Summary#

Calgary City Council approved $371,528.82 in municipal property tax cancellations for designated Municipal Historic Resource properties in 2026. This is the second year of a two-year pilot, created under a Council policy approved in 2025. City staff say the goal is to help conserve historic buildings and encourage owners to seek designation.

• The approved cancellations cover 106 eligible, taxable properties. The report describes the cancellation as 15 per cent of municipal property taxes.
• The cancellations are allocated as $88,730.65 for residential properties and $282,798.17 for non-residential properties. Some properties have both types of use.
• Council approved the item on its consent agenda, with a 15–0 vote. Councillors Chabot and Johnston had opposed the recommendation at committee.
• The pilot has a one-time budget of $1 million: $450,000 for 2025 and $550,000 for 2026. Unused funds after 2026 return to the Fiscal Stability Reserve.

What it means for you#

• Owners of eligible historic properties: The cancellation will appear on recipients’ annual tax bills or a statement of account when processed. The supplied material does not include the list of recipient properties.
• Other property owners and taxpayers: The decision does not change property taxes generally; it applies to eligible designated historic properties.
• City residents: City staff say conserving existing buildings supports Calgary’s cultural identity and can reduce the environmental impacts of demolition and new construction.

Money#

The City approved $371,528.82 in 2026 municipal property tax cancellations from the pilot’s one-time funding.

• The 2026 pilot budget is $550,000; any amount left after 2026 returns to the Fiscal Stability Reserve.
• The report says the final total may change following Assessment Review Board proceedings.

What is unclear#

• The supplied material does not include the recipient list or the policy’s detailed eligibility criteria.
• The final cancellation amount may change after assessment proceedings.
• City staff are to report on the pilot’s outcomes and future incentive options before the 2027–2030 budget cycle; whether the program will continue is not decided here.

Case for#

• City staff say the cancellations recognize costs owners face in maintaining designated historic properties and may encourage more owners to seek designation.
• Staff say conserving existing buildings can support heritage and cultural identity, and reduce material and energy use compared with demolition and new construction.
• The pilot lets the City use its 2025 and 2026 results to inform decisions about future funding.

Case against#

• The $371,528.82 cancellation means the City will not collect that amount in municipal property taxes for 2026; the supplied material does not say what spending, if any, this affects.
• The benefit is limited to eligible designated properties, and the supplied material does not show which properties receive it or how the criteria apply.
• Councillors Chabot and Johnston opposed the recommendation at committee, but the supplied material gives no reasons for their opposition. Council later approved it 15–0.