degradation. The funding allows the City to bring in a bridge specialist, develop a remediation plan, and be ready to complete the repair work in 2026.

“While the overall viaduct structure is in good condition, these areas pose financial and operational risks if not dealt with promptly. To clarify, fires under the bridge recently are not good for the bridge structure, but they are not the compelling reason this work needs to be completed.” - Jeff DaSilva, Director of Public Works.

The budget recommendations will be sent to City Council for final approval at an upcoming meeting on December 15, 2025. Once approved, the next step will be to decide on a tax plan that determines how the tax rate will fund the budget increase. Council will reconvene to review options, including minimum tax rates, base tax rates, and the mill rate.

What residents see reflected on their tax bill in June starts months earlier with the City’s budget process. The timeline below outlines the key steps leading to the final tax decisions.

2026 Property Tax Timeline 

Nov 2025 – Budget Deliberations –The City’s Budget Committee reviews and finalizes the proposed 2026 budget.

Dec 2025 – Budget Approvals – Council approves the finalized 2026 budget.

Jan 2026 – Assessment Notices Issued – Residents can review their property assessment and, if necessary, appeal it. Your property taxes are based on your assessment. The 2026 Assessment Notices are only mailed out if your property’s assessed value has changed from the previous year. Note: You cannot appeal your taxes, only your assessment value.

March 2026 – Assessment Roll Closes – This is the final date to appeal your property assessment.

April 2026 – Council Approves Tax Tools – Council finalizes the tools and calculations to fund the budget with property taxes, accounting for assessment changes.

May 2026 – Property Tax Notices Issued – Residents receive their official 2026 property tax notices.

June 2026 – Property Taxes Due – Residents must pay their 2026 property taxes by this date.

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Media Contact:

Mayor Bill Powalinsky
306.953.4300