Some Calgary councillors want to 'rein in city hall overreach'
A cohort of Calgary city councillors say they want to clamp down on city hall's tendency to fund programs and services that fall outside of the municipality's jurisdiction.
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Councillors representing the Communities First political party — a caucus that includes Sonya Sharp, Andre Chabot, Dan McLean and Terry Wong — are bringing a notice of motion to Tuesday's executive committee meeting that asks the city to develop a comprehensive chart of government responsibilities for key policy and service areas, and to clearly show which functions are municipal, provincial, federal or a shared responsibility.
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Calgary's mayor criticized the proposal, which calls for the chart to be published on the city's website and social media channels by July 4, as 'electioneering.'
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Sharp said the notice of motion stems from council decisions she argued shouldn't have been made. She cited last year's single-use items bylaw — which council voted to scrap two weeks after it was implemented, following public backlash — and a councillor's proposal to advocate allowing non-citizens with permanent residency status to vote in Calgary's municipal elections.
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'Reports like the bag bylaw, cancelling fireworks, non-(citizen) voting . . . all that is distraction from focusing on the things that matter to Calgarians,' she said.
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Sharp said she's wanted to bring this motion forward since council's approval of the 2025 budget last November, which resulted in an average 5.5 per cent property tax hike for households. She argued that part of the reason property taxes keep going up is because city hall spends $135 million a year on tax-funded services that fall outside its jurisdiction, as outlined in the Municipal Government Act.
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'This notice of motion isn't saying we're going to go and cut any of that funding,' she said. 'What we're saying in general is, when administration brings a report back to council, it needs to identify if we're playing the lead role. Is it a core city service? Are we advocating to the province, or are we supporting the province in advocating to the federal government?'
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The motion would also require all council and committee reports to include a 'clear jurisdictional label' indicating whether the item is a core municipal responsibility, a shared responsibility with other orders of government or if it falls outside the city's responsibility.
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Chabot, who often points out during council debates when something is or isn't under municipal purview, said the motion would put those conversations in 'black and white.'
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Calgary Herald
21 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
Some Calgary councillors want to 'rein in city hall overreach'
A cohort of Calgary city councillors say they want to clamp down on city hall's tendency to fund programs and services that fall outside of the municipality's jurisdiction. Article content Councillors representing the Communities First political party — a caucus that includes Sonya Sharp, Andre Chabot, Dan McLean and Terry Wong — are bringing a notice of motion to Tuesday's executive committee meeting that asks the city to develop a comprehensive chart of government responsibilities for key policy and service areas, and to clearly show which functions are municipal, provincial, federal or a shared responsibility. Article content Article content Article content Calgary's mayor criticized the proposal, which calls for the chart to be published on the city's website and social media channels by July 4, as 'electioneering.' Article content Article content Sharp said the notice of motion stems from council decisions she argued shouldn't have been made. She cited last year's single-use items bylaw — which council voted to scrap two weeks after it was implemented, following public backlash — and a councillor's proposal to advocate allowing non-citizens with permanent residency status to vote in Calgary's municipal elections. Article content 'Reports like the bag bylaw, cancelling fireworks, non-(citizen) voting . . . all that is distraction from focusing on the things that matter to Calgarians,' she said. Article content Sharp said she's wanted to bring this motion forward since council's approval of the 2025 budget last November, which resulted in an average 5.5 per cent property tax hike for households. She argued that part of the reason property taxes keep going up is because city hall spends $135 million a year on tax-funded services that fall outside its jurisdiction, as outlined in the Municipal Government Act. Article content Article content Article content 'This notice of motion isn't saying we're going to go and cut any of that funding,' she said. 'What we're saying in general is, when administration brings a report back to council, it needs to identify if we're playing the lead role. Is it a core city service? Are we advocating to the province, or are we supporting the province in advocating to the federal government?' Article content The motion would also require all council and committee reports to include a 'clear jurisdictional label' indicating whether the item is a core municipal responsibility, a shared responsibility with other orders of government or if it falls outside the city's responsibility. Article content Chabot, who often points out during council debates when something is or isn't under municipal purview, said the motion would put those conversations in 'black and white.'
Calgary Herald
a day ago
- Calgary Herald
Councillors' notice of motion aims to 'rein in city hall overreach'
A cohort of Calgary city councillors say they want to clamp down on city hall's tendency to fund programs and services that fall outside of the municipality's jurisdiction. Article content Councillors representing the Communities First political party — a caucus that includes Sonya Sharp, Andre Chabot, Dan McLean and Terry Wong — are bringing a notice of motion to Tuesday's executive committee meeting that asks the city to develop a comprehensive chart of government responsibilities for key policy and service areas, and to clearly show which functions are municipal, provincial, federal, or a shared responsibility. Article content Article content Article content Calgary's mayor criticized the proposal, which calls for the chart to be published on the city's website and social media channels by July 4, as 'electioneering.' Article content Article content Sharp said the notice of motion stems from council decisions she argued shouldn't have been made. As examples, she cited last year's single-use items bylaw — which council voted to scrap two weeks after it was implemented, following public backlash — and a councillor's proposal to advocate allowing non-citizens with permanent residency status to vote in Calgary's municipal elections. Article content 'Reports like the bag bylaw, cancelling fireworks, non-(citizen) voting . . . all that is distraction from focusing on the things that matter to Calgarians,' she said. Article content Sharp said she's wanted to bring this motion forward since council's approval of the 2025 budget last November, which resulted in an average 5.5 per cent property tax hike for households. She argued that part of the reason why property taxes keep going up is because city hall spends $135 million a year on tax-funded services that fall outside its jurisdiction, as outlined in the Municipal Government Act. Article content Article content Article content 'This notice of motion isn't saying we're going to go and cut any of that funding,' she said. 'What we're saying in general is, when administration brings a report back to council, it needs to identify if we're playing the lead role. Is it a core city service? Are we advocating to the province, or are we supporting the province in advocating to the federal government?' Article content The motion would also require all council and committee reports to include a 'clear jurisdictional label' indicating whether the item is a core municipal responsibility, a shared responsibility with other orders of government, or if it falls outside the city's responsibility. Article content Chabot, who often points out during council debates when something is or isn't under municipal purview, said the motion would put those conversations in 'black and white.'
Calgary Herald
a day ago
- Calgary Herald
Calgary Ukrainian community to meet with Zelenskyy during G7
Members of Calgary's Ukrainian community will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the tail end of the war leader's G7 appearance in southern Alberta, the local leader of the movement said Friday. Article content Ten people from across Canada, including the local group, will have an audience with Zelenskyy for up to an hour in an undisclosed location in Calgary on Tuesday, said Roman Yosyfiv, president of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress's Calgary branch. Article content Article content Article content Article content Exactly when and where the meeting will take place hasn't been disclosed for obvious security reasons, he said. Article content When local Ukrainians heard earlier this year that Prime Minister Mark Carney had invited Zelenskyy to the G7 to be held June 15-17 at Kananaskis, the congress contacted the Ukrainian embassy in Ottawa to request the meeting, said Yosyfiv. That meeting was confirmed three weeks ago, he said. Article content They will make their time with Zelenskyy a show of support and a reminder of how much their community has striven to push Canada to back the Ukrainian war effort through lobbying that's included numerous public rallies in Calgary, he said. Article content Alberta has also welcomed many Ukrainians who've fled the war in their homeland. Last year, the provincial government said that number stood at more than 70,000 since the full-scale Russian invasion in February, 2022 with 33,000 of those settling in Calgary. Article content Article content 'We'll tell him Canada supports him and Calgarians are doing a lot of rallies and making donations,' said Yosyfiv. Article content 'We'll ask him what else we can do.' Article content They also hope to screen a photo presentation of their community's activities for the Ukrainian president, who's become a symbol of resistance and perseverance during the conflict, he said. Article content Zelenskyy will be presented with gifts that include pysanka, or intricately decorated Easter eggs crafted by a Calgary woman, a book chronicling Ukrainian pioneers in Alberta and artwork, said Yosyfiv. Article content Not all Ukrainians in Calgary are enamoured with Zelenskyy's conduct of the war, some questioning his strategic and tactical decisions and military appointments in a conflict that sees the country hard-pressed against a larger Russian foe.
