What I Heard: Budget 2023-2026
BACKGROUND
Over the past several months, I’ve heard from many Edmontonians in relation to the upcoming 4 year budget. Additionally, I’m guided by the platform and the commitments that I made during the municipal election in October 2021. I want residents to see the 4 pillars of my campaign reflected in my votes and decisions. This is a summary of what I heard and my approach going into budget deliberations in December 2022. I’m grateful for the people who lent their time, energy and voices to share what’s important to them. The collective knowledge and perspectives are always humbling and inspiring.
WAYS I HEARD
There are many ways we listened. Both formal and informal feedback were collected.
Informal:
Office correspondence - Emails, Phone Calls, Mail
Online - Facebook Live, Social Media Posts
Community- Door-knocking, Community League Meetings, In-person visits to Senior’s Centers, Community Events, Meetings with Organizations and Businesses in the Ward, Hosted Events (Open House at Castle Downs YMCA, Ice Cream Socials, & Community BBQ)
Formal:
Virtual session on City Budget
Two in person sessions on City Budget
Online budget survey (open from October 25-November 15)
WHAT I HEARD
Many themes emerged through the various conversations and connection points with residents. While there is overlap within the themes, here is a summary of what came up continually and does not include any direct quotes.
Quality of Life
Edmontonians value having a good quality of life. I heard many discuss what that looks like in their daily lives. Residents want a city that focuses on good jobs and a strong local economy, investments in amenities within their local communities, and the ability to live affordably. They also want the Council to think about quality of life now and into the future.
Examples of what this could look like in the budget:
Support for business development
Small local growth investments such as playgrounds or investments that make areas more livable such as lighting and benches.
Ensuring costs to city services and amenities do not increase significantly (e.g., transit and recreation passes).
Investing in climate adaptation and mitigation
Civic Pride
A theme that weaved through much feedback was the value placed on civic pride. Residents want to see their tax dollars at work through well-maintained roads, sidewalks, and parks. They want Edmonton to prioritize upkeep of our current assets. Additionally, they care about preservation of history and diverse celebrations, festivals, and events and ways to enjoy Edmonton and connect with each other year-round.
Examples of what this could look like in the budget:
Increased funding for snow clearing and turf maintenance
Focus on renewal projects, such as Neighbourhood Renewal
Support for historical preservation
Support for tourism, the arts, and festivals
Protection of the River Valley system
Addressing problem and derelict properties
Community Safety
Residents want to feel safe in their communities. They want to see traffic measures to support enhanced safety. They value the work to address safety through policing, fire, bylaw, and transit safety teams. The responses were extremely mixed regarding police. For example, some residents feel more safe with increased police presence, while others feel less safe.
Examples of what this could look like in the budget:
Investment in speed bumps, marked crosswalks, and intersections and other safe mobility improvements
Ensuring Fire Services is funded to meet demand and growth
Working with the Police commission to ensure police are there when needed
Community grants related to anti-racism and community safety and wellbeing
Support for oversubscribed programs like 24/7 crisis diversion
Compassion and Caring for Those Most Vulnerable
Over and over again, residents demonstrated a depth of compassion for folks that need extra support. I heard about the need to invest in people experiencing homelessness, low-income seniors, youth and children, and newcomers. Residents recognized the limitations within municipal jurisdictions and overall a majority still want to know the City of Edmonton is doing what we can within our capacity.
Examples of what this could look like in the budget:
Funding to build and ensure affordable housing (including bridge and permanent supportive housing)
Transit and recreation access programs for children, youth, seniors, and low-income individuals
Ensuring DATS works for those it’s meant to serve
Support for local resources that support specific groups such as senior centers, C5 North East Edmonton Hub, youth organizations
Ongoing work and actions towards truth and reconciliation
Getting Around the City
I heard from many residents about the importance of being able to get around the City effectively and reliably, regardless of the mode used.
Examples of what this could look like in the budget:
Allocation of funding for the Metro-line expansion to Castledowns
Improvements to bus network
Work to turn Yellowhead Trail into a Freeway
Addressing missing links for sidewalks and supporting active-mode infrastructure
City Efficiency, Services, and Funding
Residents highlighted the need for Council to keep a strong eye on city efficiency to make sure Edmontonians can have confidence that the city is using resources well. There was an emphasis on core services - though what was considered core varied. People generally understood the need for a tax increase, but stressed the need for Council to be mindful of the pressures many households are under when determining the final budget. They also want to make sure that fines and fees are being evaluated and potentially increased where it makes sense and doesn’t hurt folks on a fixed income. Additionally, many are proud and appreciate the public services they receive and want to make sure they remain public.
Examples of what this could look like in the budget:
Ensuring the City Auditor has adequate resources
Exploring options around fines and fees
Avoiding cuts to public services that Edmontonians rely on
Leverage funding from other orders of government (provincial and federal)
Continued or enhanced support for other organizations such as Edmonton Public Library
What to Build
For the question specifically on what to fund for capital, the most frequent response was to make sure we work to maintain existing infrastructure and potentially defer growth projects. There were mixed reactions about a dedicated renewal levy though many were supportive, within reason, understanding the funding gap that exists. Specific items that were the most frequently mentioned for funding included active pathways, public parks, transit, and recreation centers, as well as emergency services.
Examples of what this could look like in the budget:
Stopping or delaying some growth projects
Renewal work on bridges, roads, and facilities
Funding for a new transit garage and public washrooms
Maintaining or increasing funding for Neighbourhood and Alley Renewal
WHAT I’M DOING WITH THIS INFORMATION
I plan to make sure that as items are debated, insights that have been received from residents are shared with Council. This information, alongside my platform, will guide and inform my decision-making during the budget. In areas where there are diverse perspectives, such as community safety, I’ll lean into my commitments to residents during the campaign.
THANK YOU
Again, I want to thank every resident of Ward Anirniq, and Edmonton as a whole, who shared their thoughts and ideas going into this budget debate. Your insights, time, energy, and passion mean more than you will know. I have appreciated how you have both confirmed and challenged my thoughts and shared your local lived expertise and experiences. I’m also grateful to everyone that provided feedback on the engagement process so I can continue learning and evolving outreach going forward. Please continue to reach out and share your thoughts, especially anything you think has been missed.
