Latest news with #Cartmell
Calgary Herald
23-05-2025
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Edmonton's longest-serving councillor enters mayoral race
Article content Knack said Edmonton can be proud of its status as the best place to get a home built in Canada, and similar strides need to be made for small business. Article content 'There are still too many examples — and I hear this from small business owners when I'm chatting with them — that it takes too long for inspections or for permits. If we have that capability, and we do, to be the best in building a home, we should be the best in letting you start a small business,' he said. Article content 'We have the potential. We have the tools. We have the staff who have obviously done a great job creating that infrastructure on one side. Now we just need to apply it to the rest of what we're doing across the city for supporting small business,' he said. Article content As signs of homelessness extend past the boundaries of Downtown, the city needs to lean into addressing the problems, he said. Article content 'We've been trying to help fill in the gaps from the provincial government. But I actually think we need to take a greater leadership role, even though it's not technically our responsibility, because at the end of the day, people have been waiting for action.' Article content Article content After more than 12 years on council, with town halls and door knocking and calling people back, Knack said he's worked with Edmontonians from across political backgrounds and ideologies. Article content He joins some others on council putting a foot down about provincial efforts to inject city politics with partisan policy. Article content 'We've seen how party politics is poison — how when you have political parties, party loyalty goes above all else. It should be about the people that we serve, not the political parties,' Knack said. Article content 'By engaging with all Edmontonians, everyday Edmontonians, that's how you can actually make better decisions. But when they're introducing this partisan system which is really being forced upon Albertans — they've been very clear that this is not what they want — we're going to reject that. We don't need to go down that path.' Article content Listening is key for better decision-making, Knack said. Article content Article content 'We can help make it more affordable, we can help make it safer, and we can actually keep up with the growth that we're dealing with. So that's why it's so important to be independent. It's about all Edmontonians, and not just this very select few or the party that's telling us what to do,' he said. Article content Fellow councillor and mayoral hopeful Tim Cartmell is assembling an entire slate of 12 candidates in his bid for the October election. Article content Cartmell was sportsmanlike about Knack entering the fray. Article content 'I think it's great that we have a few different candidates. That allows for a contrast of views and opinions and offerings, and I think that makes for a healthy debate,' Cartmell said. Article content Article content
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Federal changes to food stamps could cost Oklahoma nearly $500M: DHS director
Federal proposals to alter funding for food stamps could cost the state nearly $500 million, the head of Oklahoma's Department Human Services testified Monday. (Getty Images) (This image cannot be republished unless you have a Getty subscription.) OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma could be on the hook for paying almost $500 million if Congress moves forward with historic plans to shift food stamp costs to states. Jeffrey Cartmell, Gov. Kevin Stitt's appointee to head the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, discussed the potential impact during his confirmation hearing Monday before the state Senate's Health and Human Services Committee. The committee's chair Sen. Paul Rosino, R-Oklahoma City, asked Cartmell about the potential impact of proposed federal cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. The program provides electronic benefits to purchase certain food items for those who qualify. Cartmell said changes to the program formerly known as food stamps could range from $170 million to $450 million a year depending on which cost-sharing plan is adopted by the Republican-led Congress. He said the U.S. House is considering for the first time requiring states to pay matching dollars on SNAP. He said states could be required to pay up to 25% match. About 17% of Oklahomans receive food stamps. Last year, a 10% match would have cost his agency $170 million, he said. A 25% match would cost between $430 million to $450 million, he said. Congress is also considering altering the administrative portion of the program, requiring the state to pay more, he said. Such a move would cost an additional $30 million to $40 million, Cartmell said. 'Absolute worst case scenario to the agency would be an additional probably $450 million to $475 million that we would no longer have funding for to provide for the program,' he said. The figures come just days after Stitt and legislative leaders announced a budget agreement that included a 0.25% drop in the state's top income tax bracket to 4.5% from 4.75%. The Oklahoma Policy Institute, a Tulsa-based think tank, said the cut would cost the state coffers about $338 million. Lawmakers recently eliminated the state's 4.5% state portion on the grocery sales tax. The panel approved Cartmell's appointment, which now moves to the full Senate. He would replace Deborah L. Shropshire, who stepped down in the fall. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
CBC
02-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Tim Cartmell to launch budget panel, safe streets strategy if elected Edmonton mayor
Tim Cartmell is promising to prioritize basic services, have a panel of interdisciplinary experts scrutinize the city's budget and create a safe streets strategy if elected mayor of Edmonton in October. Cartmell presented his vision for the future of the city at a sold-out paid lunch event at the Edmonton Convention Centre Thursday. Organizers said more than 600 people were in attendance. The Ward pihêsiwin city councillor announced he would be running for mayor in November and that he would be forming his own political party. With the federal election over, some council candidates have started campaigning in earnest. Edmonton's Oct. 20 mayoral race is wide open since Amarjeet Sohi, who tried but failed to get elected as a Liberal MP, has announced he will not run for mayor in the fall. During his speech Thursday, Cartmell emphasized his background as a professional engineer, saying he didn't set out to become a politician and is not a spotlight seeker but "the guy you hired to solve a problem and make every dollar count." Cartmell has been a city councillor since 2017 but distanced himself from his council colleagues during the campaign event, saying he understands the machinery of municipal government but has a different vision. When answering questions after the speech, he said the city's revamped zoning bylaw should be modified — not killed — and that he was proud of his work to expand Terwillegar Drive but regretted decisions to spend large sums of money on recreation centres. "Frankly, I think that some of us felt an urgency to get moving on the recreation master plan and build a couple more facilities, and didn't look long enough at the effects of COVID on supply chain, inflation and that kind of thing," he told reporters. Cartmell said if elected, his blue-ribbon budget panel would include business, labour, arts and non-profit experts. The panel would conduct a line-by-line review of the city budget to identify inefficiencies, cost-saving opportunities and reinvestment areas. Cartmell also promised to release a 100-day action plan the day after the election, prioritizing public safety, snow clearing and a road construction review. As part of his safe streets strategy, Cartmell said he would advocate for enforceable standards for vacant properties and empty lots, care for main streets like Gateway Boulevard and Kingsway Avenue, strengthen partnerships with the province, and push for coordinated city-led relationships with other groups to address the opioid crisis. He is also planning to introduce a "standing partnerships table" through which he would invite residents, builders, entrepreneurs and Indigenous leaders to share their ideas and work on solutions. "Let's restore pride in our city — let's get shit done," he said in his speech. Cartmell used that four-letter-word five times on stage during the event, including as an answer to how he would describe the city's current relationships with the provincial government. Omar Mohammad, a pediatric dental surgeon, is also running to lead the city. Similar to Cartmell, he has said on his website that the city is suffering from "the effects of irresponsible overspending" and that he stands for a "common-sense approach." Ward Nakota Isga Coun. Andrew Knack has said he is considering a mayoral run but has not filed a notice of intent with Edmonton Elections. Tony Caterina, who was a city councillor from 2010–2021, has declared he is running. Caterina, who reviewed a press release summarizing Cartmell's campaign announcements Thursday, described them as "typical cut-and-paste, generic statements." Caterina said as mayor he would rein in spending, focusing only on necessary projects, stick to issues in municipal jurisdiction, rebuild relationships with the province and police commission, and add numbers to wards' names. Unlike Cartmell, he said he will not be running as part of a political party and opposes their introduction in Edmonton and Calgary. "My biggest concern is that municipal governments are supposedly independent," he said. One political party, Principled Accountable Coalition for Edmonton (PACE), and one slate, Edmonton First, have been registered so far. Slates are temporary groups of candidates during one election cycle while political parties may continue running over multiple election cycles. Cartmell said his party will be called Better Edmonton and it will consist of "an aligned group of smart leaders" pushing for change. He said candidates in the party will be announced next month.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tim Cartmell kicks off mayoral run with pledge to ‘fix what's broken' in Edmonton
With about six months to go before the next municipal election, mayoral hopeful Tim Cartmell officially launched his campaign Thursday, promising to build bridges, literally and figuratively, for a city he says has 'drifted into big spending with little value.' In a packed convention room where some 600 Edmontonians and Albertans had lunch while listening to Cartmell speak, the applause swelled as the current city councillor walked on stage to deliver a speech that focused squarely on rebuilding Edmonton's infrastructure and restoring trust in city leadership. 'We have bridge problems to talk about,' Cartmell said, drawing on his background as a professional engineer and a small business owner. 'We need to build — bridges, transit, parks, community hubs — but we need to do it in a way that's smart, affordable, and sustainable.' Citing widespread frustration with tax dollars going to waste, inflated budgets and missed deadlines, Cartmell promised to take a pragmatic, back-to-basics approach to governance, a leadership that is 'rooted in experience, integrity and common sense,' saying city hall needs to prioritize the same thing every Edmontonian sitting around their kitchen table prioritizes —groceries, mortgages and childcare. On what he sees as Edmonton's most urgent infrastructure priority, Cartmell pointed to the projects already underway. 'The most important ones are the ones that are in progress. It's going to be our bridges,' he said, warning that several major crossings will soon need replacement. With Edmonton's population growing by about 40,000 people per year, simply rebuilding existing structures won't be enough. 'We're going to need a bridge plan, and it's not a modest concern.' He said that building strong relationships with the province will be key to financing those efforts, especially if plans for rail connectivity from the airport, which includes new bridge infrastructure, move forward. While he acknowledged past missteps — including approving two major recreation centre projects without fully accounting for inflation or supply chain delays — Cartmell says he's learned from those experiences. 'I'd like those back,' he said. 'Some of us felt an urgency to get moving on the recreation master plan and build a couple more facilities, and didn't look long enough at the effects of COVID on supply chains and inflation and all that kind of things.' In addition to announcing his candidacy, Cartmell outlined a six-month campaign strategy built around assembling a council team aligned with his vision, what he called 'a consistent voice for change.' He drew a hockey analogy that landed with laughter among the crowd, many of whom seemed eager for a playoff win as much as a political shake-up. 'You can't win a hockey game with one player,' Cartmell said. 'I am just one vote on city council. But my team will be a consistent voice for change, a team that will get (stuff) done.' Cartmell said his team, Better Edmonton, will help bring a unified direction to council, which he believes has been missing. 'We don't have a consistent message from all of city council to instruct senior leaders,' he said. 'So, I am building a team. A team that will spend the next six months learning from each other. Sharing our values. Working together on common commitments.' To underscore that commitment, Cartmell announced the formation of a blue-ribbon panel that would begin working immediately on a comprehensive review of the city's finances. Composed of experts across sectors, including business, labour, arts, non-profits, and community advocacy, among others, the panel's mandate will be to ensure tax dollars are being spent strategically. 'First on their list will be addressing the serious flaws in how Edmonton calculates and applies property taxes, because right now, the system is undermining our ability to grow,' he said, noting the city has 'some of the highest property taxes in the country.' 'That's not just a statistic, it's a warning sign for investment.' If elected, Cartmell pledged to kick off his first term with a 100-day action plan, prioritizing basic services like public safety, cleanliness and snow removal. He said he'd hold daily meetings with senior city leaders, conduct a review of road construction plans, and launch a public dashboard for transparency. Cartmell acknowledged that crime statistics may be improving in some areas but argued that the public perception of safety is still deteriorating. 'I've spoken to parents who won't let their kids take the LRT to school,' he said. 'I've spoken to seniors who feel anxious walking to the store. I've talked to business owners who arrive at work every morning to clean up needles and broken glass before they can unlock the front door.' To address these concerns, he promised to roll out a safe streets strategy, strengthen bylaw enforcement, work with frontline police officers, and advocate for clear standards around vacant properties. Cartmell also addressed housing and infill, emphasizing the need for a more balanced, context-sensitive approach to development. While 'we need to fill in our empty spaces,' he said current policies have created tension in mature neighborhoods and need to evolve. 'There's a need to modify it for context there — not kill it, not get rid of it — but modify it for the context of the neighbourhood, of where it's happening,' he said. He said it's important for deliberate planning both within the core and at the city's edges, warning that restricting suburban growth entirely could drive development just outside city limits, leaving Edmonton to shoulder the infrastructure burden without the tax base. Rebuilding trust means ensuring residents have a say in how the city spends money on major initiatives, like bridge replacements, infill housing, or transit improvements, Cartmell said. 'That's something that's actually been missing lately,' he said. 'We need to do engagement where we are more sincerely interested in what people want to see in their neighbourhoods.' He added that the tone of public consultations must shift from ''what's the matter with you' to 'what matters to you,'' by breaking down complex planning decisions into tangible questions about how developments look and feel at the end of the block for the people who live there. Cartmell also took time to reflect on his deep roots in the city — his family has called Edmonton home for four generations. He spoke of his great-grandfather helping to establish the Edmonton Museum of Art, his grandfather returning from war to work as a carpenter, and his own experience raising a family and running a business in the city. 'This city gave my family everything,' he said. 'And now, it's time to give back.' cnguyen@ Election 2025: Sohi loses in Edmonton Southeast as Conservative Mahal clinches victory Edmonton city councillor Sarah Hamilton not seeking re-election Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don't miss the news you need to know — add and to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here. You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. 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Edmonton Journal
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Edmonton Journal
Tim Cartmell kicks off mayoral run with pledge to ‘fix what's broken' in Edmonton
Article content With about six months to go before the next municipal election, mayoral hopeful Tim Cartmell officially launched his campaign Thursday, promising to build bridges, literally and figuratively, for a city he says has 'drifted into big spending with little value.' In a packed convention room where some 600 Edmontonians and Albertans had lunch while listening to Cartmell speak, the applause swelled as the current city councillor walked on stage to deliver a speech that focused squarely on rebuilding Edmonton's infrastructure and restoring trust in city leadership.
