CALGARY – Today, Council approved adjustments to The City of Calgary’s service plans and budgets, taking action on what matters most to Calgarians. The approved changes balance keeping property tax and water, sewer and waste and recycling fee increases as affordable as possible for Calgarians. In addition, these adjustments allow for meaningful investments in priority areas that improve the quality of life for Calgarians, such as infrastructure, public safety, transit and housing. 

“We heard from Calgarians that infrastructure, housing, transit and public safety are top priorities to address in our budget,” said David Duckworth, Chief Administrative Officer. “I’m pleased budgets have prioritized these areas to address what matters most to Calgarians so we can continue to plan, design, and build a city for Calgarians living here today and tomorrow.”

The Council-approved 3.6 per cent tax increase for 2025 maintains a fiscally responsible budget that holds the line on a budget increase while still investing in priority areas important to Calgarians, ensuring that critical services can continue. Key investment highlights include: 

·       Infrastructure and maintenance:

o   planning for a new water treatment plant, upgrading wastewater facilities and feedermains, and accelerating water conservation efforts through maintenance and the water loss program.

o   increasing landfill capacity and vehicles to meet higher growth and improvements to help address operational pressures at our composting facility.

o   improving pavement quality on high-speed roads to ensure safe and reliable travel for Calgarians.

·       Public safety and downtown revitalization:

o   ongoing investment to support public safety in the downtown core, on transit and through the Civic Partner Community Safety Grant pilot program.

o   supporting Calgarians at risk experiencing homelessness, mental health and addiction issues.

·       Transit and transportation:

o   removing barriers for low income and equity-deserving Calgarians by funding the Low Income Transit Pass program, and permanent base funding to offset transit revenue shortfall to help stabilize transit operations and improve service levels.

o   progressing additional design and early works for the Blue Line Extension to 88 Ave NE.

·       Housing, land use and local area planning: 

o   investing in new communities to enable the supply of 18,000 homes and supporting redevelopment in older communities to increase Calgary’s housing supply.

Council made several additional critical investments for Calgarians without impacting their property tax bill by leveraging the projected favourable operating variances and making prudent use of reserves. Highlights of Council additions included:

·       Improving pavement quality with an additional $20 million for 2025 to enhance the road network, enhancing safety and traffic flow.

·       Investing an additional $13 million in a new Training Facility for Calgary Police Services.

·       Rehabilitating recreational facilities by investing $7.5 million in 2025 and 2026 for required maintenance and repairs. In addition, $800,000 in operational funding and up to $400, 000 in funding for capital have been allocated to keep the Inglewood Pool open for the next two years or until safety concerns require its closure.

·       Upgrading parks and playground amenities with a $2.5 million investment in capital for 2025.

Through the approval of the adjustments, a total of $5.40 billion operating, including $313 million one-time, and $3.29 billion capital funding will be invested in the community in 2025 to meet Calgarians priorities.

“City Administration has worked hard to keep property tax and user fee increases low for Calgarians, including using additional investment income to maintain Council-approved 3.6 per cent property tax increase for 2025,” says Les Tochor, Acting Chief Financial Officer, The City of Calgary. “Through prudent financial management, the projected favourable operating variance and the Fiscal Stability Reserve were leveraged by Council to support Calgarians critical priorities further.”

In total, the approved budget adjustments mean that a typical single residential property, assessed at the median value of $700,000 in 2025 with average water usage will pay an estimated additional $8.37 (3.9 per cent) in property tax and $5.09 (3.7 per cent) in waste & recycling and water utilities per month.