After spending most of the day behind closed doors in a strategic meeting discussing confidential items, Calgary city council emerged late Tuesday afternoon to debate and vote on spending millions of dollars on boosting the budget. The increased spending money will come from reserves and will use a great deal of an expected surplus in 2025, but will not result in a property tax increase above what has already been approved. Additionally, more money was approved to be spent on infrastructure projects, including $42.4 million addressing cost escalations in projects that are already underway, such as fire stations, libraries, recreation, and other facilities, with another $38.9 million being recommended for maintenance and replacement of infrastructure. “We were very clear today that we have funding available to invest in maintenance projects, to make sure we’ve got fire halls coming on, that we’ve got upgrades to recreational facilities and that we are doing the work that Calgarians have asked us for, based on what we have seen in our survey results,” said Mayor Jyoti Gondek, after council adjourned for the day. .Discussed was a recommendation to keep the city’s portion of budget growth at 3.6%, or, below population growth and inflation, but it was defeated in chambers. “We're trying to be much more realistic and say, ‘this is the money that needs to be spent to serve Calgarians and this is the way that we can fund it,’” said Gondek. “Setting an arbitrary number just because you want to put a budget envelope around it doesn’t serve Calgarians.” Ward 1 Cllr. Sonya Sharp thought the decision could wait. “If you go based on inflation and population, what number are you focused on? If it is 4.1% then write 4.1%, do not make it vague because then Calgarians will be confused,” said Sharp. “But I really still think that we should be waiting until September to do that.” Money from reserves includes more than $13.5 million to help cover more cost escalations on projects already approved, including several fire stations and upgrades to the MNP leisure centre. The rest of the cost escalations, along with major maintenance and paving projects, totalling $82 million, will be covered by a projected budget surplus. .Also given approval was $15 million to improve protective barriers for transit bus drivers. The money came in the weeks after a bus driver was attacked and stabbed in May, for which two people have been charged. The money will pay for retrofitting transit’s fleet of buses with improved shields to protect drivers, as well as signage reminding transit riders that assaulting drivers is a federal crime, plus a review of procedures, and new driver safety reporting. Council also directed administration to create line items in the upcoming budget to show how much impact provincial decisions have in costs to the city and taxpayers.
