Budget increase deliberations underway at Edmonton city council

Edmonton's city council has started scrutinizing next year's property tax bills, asking questions of various boards and organizations about requests for increased funding as they debate a potential seven-per-cent increase in 2024.

Many councillors have said the increase is too much to ask Edmontonians to pay.

Council on Tuesday heard from a number of outside groups asking for additional city dollars, including Explore Edmonton, GEF Seniors Housing and the Edmonton Public Library.

Explore Edmonton, the city's tourism arm, is seeking an additional $10.26 million for 2024 to support a broadened mandate to continue efforts to bolster the visitor economy, while GEF is seeking an extra $2.76 million next year for staffing increases for its seniors lodges and the EPL $453,000 to expand its branch in the Heritage Valley area.

Between the organizations and city departments asking for funding, city council has more than $50 million in projects, grants and programs to consider adding to the budget.

One notable entity seeking additional funding is the city's encampment response effort, which is looking for $13.7 million.

The money would be over and above the spending that city administration is recommending, meaning funding any of it would add to the proposed seven-per-cent increase for next year.

Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said mulling next year's budget is the hardest one for him yet.

"This is my 11th budget, and it is the most difficult," said Sohi, previously a councillor (and a former federal Member of Parliament) before being elected mayor two years ago.

Sohi wants council to focus on core city services such as snow clearing, public safety and recreation. He is also looking to increase funding for transit, specifically bus service.

"Enhancing services like public transit, investing into public safety, investing into other core services, at the same time keeping taxes affordable and making reductions where we can make reductions," Sohi said.

The baseline council is starting from before making any decisions on spending or cuts is seven per cent increase. The city says for the average home owner, it works out to nearly $3,200 annually in taxes.

Those numbers will change as budget talks continue. They're scheduled on city council's agenda through Nov. 29.

City staff has already cut $60 million from the four-year budget agreed upon a year ago, and they're in the process of reallocating $240 million within the city corporation so it can run more efficiently.