Calgary city council gave the go ahead to an average 3.6% property tax increase on Friday night by a vote of nine to six. “We held the line on the 3.6% budget increase that we promised in 2022,” said Mayor Jyoti Gondek, one of the nine who voted in favour of the increase. Others in favour of the tax increase were Cllrs. Demong, Carra, Walcott, Pootmans, Dhaliwal, Spencer, Penner and Mian. “When it comes to this budget, 60% of it is focused on infrastructure to make sure that we’re providing quality services when it comes to our roadways, when it comes to water; another portion of the budget was dedicated to public transit and public safety. That’s 75% of the budget,” added Gondek, saying 24% was for inflation. “We are being hit in the same way homeowners are and that’s exactly why we were not going to go any farther than what we promised in 2022.” Added David Duckworth, chief administrative officer, “We heard from Calgarians that infrastructure, housing transit and public safety are top priorities to address in our budget and I’m pleased budgets have prioritized these areas to address what matters most to Calgarians so we can continue to plan, design and build a city for Calgarians living here today and tomorrow.” Cllr. Sonya Sharp, one of the six voting against the tax increases called for more transparency at city hall. “Calgarians don’t need bigger budgets; they need better budgets,” said Sharp. “This process continues to prioritize bureaucracy over solutions, and I refused to support a budget that ignores the very real struggles families and businesses are facing. There were efficiencies I identified that would not affect the services Calgarians value. Council had an opportunity to bring real relief, and the majority failed.” Also voting no were Cllrs. McLean, Wyness, Wong, Chu and Chabot. Sharp said she supported some elements of the budget, including allocating funding to the Inglewood Pool, continuing to waive patio fees for small business owners and funding core services such as public safety, road and water infrastructure. “I believe in about standing up for what matters most to our communities,” she said. “Allocating funding to the Inglewood Pool is a step closer towards ensuring a vital gathering space for residents, waiving patio fees helps small businesses thrive and investing in public safety and critical infrastructure reflects our commitment to Calgarians’ quality of life." Sharp also called for more accountability from the city administration department, proposing to reduce the executive leadership budget by $2.5 million. “This was about asking the chief administrative officer to do more with less, just like Calgarians are doing,” said Sharp, who was joined by Cllr. McLean in proposing an amendment to cut discretionary travel and entertainment expenses for senior city management by 50%, citing concerns about high-cost trips and luxury accommodations and inequities between benefits for senior leadership and front-line employees. The amendment was defeated by a 6-to-9 vote “In any organization, of course there is value in employee recognition and professional development. But it’s the senior managers who tend to reap the benefits of expensive travel, masters' degrees paid for, and celebratory dinners out,” said Sharp. “It’s not fair to our constituents who struggle to pay for rising utility fees and property taxes. I think it’s unacceptable for senior management to indulge in these kinds of perks.” Calgary homeowners will begin receiving their new property tax notices in January.
