Fall Capital and Operating Budget Adjustment – Options to Reduce the Tax Increase
Last December 2018 Council approved a 2.6% yearly tax increase in the 2019-2022 Operating, Capital and Utility budgets. These budgets identify costs for renewal and growth of municipal infrastructure, civic programs and services, and sources of revenue including grants, property taxes, user fees and utility rates. Every Spring and Fall, Council reviews the budget and approves…
Read MoreMoving Forward with the Valley Line West LRT
On December 15th, it will be 10 years since the Valley Line West LRT route was approved. I remember that Council meeting well as I was attending on behalf of the Meadowlark Community League and as a local resident who lives within a block and a half of any of the three routes that were…
Read MoreBus Network Redesign – Improving Transit in Edmonton
In 2014, City Council approved a process to update our Transit Strategy and complete a redesign of our bus network. The last major redesign of our bus network occurred in 1997. To provide some context, the Henday was in the process of being constructed and the community of Lewis Estates, one of the first communities…
Read More2020 City Productivity Audit
I am extremely pleased to report that the Office of the City Auditor has confirmed they will be undertaking an extensive productivity review this upcoming year as part of the 2020 Annual Work Plan. Similar to the last review done in 2013, this review will include performance and productivity measurements by department, corporate results and…
Read MorePhoto Radar – Making Evidence Based Decisions
Photo radar is a divisive issue. Some argue that it is being used just to generate revenue and some will argue that if you don’t want to get a speeding ticket, all you have to do is follow the speed limit. Prior to me having the opportunity to serve on Council, I fell in the…
Read MoreA True Partnership
“We call on your government to join us in this commitment and move forward in creating a stronger federation for all Canadians.” The above quote is from a letter by Premier Jason Kenney to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that was sent the day after the Federal Election. That desire to develop a true partnership and…
Read MoreResolution to our Snow and Ice Control Policy
On September 24th I wrote a post sharing my thoughts on where we were headed on the calcium chloride and winter road/sidewalk maintenance discussion. In that post I shared a motion I put forward which would stop the use of calcium chloride on city roads this winter and ask our Administration to provide a report…
Read MoreGetting Serious about Accessibility: Policy Approved
On September 24th City Council passed a new Accessibility for People with Disabilities Policy. Unfortunately there was no media coverage on what is a very significant accomplishment due to the excellent work of the Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC), a variety of Edmontonians who participated in the consultations, and our City staff who helped to create…
Read More2019 Edmonton Census Results – Building Neighbourhoods for Future Growth
Edmonton’s Municipal Census Results were recently released. Collecting population data is an important and effective way to plan for the needs of our growing city. This data is crucial in making short-term and long-term operational and strategic plans for Edmonton. The City only receives grants for the people identified in the census, so this data…
Read MoreNew position with AUMA
The City of Edmonton is a member of the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association , which provides leadership in advocating local government interests to the Provincial and Federal Governments as well as key stakeholders. I’ve been fortunate enough to attend many conferences and events hosted by AUMA and have seen first hand the important work they…
Read More