Grande Prairie City Council is advocating towards an increase of the 911 levy charge, with aspirations to help reduce city based taxes in the future.
Across the province, many of Albertans are charged $0.95 per month on their phone bill towards a 911 levy charge. According to Mayor Jackie Clayton, the original $0.44 per month was upped to $0.95 in 2025.
Clayton said that the current levy is only covering roughly 50 per cent of city costs to operate 911 calls.
“For centres like Grande Prairie, which operates as both a primary and secondary public safety answering point, the levy covers less then 50 per cent of the total operating cost of those calls,” Clayton said.
In 2025, Saskatchewan upped their provincial 911 levy to $2.17 from $2.14. Clayton says that the $2.17 number is “realistic,” and would fully cover the cities operating costs.
Clayton mentioned if the province were to raise that levy, it would prevent the city from covering those costs, which would impact the Grande Prairie taxpayer.
“Putting it at $2.17 would create a user pay model in a sense that cell phone user would get that increase. It would cover the cost of 911, and therefor it wouldn’t be an additional expense to the city, which intern is passed on to the tax payers.”
“The significant impact would be the fact that residents on your tax base. Through our operations of the city, the difference is being made up through general expenses right now.”
Council recently wrote a letter to Minister Neudorf with a request to increase the levy and tie future increases to the Consumer Price Index.
“We are asking for an increase that simply covers the cost of operating 911. That is a cost recovery initiative, we have had conversations with the province for a couple of years about how this has a significant impact on a daily basis,” Clayton said.
Renovations for the new Grande Prairie emergency call centre is expected to complete in July.
