Mayor Nenshi calls for additional budget cuts
Posted Nov 4, 2010 7:57 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Calgary’s Mayor has asked administration to find an additional $35-million in budget savings.
That would be on top of the $60-million in cuts that have already been ordered to maintain the projected tax hike of 6.7 per cent.
The Chair of the Finance Committee, Alderman Gord Lowe, says it’s important that council have a number of options to consider when the budget debate begins later this month.
Lowe says at this point, nobody should get their hopes up, because they don’t know what impact the cuts will have on city services.
But the Ward 2 Alderman adds if cuts can’t be made this time around, they could be implemented in the next three-year budget cycle.
He believes right now what the city needs to do is determine exactly what services Calgarians want and only charge for those services.
As things stand, even with budget savings of $60-million, the average tax bill will rise by about $77 next year.
The mayor would like to see the proposed tax hike of 6.7 per cent brought down to about five per cent.
