Over six years, Coaldale has seen the total value of its business community double.
According to the 2023 Comparative Analysis, from 2018 to 2023, the value jumped from $84,385,901 in 2018 to $168,859,002 last year. In that time, non-residential growth in the community went up $9,261 per capita, 77 per cent more than Lethbridge County, 122 per cent more than the City of Lethbridge, and 190 per cent more than the Town of Taber.
Deputy CAO and Director of Growth & Investment for the Town of Coaldale, Cameron Mills, says when the analysis is done each year, it looks specifically at “the relationship between mill rates and assessment growth in each municipality”.
“Generally speaking, if a municipality’s approach to taxation is working, there should be some correlation between how competitive its mill rates are and how much assessment growth it sees – especially when compared to its regional neighbours,” Mills says.
“In Council’s 2021-2025 Strategic Plan, we identify a number of focus areas related to supporting the business community including creating a collaborative and regulatory environment aimed specifically at attracting new businesses to Coaldale”, adds Jack Van Rijn, the town’s mayor.
Van Rijn says non-residential mill rates being comparatively low entices prospective businesses and investors to say ‘yes’ to coming to Coaldale.
