The Big Budget Blog: Setting Edmonton’s Priorities for 2023–2026

The City of Edmonton sets its budget on a 4-year cycle and starting December 1st, 2022 City Council will work to approve the budget for 2023–2026 in a way that balances our wants and needs with our overall shared goals as Edmontonians.

At over 2,000 pages and spanning four individual budgets (Capital, Operating, and two external Utility budgets), this is a daunting task. Such a volume of reading and technocratic language can make the budget seem inaccessible for anyone brave enough to crack its pages.

So, as a second-term City Councillor, I want to share with you some of my overall thoughts on this proposed budget and some of the strategies I have in mind for how we will set the course for what the City spends, saves, builds, and renews over the next 4 years.

Now more than ever, this 4-year budget is going to be about management, and choices of both time and money.

For the past few years, Edmonton’s municipal tax rates have been the lowest of any Big City in Canada and far below inflation. This means that our City has been operating at negative cash flow, and you may have noticed services suffering as a result. That’s why I believe that while we have many pressing needs, basic city services must be at the top of the list. It will be tough to justify as many growth projects as we have seen in previous years.

Restoring basic services should be our top priority: this mirrors what I have heard loud and clear from my neighbours in Ward Dene.

What does that look like? Well, Snow and Ice removal is a big one. We must utilize all of our equipment during snowfalls, eliminating the type of windrows we saw last winter, and ensuring that our streets are cleared, safe, and accessible for all forms of mobility.

It means improving and growing our Transit Services by adding routes and increasing frequency, keeping fares and user fees manageable, and taking care of the smaller things that have a big impact on the way we view our City; such as clean, safe streets, and sensible order.

In this budget, my priorities are to ensure that our roads, sidewalks, and crosswalks are in good condition and that parks and open spaces are well-kept and maintained.

Because most importantly: when you walk out the front door, you should see your tax dollars at work.

There are some challenges we face. The pandemic response and inflation have hit many hard. Rising prices at the pump and grocery stores, in addition to chronic provincial underfunding of mental health, addiction recovery, and housing to name a few. In this Alberta election year, I want to see action and commitments from provincial leadership; because, as it stands the City is spending to stopgap for these provincial files with your money.

Then there is growth. In line with Edmonton’s City Plan, we are set to grow to a population of 2 Million over the next 30 years. Growth is a positive thing! As we attract new families and workers to settle here we will see many benefits to the City we call home. A growing and diversified workforce mean a stronger local economy and the scale of our growth leaves us primed for other major investment and tourism opportunities.

However, as the City grows, we need to address the growing demand for services. Traffic volumes will increase, causing frustration for drivers. We simply can’t build more road lanes to accommodate that — there will never be enough money — but we can get transit working better, faster, and cleaner, and we can provide other outlets and active pathways so that those who choose to leave the car at home can get around, making your commute a little less aggravating.

And then we have Neighborhood Renewals and Revitalization. Our communities deserve good, well-constructed streets, alleyways, and green spaces. We simply can’t put these things on the back burner like past Councils once did — the infrastructure debt grows far too quickly and it takes decades to dig out from under that neglect.

To me, this is a budget that requires a prudent eye to affordability and restraint, and the budget deliberations must also show that restraint.

I know as a new Councillor, I had many questions, but not all of them needed to be asked in Council — they could be answered through reading, meeting, and paying careful attention to details. Our role on Council is not to count the pencils or the cups of coffee used by Administration, but to set the vision, to oversee the dollars from a strategic level and most importantly — to give voice to the people and not to our own pet projects or personally held opinions.

We must work to ensure no one is left behind and that we have a City that works, attracts investment, strengthens the local economy, and grows in all the right ways. I’m committed to doing this work with you at the forefront of my mind.

I will be duly restrained in this budget, and I hope my colleagues also show similar restraint. I do want to be careful not to return to the austerity budgets of the 80s and 90s that left us with major infrastructure and community shortfalls. We have a lot to do, but much of the ‘big stuff’ is work that will unfold over the next 15 to 20 years. This is about budgeting in the right direction and planning for our future. Patience is not only a virtue but is also a large part of a sensible City Budget.

Amidst the political partisanship of provincial and federal politics, municipal Councils need to be steady and solid. I have heard that 4 Year Budgets are where dreams go to die, but to me, it’s where the many competing voices of a million Edmontonians are brought together so that our communities can thrive.

Now I recognize that for some the only acceptable tax rate will be zero, and for others, upwards of 10% to ‘get things done’ and keep up with inflation. As is usual in these discussions, the answer is in thoughtful compromise.

But one thing I refuse to compromise on is continually working to improve the services Edmontonians have come to expect. I will share more in-depth information related to the budget in the coming weeks, but now, the next step is to hear from you.

On November 28th and 29th, Edmonton City Council will host a Public Hearing on the Budget where I encourage you to come share your thoughts on money management and your priorities for Edmonton with Council.

You can register to speak starting on November 17th at edmonton.ca/meetings