Municipal Matters: Valuing our city – Property assessment explained

By Sue Sterkenburg on February 26, 2026.

From policing to parks, property taxes are a major part of how we fund the services our community relies on every day.

Each year, city council approves the total amount of money required to support city services. Other sources of revenue including licence fees, user fees and provincial grants, are subtracted from this amount. The remaining balance is the amount the city must collect through property taxes. The tax revenue requirement approved for 2026 by city council on Dec. 16, 2024 is $99.88 million.

Property assessment is the method used to distribute the city’s tax revenue requirement, as well as provincial education taxes and the Cypress View Foundation levy, among property owners in the municipality. The yearly update to assessment values ensures on-going fair distribution of the property tax burden.

The 2026 Assessment Roll is a listing of all properties located within the city limits including address, legal description, assessed value, and exempt type. It was declared to the Government of Alberta in January and finalized by meeting provincial quality standards. The Roll can be found online at medicinehat.ca/viewmyassessment after Feb. 27, 2026 – the day Assessment Notices are mailed.

The 2026 Assessment Roll shows both physical and market growth over 2025. Physical growth comes from new improvement construction (complete or progressive), newly serviced land, and renovations. Market growth is an increase in property sale amounts displayed through Alberta Land Titles and verified through request for information forms mailed to new owners.

Property Assessment Notices are mailed Feb. 27, 2026. There are approximately 29,110 property tax accounts in Medicine Hat: 90 per cent relates to residential property, 9 per cent relates to non- residential property, 0.6 per cent to multi-family, and 0.3 per cent to farmland. In 2026, the property assessment values are based on the valuation date of July 1, 2025, reflecting the characteristics and condition of the property on Dec. 31, 2025.

Property owners with questions about their assessment are asked to:

• Check your assessment online: Visit medicinehat.ca/viewyourassessment and use the Assessment Map to see a visual display of assessment values for all properties and three years of sales history.

• Contact an assessor: Contact the Assessment Department by email at assessment@medicinehat.ca, call 403-529-8114 or by visiting the main floor City Hall Assessment counter to speak with an assessor.

• Request property details: Request the summary details of your property for no charge and/or request the details of a comparable property (fees apply).

If the assessor and the property owner disagree about the assessment, the property owner may file a formal complaint by May 6, 2026 to the Clerk of the Assessment Review Board. A reduced appeal fee is applied to complaints filed within 30 days after the Notice of Assessment Date.

Council will set the tax mill rates through the Tax Rate Bylaw from scenarios presented in regular council meetings starting in April and approved by May 4, 2026. This is how the city divides the tax requirement among property classes.

It is important to note that property owners may only appeal their property assessment, not their taxes, so it is important to meet the May 6, 2026 complaint deadline.

The 2026 Tax Notices will begin arriving in the mail May 21, 2026 with taxes due on June 30. The city offers a monthly payment plan to divide your taxes evenly over the year called the Tax Instalment Payment Plan (TIPP). If you wish to start monthly payments under TIPP, please visit http://www.medicinehat.ca or contact Customer Care and Billing at 403-529-8111.

Residents can now skip the paper and manage their taxes anytime with the city’s secure eTax portal. Medicinehat.ca/eTax is a free secure online portal which allows property owners to switch to paperless billing, and access property tax account details including current and historical balances, transactions and notices (Tax and Assessment). Owners can sign up using the access code and tax roll account number located at the top of their Tax or Assessment Notice.

If you have questions at any stage of the assessment or taxation process, our team is here to help.

Sue Sterkenburg is the city assessor for City of Medicine Hat

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