Back to work for Calgary City Council
Posted Sep 12, 2011 7:32 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
For the first time since late July, Calgary’s Mayor and Alderman head back to council chambers Monday.
Monetary issues are expected to dominate discussions over the next couple of months, with administration set to table the next three-year budget cycle in November.
Without significant cuts, taxes are expected to rise by just over 16 per cent between 2012 and 2014.
Utility bills are also expected to be boosted to cover higher costs for water and recycling.
Alderman Jim Stevenson tells 660News he’s anxious to see what savings the various department heads are proposing, after being challenged by the Mayor to reduce duplication and find efficiencies.
Last week, the Fire Chief sounded the alarm saying if he’s forced to reduce his department’s budget, staffing levels and response times will suffer.
Stevenson says until the city hammers out new funding agreements with the Federal and Provincial governments, most of the cash they get to cover off Calgary’s $2.5-billion operating budget comes from the pockets of Calgarians.
