[David A]

Yes, I feel the province is bullying cities and that does not make it easier and there are no easy answers to how to resolve this ongoing situation at the municipal level.

However, I do feel the city is enabling this by spending on things the province should, so the most logical solution is to stop doing that, put the ball back in the provinces court and it would improve the city's financial position somewhat.

Edmonton voters are feeling very squeezed and are very tired of taxes going up at high rates. As much as I dislike the provinces approach, I feel the people running our city are equally bad and given public opinion I suspect that is a common feeling. If our councilors can't shape up and I don't have much hope for many of the current bunch, they will soon be replaced.

 

[kcantor]

Sometimes it seems like the current Provincial government hates municipalities. They're refusing to fund affordable housing developments that are provincially owned, they've cut infrastructure funding across the board at a time of record population growth, and they introduced municipal provincial parties and passed the ability for the Province to force any Council member to step down.

Who is asking for these changes? I am not surprised Knack is choosing not to run for re-election in this political climate.

I think it's less that the current Provincial government hates municipalities as the current Provincial government hating anyone and anything that isn't "them" and/or controlled by them whether that's municipalities or the federal government or police services or Alberta Health or pension plans or immigration...

 

[Gus Haynes]

^That's exactly it. The UCP, and Danielle Smith in particular, are fiercely tribal at their core.

 

[thommyjo]

If the province had actually cut income taxes like they promised, that’d help with the increase in property taxes.

Instead those have stayed flat and municipal have been forced to increase.

I really wish our taxes were better balanced across all levels of government.