Lac La Biche County has submitted an application to the Provincial government to become a specialized municipality.
If successful, the change in status will allow the county to keep a split mill rate for residential and non-residential properties when collecting tax, something they’d no longer be able to do after 2017 as a regular municipality. The designation would also allow them to expand their Urban Service Areas, which offer a lower tax rate to businesses.
There are currently five specialized municipalities in Alberta, The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, Â the Municipality of Jasper, Strathcona County, the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass and Mackenzie County.