Read the Budget Story: Understanding your municipal taxes

While understanding the Town’s budget can seem a bit overwhelming, we’ve created an overview that helps break down the new 4-year budget.

Learn what the difference is between operating and capital budgets, and find easy-to-understand budget highlights and changes that help show where the money is being allocated. Additionally, find out what a typical homeowner’s taxes per year are and how much goes to support specific services like fire, RCMP, recreation facilities, roads, parks, transit and more.

We’ve broken it all down in an easy-to-read ‘receipt’ that provides a snapshot of the Town’s programs and services you get for your tax dollars. If you are into numbers and details, you can also find all the operating budget summaries for each division and the four-year capital budget summary.

Learn more

Application for Secondary Suite and Accessory Dwelling Unit Grant opens January 1

Okotoks homeowners can apply for grants up to $10,000 to offset the costs of building new secondary suites or accessory dwellings and up to $5,000 to upgrade an existing suite to meet Safety Code requirements. Some examples of eligible expenses for the grant include:

• Development permit fees
• Building permit fees
• Fees for professional plans/drawings required for permit submissions
• Construction/labour costs related to work under an approved building permit

To learn more about the program, review the application requirements and apply, visit the link below.

Apply for the grant

Virtual Charity Checkstop

There are still a few days left to participate! Every December, the Okotoks Municipal Enforcement organizes a Charity Checkstop event on Milligan Drive at the Okotoks Recreation Centre with the support of the local EMS, Fire Department, RCMP and Victim Services. This year, once again due to COVID-19, the event has gone virtual to continue to offer the same support to our local charities that provide a vital service to those less fortunate in our community and help brighten many people’s lives.  

How you can help

Impaired driving

Did you know that impaired driving includes drunk driving, driving while under the influence of drugs and fatigued driving? Impaired driving causes slower reaction times, reduces your ability to concentrate and makes it difficult to stay in your own lane. Impaired drivers also have difficulty maintaining a constant speed, judging distances, making decisions and are easily disoriented.

Always take a cab, call a trustworthy friend, have a pre-determined designated driver, or stay at a friend’s house if you are impaired. Most importantly, never give in to peer pressure when offered a ride from someone who is impaired. Decline the ride, suggest splitting a cab or find an alternate way home.

Info on safe driving

Christmas tree collection

To dispose of your Christmas tree, you can take it directly to:

• Okotoks Operations Centre parking lot, NE corner, 1118 North Railway Street
• NEW: Okotoks Recreation Centre parking lot, NW corner, 99 Okotoks Dr.
• NEW: Pason Centennial Arenas parking lot, NW corner, 204 Community Way,
  until January 31, 2022.

You can also cut and place small trees in your green organics cart, or place your tree on its side at your regular waste collection area no later than January 16. Please remove all ornaments, wires, tinsel plastic, tree stand etc. from trees.

Trees must be unbagged with ornaments and decorations removed.

More info

Winter fun in Okotoks

Looking for winter fun close to home? Check out the free winter activities available in Okotoks!
For the 2021/2022 season, the Town will have 11 outdoor skating rinks and six tobogganing hills.

Did you know we also offer groomed cross country ski trails and snowshoeing? Waller, Laudan and Riverside Parks offer these wonderful winter opportunities. 

These amenities are free for public use and a great way to get the whole family active during winter. All areas are unsupervised and helmets are strongly recommended. Have fun!

Maps, rink status & more

Have you checked your humidifier settings?

Your furnace works hard to keep your home above freezing temperatures. Most furnaces, especially in new buildings, have a humidifier attached, which uses water to moisten the hot air coming from the furnace. If humidifiers aren’t monitored, it can lead to wasted water.

For every litre of water pumped into the air, two litres of water flows through your humidifier. If your furnace runs 20 hours/day, that equals 15,860 litres/billing cycle (61 days). The bottom line...that is equal to about $60 on your bi-monthly utility bill.

Prevent unnecessary spikes in your water usage. Take a look at your thermostat and humidifier to ensure you have both set correctly, and work to find an optimal humidity level that does its job but doesn’t waste water. Sign up for the water meter portal and set your alerts!

Set your alerts