The Calgary City Council approves a four-year budget that includes a 4.4% tax increase.

tomtidgewellNovember 25, 2022

The Calgary City Council approved the 2023-26 budget on Friday. This includes his 4.4% increase in home property taxes. Darren Makowichuk/Postmedia

The Calgary City Council passed a four-year budget on Friday. This includes the administration’s proposed 4.4% resident tax hike and his $65 million funding package for essential services and community groups.

The average homeowner with a $555,000 home can expect a $10 increase in city tax burden next year. A typical condo owner can see their bill decrease by about $10.

A decision on the tax burden between residential and non-residential property, which could change these figures, has been postponed until early next year to consider possible alternatives after an amendment was submitted by the Count. it was done. Sonya Sharp.

Resident tax currently accounts for 52% of the bill, with non-resident tax covering the rest.

The bill passed 10-5, with Sharp, Sean Chu, Dan McLean, Jennifer Wynes, and Andre Chabot opposing.

Deliberations on the budget took a full week, with Congress hearing from its partners on Monday and more than 150 members of public and community organizations on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Friday kicked off with an omnibus motion to provide a $64.7 million lump sum to a series of community partners and city departments that the council felt needed more attention.

The $64.7 million came from this year’s projected budget surplus of $65 million.

The amendment includes $3 million to freeze Calgary transportation fees for a year at the 2022 level, $3 million to eliminate transportation fees for children under 12 in 2023, and $10 million to the Calgary Fire Department. I was.

Other organizations that have received funding include Tourism Calgary, Vibrant Communities Calgary, Sport Calgary and Calgary Parks Foundation.

Earl. Evan Spencer put forward the omnibus motion, but he said it was a collaborative effort that took place throughout his week as city councilors heard input from citizens, community groups and city partners. .

“We were taking advantage of what the Calgarians were telling us last year and the changes,” Spencer said. “We want to make sure we do this right. But , we balance our very extreme priorities in terms of affordability and investing in this community to make sure we get where we want to go.”

The council also approved $75 million in temporary capital expenditures, including $20 million for the pedestrian and bicycle network and $20 million for Foothills Fieldhouse.

Sharp voted in favor of surplus spending. She asked Calgary’s chief financial officer, Carla Marais, if the budget surplus could simply be applied to the city’s basic funding. It would have created a so-called bow wave where funding would have to be done in the next year.

“So to me, $140 million doesn’t count as an expense,” Sharp said. “It’s about investing in great initiatives and giving a little boost to some that didn’t get what they needed on budget.”

Earl. Courtney Walcott successfully submitted an amendment to increase the price of a Type 1 annual parking ticket from $15 for her to $50 for her. He learned that city taxpayers subsidized him $15 for parking tickets and wanted to make revenue neutral.

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