Budget 2020: Public Feedback
Budget 2020: Public Feedback

One of my biggest focuses on Council has been increasing opportunities for public engagement. As Council heads into deliberations for Budget 2020, I’ve been excited to see new efforts to involve residents.

City administration has prepared a report with what it has heard about the budget. You can read it here.

Here are the observations I’ve made from reading this report:

  • For respondents, good services are a higher priority than lowering taxes

  • Most City services are providing satisfactory results

  • People need to be shown better value for their tax dollars

  • Roads and public safety should be top priorities

  • Snow removal needs attention

  • Policing needs continued attention

Following is more information about how people were invited to engage in the budget process and expanded explanations about the take-aways I see from their responses.

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Dylan Bresseybudget, police, snowComment
Affordable Housing
Affordable Housing

I've seen this CBC story floating around, with many people expressing concern: 

Housing is a very big challenge in our community, so I am glad to see it being discussed. I'm thankful this article is creating conversation.

That being said, I think there are a few things worth clarifying….

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Dylan BresseyComment
Police Funding
Police Funding

The provincial government is taking a look at how police in Alberta are funded. I am hopeful that significant changes will be made…

Cities and towns with populations of 5000 or more are responsible to fund their own police through property taxes. But the province takes responsibility for police costs in other municipalities, including those with large urban “hamlets.”

In other words: across Alberta, city residents and businesses need to pay significant amounts of municipal property taxes to fund their own policing. They also have a portion of their provincial taxes go towards paying for police in surrounding municipalities.

This is a fundamentally unjust system. It leads to people living or running a business in a town or city of 5000+ needing to pay significantly more in property taxes than those in other municipalities….

As more demands are put on police while the province also seeks to reduce spending, it is appropriate to start requiring ALL municipalities to share in the cost of their policing….

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Dylan BresseyComment