COLD LAKE - City of Cold Lake council has agreed to continue its Seniors Homeowner Rebate program, which aims to assist low-income seniors with their property taxes. This program has seen several changes over the years, with major revisions in 2022 and 2023, making it more accessible and efficient for seniors to receive the rebates.
At the April 23 regular council meeting, Krist Isert, general manager of corporate services with the City of Cold Lake, explained the context of the program and the changes that have helped improve the program’s reach and efficiency. She noted that the rebate policy, implemented in 2007, was designed to help low-income seniors deal with property tax increases. However, it often required significant paperwork and effort to apply, leading to low participation.
“In 2023 a significant change was made to the program to try to reduce red tape and to assist more seniors in being able to access the rebate program,” said Isert. “In order to reduce the red tape, the City entered into an information sharing agreement with the province of Alberta, providing the City with a list of seniors within the community that qualified for the Alberta Seniors Benefit. That was one of the qualifying factors under the rebate program.”
The streamlined process allows eligible seniors to receive the rebate automatically, eliminating the need for an application process.
Isert explained that this simplification resulted in a significant increase in program participation.
“Utilizing that information, the City was able to eliminate the application process for seniors and just apply a $100 rebate to each senior within the community that qualified. That increased the participation in the rebate program, from four seniors participating in 2015 up to 62 seniors participating in 2023.”
Isert highlighted the success of this streamlined approach and recommended council approve the annual information sharing agreement with the Province of Alberta to maintain the program's efficiency. This agreement allows the City to access the information needed to determine eligibility without imposing additional burdens on seniors.
Mayor Craig Copeland discussed the income requirements for the rebate, explaining that income eligibility is a key factor in determining who qualifies for the program. He referred to the agenda package for specific details, stating, “for those wondering how you qualify, it comes down to looking at the income you need. To qualify, it's just over $48,000.”
Isert clarified that this income threshold is subject to periodic review and may change slightly each year.
Council made a motion to continue the information-sharing agreement with the Province of Alberta to ensure the program's ongoing success. The City's 2024 budget allocated $5,000 to the Seniors Homeowner Rebate program.
