(Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

See where your community ranks

Lethbridge has third-highest spending per capita in Alberta among “big cities”: report

Jun 16, 2020 | 12:08 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – A new report from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) has detailed how much money hundreds of Albertan municipalities spend per resident.

The data utilized comes directly from the Government of Alberta’s Municipal Financial and Statistical Data reports.

“Municipal governments in Alberta are some of the biggest spenders in Canada and this report allows Albertans to see which municipalities are the worst,” says CTF’s Alberta Director Franco Terrazzano. “The more money Alberta councillors spend, the less money that families and businesses have to weather this economic storm. That’s why every municipal council must cut all the fat and lower property taxes.”

The CTF claims many Albertan municipalities spend more per capita than in most other provinces, typically with the exception of Ontario.

It is broken down into three categories – big cities (population 30,000+), medium-sized municipalities (population 5,000-30,000), and small towns (population under 5,000).

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The report found that the City of Lethbridge spends $3,956 per person. Out of 14 communities that were part of the big cities category, Lethbridge was the third-highest.

The full report from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation can be found here.

LNN has compiled some of the communities in Southern Alberta, listed by their overall rank in their category. Dollar amounts are listed as spending per person.

Big cities (14 communities):

• Medicine Hat (1): $6,243
• Lethbridge (3): $3,956
• Calgary (8): $3,044
• Airdrie (14): $2,172

Medium-sized communities (74 communities):

• Banff (8): $5,008
• Canmore (16): $4,120
• Lethbridge County (26): $3,409
• Taber (35): $3,075
• M.D. of Taber (37): $2,961
• Brooks (65): $2,251
• Coaldale (72): $1,972

Small towns (195 communities):

• M.D. of Ranchland (1): $23,151
• Milo (25): $5,977
• Vulcan County (28): $5,542
• M.D. of Pincher Creek (34): $5,018
• County of Forty Mile (64): $3,563
• Granum (67): $3,444
• Vulcan (80): $3,258
• Warner (85): $3,168
• Fort Macleod (97): $2,949
• Claresholm (99): $2,893
• Cowley (108): $2,807
• Pincher Creek (109): $2,793
• Carmangay (114): $2,762
• County of Warner (120): $2,666
• Milk River (124): $2,620
• Nanton (127): $2,603
• Cardston (135): $2,471
• Carstairs (145): $2,359
• Picture Butte (156): $2,239
• Vauxhall (162): $2,209
• Raymond (165): $2,177
• Bow Island (174): $2,055
• Stavely (183): $1,942
• Cardston County (184): $1,929
• Stirling (186): $1,836
• Magrath (187): $1,812
• Coalhurst (191): $1,455
• Nobleford (192): $1,343
• Barnwell (193): $1,329