The RM of Corman Park might be changing the way it charges residential and agricultural properties for fire protection. 

Director of Finance Cal Hamm says currently, the RM bills properties on a per-incident basis with a $30,000 cap. However, with the proposed changes, property owners will be required to pay an annual fee of around $128 per each unique property owner. 

Hamm says the procedural change aims to put some predictable funding in a fire reserve, make things easier on the administrative side, and provide a fair distribution of costs, as some residents had a problem with the old funding model.  

“We’ve had a number of different rate payers that have presented to council specifically about a fire invoice that they received for serviced provided to their property in which the fire didn’t originate.”

Commercial and industrial property owners will continue to be invoiced on a per-incident basis.  

“The reasoning for that is there is a high fluctuation in the amount of fire servicing expenses that can be incurred if a commercial property has a fire, whereas a fire pertaining to a residential property or an agriculture property are a bit more contained in the way that the expenses are a little more predictable.”

Hamm expects the RM will collect roughly $600,000 via this funding model, which will be stored in a fire reserve until required.  

In 2025, the RM had 70 fire incidents that resulted in 94 invoices. The fee is expected to be approved at a council meeting this month, meaning it will be added to property taxes to be paid in June.