2024 Budget Adjustment Priorities for Calgarians
Last year, Council's Strategic Direction set the stage for Administration to improve our community through the 2023-2026 Service Plans and Budget. Each year, we refine and adjust these plans to enhance life for Calgarians.
Earlier this week, a list of investment opportunities was shared with Council and Calgarians to consider ahead of November’s service plans and budget adjustments. Calgarians, local businesses, and City partners have the opportunity to review and provide feedback directly to Council in November, with this type of information being available to them earlier than in previous years. This marks a significant shift, as it empowers Council to more effectively balance Calgarians’ feedback with available funding when prioritizing investments that align with the needs of Calgarians.
These conversations started months ago as part of a new, more collaborative budgeting process, bringing together Council and Administration to discuss the most pressing needs of Calgarians and The City’s financial ability to meet these needs in a way that balances affordability with continuing to build an incredible city.
"In November, Council will decide which investments to move forward with the revenue available, using property tax to fund additional needs of Calgarians only as a last resort,” said Chief Financial Officer Carla Male. “After November, we’ll be looking towards long-term solutions for the financial challenges facing The City. To empower Council's decision-making, we are focusing on how to bridge the gap in funding required and fostering more effective collaboration with other orders of government to deliver greater value to Calgarians.”
In addition to these opportunities, The City is sharing the progress we've made on the recommendations from The City's citizen-panel Financial Task Force. These recommendations are all about making sure Calgary's finances are sustainable and that living here remains affordable for all of us. Ensuring Council has the means to support what matters most to Calgarians required exploring the size and severity of City cost escalations and funding shortfalls. The City stepping in to fund provincial responsibilities has cost us approximately $311 million per year since 2007. Exploring all options, including new sources of revenue as the task force recommended, will help inform Council of possibilities to fund the most important investments for Calgarians.
Investment options include:
Transit
Safer, more reliable, and more frequent transit
Free transit for children 12 and under
Limiting fare increases
Preparing for the next generation of transit projects
Social equity
Responding to the affordable housing crisis
Permanent commitment to the delivery of Calgary’s Mental Health and Addiction Strategy
Delivering library and community amenities in Symons Valley/Sage Hill
Building the long-awaited Foothills Fieldhouse
Enhancing amenities in local parks and playgrounds
Providing emergency financial support to Calgarians experiencing vulnerabilities
Public safety
Sustaining fire services
Addressing problem properties
Improving community traffic safety and reducing vehicle noise
Enabling safe pedestrian commutes
Keeping existing City facilities safe and operational
Modernizing government
Making sure that the right people with the right skills are delivering City services
Enhancing productivity
Reflecting the diversity of Calgary in City Administration
Managing operational risk
Managing inflation pressures
Enhancing flexibility of ward budgets
Taking care of our current infrastructure
Council will be deliberating and deciding on our plans and budget adjustments in the month of November. But before that, there’s the opportunity for Calgarians to help Council identify which are the most important investments.
Calgarians can provide written feedback to Council or register to speak with members of Council in November at calgary.ca/PublicSubmission. You can also learn more about what we heard from Calgarians last November during budget deliberations in the graphic below, or read the full summary HERE.
For more information, please visit calgary.ca/adjustments.
