In simple terms, that is:
- More people on our roads
- More waste and recycling pickups
- More people on transit
- More calls to bylaw and Community Services
- More calls to the fire department
- More safety inspections
- More people in our parks.
– and we must make sure we’re offering the same levels of service even if more people are using them.
Inflation also impacts the City’s budget, as the costs of these services and materials purchased by the City increase. For example, when the cost of gas goes up, the more it costs at the pump to refuel police cars, firetrucks, and buses. The higher cost of wood, steel, and asphalt means that our recreation centres are more expensive to renovate and build, or our roads are more costly to fix.
Over the last two years, this City Council invested in priority items like affordable housing and transit safety. These investments are now having positive effects on housing affordability and safety on transit.
What does that mean to you? For the first time in a few years, rents have started to cool in Calgary. Hundreds of affordable homes have broken ground, with thousands more to come. And after a few rough years after COVID, Calgarians are reporting feeling safer on Transit every day.
The current budget adjustments proposed by City Administration call for a 3.6% tax increase from all existing properties in 2025. This is in a context in which Calgary has seen the highest population growth rates in the country.
Click through to read the summary of budget adjustments and recommended investments. Notable items include transit-oriented development (pages 75-76) and exploring a new civic census (page 34). Unfortunately, some items, such as a Calgary Transit Night Network (page 84) are not being recommended for funding at this time.
November Adjustments Summary Report||V3__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
November Adjustments Recommended Investments||V3__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
Some of my colleagues have expressed a desire for tax cuts. It is easy to demand tax cuts if you can live with removing services for Calgarians. However, it seems some of my colleagues like to talk about tax cuts but can’t seem to live with the consequences.
For example, in 2019, in an effort to provide a tax break to small businesses, Calgary City Council cut the budget for affordable housing, the Calgary Fire Department, recreation, and so much more. As a part of those cuts, the Inglewood pool was set to close.
Several of my colleagues are now eager to reverse these cuts to community, after spending a year trying to find other cuts to transit, to affordable housing, and more. A cut here to reverse a cut there is poor budgeting.
Calgary Transit is projecting a $33-million shortfall in revenue due, in part, to rising demand for the low-income transit pass. One of my Council colleagues has argued that the low income transit pass, considered as an income support, is a provincial responsibility and not the City’s responsibility to fund.
UCP Minister Jason Nixon disagrees and has stated that transit is a municipal responsibility and that no additional funding will be coming from the province.
While we bicker about who should help our most vulnerable, increasing transit costs will cut into the food families can put on their table, and will make keeping a roof over their heads even more difficult.
A 3.9% tax increase on a typical single residential property assessed at the median of $700,000 amounts to about $13.46/month. But if we don’t maintain funding for the low income transit pass, low income Calgarians will go from having a pass between $5 and $57/month to paying $115/month, without exception. This is what I mean when I say there is a cost to a tax cut.
I will continue to push for an efficient and productive budget that can find ways to save money while providing services to our growing City. I’ll always keep in mind that every cut has a cost, and that if we cut something, we have to make sure we’re confident we can live with the consequences.
Read more about the upcoming budget adjustments here:
Calgary.ca/Adjustments
Sign up to speak at Public Hearing on November 18 here:
Public Submission to City Clerk's Office
Watch the budget adjustment meetings beginning on Monday November 18 at Calgary.ca/watchlive
