It is now up to the Wood Buffalo recovery committee to determine if residential tax relief will be offered after a motion by Coun. McGrath to cut these taxes was withdrawn. The committee will perform a review, and part of this process will involve exploring potential opportunities for residential tax relief that would be covered under the Disaster Recovery Program for the province of Alberta. McGrath issued a statement during a release and said that “This is being done so we can get this right for our neighbours, families and friends most affected by the wildfire.” Many residents who were forced to evacuate, and who came back to homes that were damaged or structures which were completely destroyed, feel that some tax relief is warranted.

The residential tax relief motion that McGrath proposed on July 12 called for a number of measures that would cut back the taxes that residents and property owners pay. Some believe that this is short sighted though, and that right now the recovery of the community needs to be the very first priority. It is going to take money to rebuild, and cutting taxes at this critical point could be a big mistake if it means that the recovery process drags out longer. Now it will be up to the Wood Buffalo Recovery Committee to decide whether tax relief for residents is warranted, and if it is what type of relief would be the best option to keep the recovery going and help residents get back to normal.