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So, if I read this properly, the cost of operations will go up by 65.5% for 2023. "External professional services" also increases by 90.4%. That's a massive increase.
 
Edmonton is debating a potential 3.9% tax increase (if I understood it right).

Calgary passed a 4.4% increase
Vancouver is debating a 5% increase
 
Approved budgets for 2023, with an average tax increase of 4.46%, include:

  • Leduc County council approved its 2023 budget with a 3% tax increase.
  • Parkland County council approved its 2023 budget with a 2.78% tax increase. “We are proud to approve the 2023 budget, which includes investments of over $50 million in strategic areas to attract investors, promote tourism, and improve quality of life for our residents,” said Mayor Allan Gamble.
  • Stony Plain’s proposed 2023 budget originally forecast a tax increase of 4.84%, but that increased to 7.47% on Nov. 8 after council approved several additional funding requests. Council approved the amended budget on Nov. 28.
  • Strathcona County council approved its 2023 budget with a 4.6% tax increase, down from the originally proposed 5.5% increase.
Proposed budgets for 2023, with average tax increase of 5.7%, include:

 
Edmonton is debating a potential 3.9% tax increase (if I understood it right).

Calgary passed a 4.4% increase
Vancouver is debating a 5% increase
I believe it may be higher than 3.9% unless City Council dips into their reserves or delays projects. There are several unfunded profiles they have committed to that are on top of the 3.9%.
 
Joint statement from the Chamber, NAIOP, BOMA and UDI.

"The following are key recommendations from Edmonton’s member- funded business organizations:
  • Refine priorities – The proposed budget lacks a clear list of priorities for Edmonton, running contrary to the City’s goal of Priority Based Budgeting. Rather, it compiles a list of projects open for debate during a short public hearing process. For a more thoughtful discussion, the budget should clearly articulate priorities and associated trade-offs and compromises for the entire city.
  • Allow for more flexibility – The proposed budget commits significant spending at the front end of its four-year cycle. Given Edmonton’s current fiscal challenges, these expenses could be delayed and reduced until new circumstances require their strategic investment.
  • Focus on what cities do best – The proposed budget should focus on what municipal governments excel at, for example infrastructure maintenance, waste management, and transportation. Focus on the core mandate of the City to avoid stretching our resources and capacity and look for cost reduction on an ongoing way.
  • Keep taxes low – The proposed budget shows $20 billion in spending and a possible tax increase of 16.4% over the next four years essentially to preserve the status quo. These figures do not include a proposed estimated additional $200 million in unfunded service packages. These increases will impact businesses big and small – from companies looking at Edmonton as a place to invest, to the local coffee shop in your neighbourhood.
  • Maximize return on investment – The budget needs to focus on smart investments that leverage economic returns from the private sector. Each new dollar spent should have an equal or greater value to the community in return."
 
Approved budgets for 2023, with an average tax increase of 4.46%, include:

  • Leduc County council approved its 2023 budget with a 3% tax increase.
  • Parkland County council approved its 2023 budget with a 2.78% tax increase. “We are proud to approve the 2023 budget, which includes investments of over $50 million in strategic areas to attract investors, promote tourism, and improve quality of life for our residents,” said Mayor Allan Gamble.
  • Stony Plain’s proposed 2023 budget originally forecast a tax increase of 4.84%, but that increased to 7.47% on Nov. 8 after council approved several additional funding requests. Council approved the amended budget on Nov. 28.
  • Strathcona County council approved its 2023 budget with a 4.6% tax increase, down from the originally proposed 5.5% increase.
Proposed budgets for 2023, with average tax increase of 5.7%, include:

Wow - great job accumulating all that info.

I signed up and spoke at public hearings - in support of funding the bike plan!
 
For reference, the City of Calgary's budget was approved on November 25th for a 4.4% property tax increase.
 
I'm a little confused by the proposed budget council is debating.

Comments that Coun. Salvador, Janz and Stevenson have made, for example, gave me the impression that they were disappointed, concerned and even surprised that several climate action initiatives including bike lane infrastructure were not funded in this proposed budget.

But in talking to city manager Andre Corbould, he said they were ordered by council to keep it unfunded.
"Many of the climate action packages we are ordered to deliver by Council were directed to be unfunded. They did this because I believe they wanted all of these things debated in public as they should be."

And I misreading things? Why are councillors so alarmed that certain things aren't currently funded in the budget when they know that is what admin was directed by them to do?
 
I'm a little confused by the proposed budget council is debating.

Comments that Coun. Salvador, Janz and Stevenson have made, for example, gave me the impression that they were disappointed, concerned and even surprised that several climate action initiatives including bike lane infrastructure were not funded in this proposed budget.

But in talking to city manager Andre Corbould, he said they were ordered by council to keep it unfunded.
"Many of the climate action packages we are ordered to deliver by Council were directed to be unfunded. They did this because I believe they wanted all of these things debated in public as they should be."

And I misreading things? Why are councillors so alarmed that certain things aren't currently funded in the budget when they know that is what admin was directed by them to do?
Perhaps the majority of council wanted them to be unfunded.
Janz, Salvador, Stevenson and Knack are the only Councillors that seem 100% for funding the bike plan. Paquette seems likely to support it. It'll come down to the mayor I think.
 
^That is also my thinking. There are mixed opinions online as to whether or not the City Manager was directed to fund more climate change iniatives. However they would still be on top of the proposed 3.9% budget increase.
 
Councillors' motions during a regular term are for administration to develop an unfunded plan to do X, Y, or Z. That way they can get a look at the costs and what a plan would take in terms of time etc without committing the money as of the initial motion. Then they decide the money. This is pretty common in cities across Canada.
 
Maybe this is just politicking around a low salience issue.

I mean, what does climate action really mean here? There are some city operated grants for solar panels and such but for the most part what the councillors mean by climate action is funding the bike plan.

This is the process I see:

Step 1. Request an unfunded service package for the bike plan. Funding it before deliberations is a non-starter as there aren't enough councillors willing to stick their necks out for this.

Step 2. Publicly berate the city manager about not funding climate action, which is a nebulous but very popular concept (70%+ approval).

Step 3. Whip up popular outcry which lets you assert that "Edmontonians demand climate action".

Step 4. Now fund the bike plan (which if we're being honest, isn't very popularly broadly amongst Edmontonians). If challenged, you can cite the massive public support for "climate action".

I hope this works haha.
 
^That is also my thinking. There are mixed opinions online as to whether or not the City Manager was directed to fund more climate change iniatives. However they would still be on top of the proposed 3.9% budget increase.

Right, so either a bigger tax increase to fund more things or take something off that was funded so then adding something doesn't increase it as much or at all or even so that it's less.

But again, according to Corbould, all councillors were aware before receiving this proposed budget that certain things were going to be unfunded. It was just confusing to me why councillors were then critical of the budget because it didn't fund certain things when it was known in advance these things were going to be left off for later debate.

Transportation costs make up 25% of our entire budget which includes new roads and road renewal etc - Who decides what is going to be funded automatically (although everything is then open for debate at budget time anyway but some things seem more of a given)? I guess having dollars from other levels of government is a big factor.

My initial thought was council says to admin these are all the things we want or to consider, now go make a budget with your recommendations and that admin was not recommending these climate initiatives or extra bike infrastructure. But Corbould says he himself is a big proponent of active transportation options and hopes council approves more.
 
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