Latest news with #InfrastructureReinvestmentProgram
Calgary Herald
3 days ago
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Council rejects 'formality' motion to reaffirm next year's property tax increase
Calgary city councillors couldn't find consensus Tuesday on whether to reaffirm their previous commitment to keep next year's property tax hike at 3.6 per cent. Article content But according to two members of council, the failed motion was mostly a formality, as well as an exercise in budget transparency. Article content Article content When approving the 2023-26 budget in November 2022, council supported a 3.6 per cent property tax increase for 2026, the final year of the four-year budget cycle. Article content Article content Those supportive of the motion from Ward 11 representative Kourtney Penner included Mayor Jyoti Gondek, Couns. Raj Dhaliwal, Evan Spencer, Jasmine Mian, Peter Demong and Courtney Walcott. Article content 'Calgarians want steadiness. They want consistency and they want some predictability,' Penner said, when moving the recommendation. Article content Article content Those in opposition to the motion argued that although budget transparency ahead of November is important, it's premature to promise Calgarians in June what type of tax increase they will see the following year. Article content Article content Ward 1 Coun. Sonya Sharp, who voted in opposition alongside Couns. Dan McLean, Gian-Carlo Carra, Jennifer Wyness, Terry Wong, Sean Chu and Andre Chabot, said after the meeting she felt the vote was a formality. Article content Article content 'The direction didn't lose,' she said. 'Administration was already given that direction in 2022.' Article content Sharp and others, including Chabot, also disagreed with the 3.6 per cent figure, pointing out it didn't factor in a motion from Ward 12 Coun. Evan Spencer, which was approved by council last week, to develop an Infrastructure Reinvestment Program. The motion included several considerations to address the city's worsening backlog of deferred maintenance during the 2027-30 budget cycle.
Calgary Herald
28-05-2025
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Council approves creating 'infrastructure reinvestment program' to tackle $7.7 billion in deferred maintenance
A Calgary city councillor's proposal to find ways to chip away at the city's multibillion-dollar infrastructure deficit next budget cycle was approved Tuesday. Article content Article content A long-winded notice of motion from Ward 12 Coun. Evan Spencer directed administration to develop an Infrastructure Reinvestment Program, with eight considerations to address the city's worsening backlog of deferred maintenance during the 2027 to 2030 four-year budget cycle. Article content Article content 'What I want out of this is to force the conversation,' said Spencer, who is also chair of the city's audit committee. 'We have a gap. We have to talk about the actual amount of money required to deal with this and start making plans to do so.' Article content Article content The considerations include identifying and 'consolidating' stable funding sources, such as utility rates, government grants, property taxes and user fees; establishing criteria for prioritizing infrastructure reinvestment projects based on their condition, risk, service levels and alignment with strategic objectives; and exploring potential contributions from other orders of government to share risks and costs associated with infrastructure reinvestment. Article content The motion also directs the city to amend the terms of reference for its future capital and lifecycle maintenance reserves, to double the 2.6 per cent annual property tax funding to five per cent. According to Spencer, this consideration will come to council's July 22 executive committee meeting for approval. Article content Article content Spencer's motion was in response to the city's 2020 infrastructure status report, which highlighted a growing percentage of deteriorating assets and an estimated $7.73-billion infrastructure funding gap. The report recommended more than $500 million in annual maintenance and operating investments by 2030. Article content Article content The city's infrastructure deficit has been amplified by rapid population growth, aging assets and escalating costs driven by inflation, he argued. Article content The Ward 12 representative, who is not running for reelection, has been critical of council's tendency to draw from its reserves to support initiatives on a one-time basis.
