(Cochrane, AB) –The Government of Alberta has announced an increase in education property tax rates for 2026, resulting in higher education tax requisitions for municipalities across the province, including Cochrane.
Each year, the Province of Alberta determines the amount municipalities must collect from property owners to help fund Alberta’s public education system. Municipalities collect these funds on the Province’s behalf as part of the annual property tax bill.
Property tax bills include three main components:
- Municipal property taxes: Support essential local services such as Fire Services, RCMP, roads, parks and community programs.
- Provincial education property taxes: Directed to the provincial government to help fund Alberta’s education system.
- Seniors’ housing property taxes: Contributed to the Rocky View Foundation to support affordable housing for seniors in the region.
For the median single-family home in Cochrane ($674,800), the provincial education portion of the property tax bill is estimated to increase by approximately $233, from $1,578 in 2025 to $1,811 in 2026, representing an increase of 14.77%.
This increase applies to the provincial education portion only and does not represent a 14.77% increase to the total property tax bill.
Overall, the Province has increased Cochrane’s total education property tax requisition from $24.2 million in 2025 to $29 million in 2026, an increase of $4.8 million, or 19.79%.
Because the requisition is distributed across the municipality’s total assessment base, including growth and new development, the increase experienced by individual properties may differ from the overall requisition increase.
By comparison, in 2025, the average single-family dwelling experienced an increase of $274, or 20%, in education taxes.
Education property tax dollars collected by municipalities are pooled by the Province and distributed to public and separate school boards across Alberta on a per-student basis. These funds support critical components of the education system, including teacher salaries, textbooks and classrooms.
The 2026 property tax rates are expected to be approved by Council in May, with tax notices mailed out shortly afterward.
— 30 —