Calgary City Council is in a marathon of meetings this week to debate and finalize the fourth year of the 2023-2026 services budget cycle.
The marathon is a carryover from the November 10 meeting of council when budget deliberations began, with this week beginning with public hearings on Monday, continued through Tuesday, after which council is scheduled to crunch the final budget numbers in meetings on Wednesday through Friday.
Succinctly, the budget includes $4.6 billion in operating spending, $3.6 billion in capital projects, and a blended (business plus residential) 3.6% property tax increase, although that number is smoke and mirrors from city administration.
The average property tax increase for residential properties comes in at 5.4% but varies depending on the type of home. Single-family homes could see an increase of 5.8%, condominiums up 1.3%, and multi-residential buildings (low and high rise) could increase by 19.2%.
The proposed increase for nonresidential properties is 1.3%.
In a speech at the Calgary Chamber of Commerce the day after being elected Mayor Jeromy Farkas said he was determined to cut the average residential increase in half, without reducing key services such as policing, transit, housing initiatives, and infrastructure.
Additionally, some councillors have said they would push to remove programs they view as unnecessary, not the least of which being the so-called Climate Emergency Fund announced by former mayor Jyoti Gondek four years ago.
The Monday and Tuesday public hearings drew 130 people registered to speak in council chambers or on the phone, and 249 written submissions.
I was sure there would be fire and brimstone from the presenters in council and on the phone, with images in my head of the villagers in the old Frankenstein monster movies chasing the beast with pitchforks and torches.
Nope. Every one of those presenters in Monday’s 12-hour session encouraged city council to not cut funding. It was a parade of people representing projects and programs that are funded by the city with taxpayer’s money.
They included proponents wanting more cricket fields, increased bike lanes, using smart metres to measure electricity use rather than analog metres, funds to save the old YWCA building on 12 Ave. in the Beltline as the headquarters for the LGBTQ+ community, more money for soccer fields, and other activities supported by the public purse.
But no ‘villagers’ storming city hall.
They did however, stuff city hall’s mailbox and as of noon on Tuesday, not a single written submission had been read in council chambers.
I did. I read 100 of the 249 submissions, and every one of them was from Calgarians fed up with the continual increases in property taxes, even as services deteriorate.
City administration reviews all submissions, it says because some may contain libelous statements or incorrect information. Fair enough.
But not fair, and suspicious, is that only in-person submissions or those on the phone supporting continued funding are made in council chambers.
So, here are samples of the written submissions:
“I’m fed up. Year after year, the City continues to hike property taxes and expects homeowners to absorb the blow without question. Now you’re pushing yet another 3.6% increase for 2026 on top of previous hikes and calling it “holding the line.” That’s not restraint. That’s erosion.”
“Where is this money going? I have not seen meaningful improvements in infrastructure, transit, or public safety. What I have seen are bloated budgets, vanity projects, and salary increases for council and the mayor.”
“I purchased my home 2 years ago. Since then, the assessed value has gone up by 15% and now you want to raise property taxes another >5% after the city just had a huge surplus? This is an insanely unreasonable spike in property values and taxes.”
“It’s becoming unaffordable to live in Calgary now. Every year the city cries about a “lack of budget,” yet every year it turns out they still have money left that gets tucked away in the FSR. As a young homeowner, I’m living paycheck to paycheck, and our city government dares to say, ‘It’s just a few bucks.’”
“A Strong NO. I am a senior on fixed income. Are you trying to drive us out of this city? This is robbery. Show me that you are listening and not just proceeding regardless of what your tax paying citizens are saying. You are not being responsible, and you are abusing your power.”
“A 5.4% increase when inflation is under 3% means Calgarians are paying a big premium. With cost-of-living already sky high, this risks pushing more households into real hardship. I urge Council to reconsider this proposal, aiming for fairness, transparency, and alignment of spending with what residents truly want and need.”
The public hearing ends on Tuesday, after which councillors will deliberate and debate for three days.
They would be wise to read all 249 written submissions.
